Chew toys in crate?

[Gillian]

Hi Everyone!

I have been reading LOTS in preparation for our new puppy (I call it information overload!!) and in all the readings I've done, I've come across two different opinions about chew toys in a crate. One says you should always have them in there so they have something to do, while the other says they should learn how to do nothing and be happy about it. My initial reaction is that it's dangerous to leave chew toys with the pup while unattended, and I don't want to encourage nervous habits of chewing, but at the same time, I am nervous about her anxiety while crate training and want to make sure she's occupied. Any thoughts on what is best?? Thanks so much!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My oldest Doodle could rip apart just about any chew toy from the time he was a little puppy, and he always ate the pieces. He could destroy toys that were supposed to be "indestructible", and it always made him sick. Because of that I have never been able to let him have any chew toy without supervision. I know others were successful in filling a Kong and leaving it in the crate with their dog while they were gone. My Doodle was actually able to rip the top part of the Kong off when he was three or four months old. Luckily I was there, or he may have swallowed it. For other dogs it just isn't a problem...they are not "chewers". So, my recommendation would be to be extremely careful until you know what your dog is likely to do.

[Holly Doodle]

We leave chew toys in the crate with Holly, but only the ones we KNOW she isn't able to destroy (which only leaves us a zogoflex and a tough rubber ball). The funny thing is, she doesn't play with them. When she gets in her crate she goes into relaxation mode almost immediately. When she was really young she would chew on toys in the crate but we really had to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't getting pieces off and eating them. As a pup she destroyed the towels and water bowl we put in her crate by chewing them up, just be cautious!

[Lori]

We just gave Leo his Snuggle Puppy when he was younger (as if he is old now at nine months!). Now he sometimes gets a chew toy but he pretty much only goes in his crate to sleep at bedtime now. He loves his Snuggle Puppy - it's the one toy that he has never tried to destroy and he uses it as a pillow every night!

[shelly]

I don't trust ANY toy - indestructible or not _ with Tori... I think I'm going to 'farm' her out to be a toy tester, as she chews EVERYTHING... so she never gets ANYTHING while unattended. We did leave Tori in her crate during the day while we worked, and she adjusted just fine... just give your puppy a good long walk, or play session both before and right after putting him in the crate.

[Lori]

I didn't put anything in the crate w/ Casper at first, not even a bed or cushion....because you just never know. Eventually we let him have a Kong w/ peanut butter in it. Now he has free run of the house while we are gone!
PS - keep the receipt from your crate!!! We got ours from Petco & a piece of wire became detached (Casper actually cut himself on it too : ( )...obviously a defect. Without the receipt they would only take 10% off a new one!!! Luckily I found it 2 weeks after we first tried to return it and they gave us a store credit.
Good Luck!!!

[Gillian]

Thanks for the helpful information! I think I will need to see what kind of pup my baby turns out to be and go from there. I am getting so anxious and excited! Thanks again :)