Need Opinions Please - Crates?

[Kelly]

I have always been one for crates, I love them. But my BIL is moving in with is and we have NO room to put them anywhere. I've tried every nook & cranny I thought they could possibley fit in!

We have a 3 season porch with a door (which I'd probably install a lock on). And we're on the 2d floor.

What are your opinions on leaving the dogs on the porch with a dog house or covered crate to keep them warm in the winter? And later I'd have t find a way to keep them cool in the summer. I can't leave them loose in the house, we rent and I am afraid they'd chew something.

There will eventually be a couch out there as well. I just don't know what else to do, as it is we have to find a place for the 169 gallon turtle tank that is in our extra room (also where the crates were) but that is going to be the BIL's room. I'm all out of ideas.

[calgal]

Can you stack them?

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

I remember way back when we were pressed for room ( brother moved in with us as well as a nephew ) and at the time I only had two bullies. It didn't look the greatest but, instead of leaving the dogs in an area where they may get cold I got rid of my end tables and placed the crates there instead.

Put a bit of plywood over the top and cover the sides and back with a nice little round table cloth and viola instant end tables that the dogs could still sleep in. It actually didn't look all that bad and at least my babies got to stay inside. Hope your able to work something out.

[mrsgrubby]

Ohhhh Kelly, what a problem. I am sorry.
No, I would not stick the dogs outside on the second floor. Without being on the ground they will get cold on the bottom as well as the tops and sides.

I loved Crossfire's idea of replacing end tables with the crates covered. Or what about buying those doggy play pens? They are wire and can be folded down when not in use. I use them when I foster so the puppies can have part of my kitchen but I still have room to cook. You could set them up and tear them down each day, its not hard at all. Just look at one of the big pet stores for them.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Xpen is an awesome idea Mrsgrubby!

[TribalRats]

I think both Crossfire and MsrGrubby gave you some wonderful ideas.
We have a pretty small house and we have 2 crates in between the couch and the wall, we put a small table next tot he couch behind the crates to camouflage a bit. We have 2 more crates in our room. I have no doubt you will find a way to make it work.

[Kelly]

Well the end table thing would work, except we don't even have room for those! they'll be in storage. Our rooms are not big, and are kind of weirdly shaped. I knew it was a bad idea to leave them on the porch anyway and don't think I could have done it when it came down to it. Dante would jump an X-pen in 2 seconds and probably knock it over in the process. Maybe I can just geta gate and keep them in the bathroom, but it is small, hmmm maybe the pantry - that's bigger. This 3 BR was plenty of space until we added a 3rd person, lol. I'll have to come up with something else.

PS - the porch is over the people downstair's house, they don't have a porch so no coldness from the bottom and 3 of the sides are against the house. It's a 3 season porch, kind of like a sunroom, not an open air & railing porch. It's kind of weird to explain, it's like a bonus room, only it isn't heated.

Just didn't want people thinking I was contemplating leaving them on a porch, guess I should have called it something else...

[GSD]

as long as they won't chew it up, put something like an old blanket on the floor of the crate and i'd put something over the crates as well and they should be fine. Its not ideal, but its more than adequate and there's nothing wrong with it. I wouldn't worry about what people think of it, if its what you need to do. But I do like the idea of making furniture out of the crates. Mine acts as a footboard at the end of the bed, or even a stand in cedar chest, but made of metal.

[Kelly]

I don't know what I'm going to do. I may use the sunroom (what I'm calling it now, lol) in the spring and fall, but I am afraid it'll be too cold out there in the winter and I mostly afraid of someone coming in through the hallway and stealing them. (yeah - I am paranoid)...for now I may just get a gate and use the pantry.

[fireworksinjuly]

I use buds crate as my night table. I have a blanket over the back half of it with my alarm clock and chapstick on it. The alarm clock doesnt wake him up in the morning....none of the boys in the house wake up at my alarm clock- nor would they want to get up that early.

[oc_spirit]

Ya I think it's best you've chosen to leave them inside, with the coat type they have, it's just not adequate to leave them out without an insulated doghouse. If they were a double-coated breed, I'd think different.

[annie_so_pink]

What about putting the crates in a bedroom? Or storing a piece of furniture so that the crates will fit? Like, my house isn't very big, so we're not having a Christmas tree this year so we'll have room for Wesley's crate...Could something like that work? Hmmmm...I'll try to think of more ideas

[kazkirkpatrick]

my bedside table is a crate with a piece of wood on top and a sheet as a table cloth

[Cassiepeia]

lol I can't believe how many people have dog crate tables. That's a crack up and so fantastic...the badge of a true dog person perhaps?

I know what kind of 'sunroom' you're talking about and, although your winter's may be too cold for them to be out there, I definately think it's alright to put them out there when it warms up.

Cass.

[fluffypuppylover]

A crate table is a good idea. Personally, I've never even had a crate for any of my dogs so I'm not the best on advice, but a bed side crate table would work. You could cover the top in something flat, books or a piece of plywood, and then its a table.