Who Sleeps Where?

[k4tie-d]

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Ruby and Star have always slept together in a 36" crate

so when smokey came along we decided to buy a smaller crate for him to begin with, then once we saw they were all fine possibily upgrade to one HUGE crate for them all.

so just now we have both crates next to each other with a big cover over the 2 so they can see each other but with the safety of being devided.

anyway, its all been fine (bar smokey trying to sneak in beside them) and all 3 have got along far better than i could ever imagine, but still we have left them seperate when we are out or at night, as it has only been a week.

but the past 2ish days when i say "into bed" ruby has made a dash for smokeys smaller crate and gets her self all comfy, star goes to her normal crate and smokey trys to follow her.

i end up feeling bad as i have to get ruby and smokey to swap.

what i find odd is ruby wanting to be in the smaller crate on her own? she has spent her whole life with with star in the crate so why the change now?

is it that there was never the option of choosing which crate to sleep in or is this some sort of top bitch/dog thing? (ruby is definatly the boss)

what should we do?

keep going the way we are, with smokey seperate?

let them sleep where they want?

or buy the HUGE crate and let them all go together?

 

[FeeFee]

It sounds as though Ruby is just being typically perverse and wanting what she can't have because she thinks it's 'better' :lol:

I wouldn't worry about it for now, if Smoky has only been with you a week I'd carry on as you are for a bit longer before making any changes.

Just out of interest (not knowing anything about your dogs or their ages etc) do you feel you have to close the crate doors at night? Are they likely to get themselves into trouble if you left the doors open eventually? That would solve the problem in that they could then sort themselves out in terms of who sleeps where and with who!

 

[~Annie~]

Ours have a crate each and seem to like that ... they queue to get in to their own ... but like you the crates are all pushed together with a big blanket over all three. I'd stay as you are for now and see how things pan out ... Smokey might feel differently about the need for company when he has grown up a bit more

 

[k4tie-d]

It sounds as though Ruby is just being typically perverse and wanting what she can't have because she thinks it's 'better' :lol:
I wouldn't worry about it for now, if Smoky has only been with you a week I'd carry on as you are for a bit longer before making any changes.

Just out of interest (not knowing anything about your dogs or their ages etc) do you feel you have to close the crate doors at night? Are they likely to get themselves into trouble if you left the doors open eventually? That would solve the problem in that they could then sort themselves out in terms of who sleeps where and with who!

ruby and star are 19mths and smokey is 9weeks,

ruby and star have always had the door closed, im not sure what they would do if it was left open :unsure:

 

[eve]

Congratulations Katie and family. I missed the thread about Smokey arriving (have been on holidays watching baby turtles hatch in Crete)

He is STUNNING. Is he the one only pup born of Ruby / Jinx that we saw at Holyrood?

You are sneaky, not a hint. I expect having Tyg got the hormones going.

My whippies play musical beds the whole time so I would not be concerned. I am sure Smokey loves cuddling up to Star he is probably more than happy with the arrangement.

It should not be a problem until the girls come into season again

Congratulations again

eve

 

[AnnSa]

I've got 3 crates, they are all seperate and all have the doors open all the time.

And it depend's on how they feel. The three of them can often be found all

together in the 36'' and an even tighter fit when they are all in the 32'' and its

really silly when i find two of them crammed in the little 24''

Sada will often go get in the little one when the other two are messing about in

the biggest one......she's to grown up to be with them when they are being silly :thumbsup:

 

[rls22]

Ruby and Frankie will more often than not make a break for the smaller crate at Jo's, as neither of them particularly want to bunk up with pesky Rowan!! ! :lol:

 

[k4tie-d]

Annie, i can now add this to the list of pros/cons of having 2 puppys at once lol, Star was a lovely surprise that we didnt know about untill we picked up Ruby so it was just lucky at the time that we had bought a crate big enough for 2, so there was no need to by another and have them seperate. i think OH may have a nervous break down if i brought a 3rd crate in lol.

Eve, yes hes shona's Jinx only pup :wub:

we feel very very lucky to have him hes a very special boy :wub:

hopefully wont be to long before the next event up here and you can meet him :huggles:

oh and rubys booked in to be spayed next month and star soon after :thumbsup:

 

[k4tie-d]

pmsl ann and rachel, so maybe rubys feeling to old to play silly games with a pup :teehee:

star has gone back to puppy ways with him,

she plays with him and he can usually be found dangaling from her neck, ruby doesnt play she just watches and breaks it up if it gets a bit loud :-

 

[jinnyfizz]

Sounds like fun, Katie :lol:

I'd be tempted to try leaving the crate doors open and letting them sort themselves out. Freedom is a great leveller.

Mine don't have crates ...... they just sleep on top of me - all 7 of them (w00t) (w00t) (w00t) (w00t) (w00t) :sweating:

 

[~Annie~]

Annie, i can now add this to the list of pros/cons of having 2 puppys at once lol, Star was a lovely surprise that we didnt know about untill we picked up Ruby so it was just lucky at the time that we had bought a crate big enough for 2, so there was no need to by another and have them seperate. i think OH may have a nervous break down if i brought a 3rd crate in lol. ...

I've measured along the wall where the crates stand and there's room for 5 in a row 8) ... so that's my hubby having the nervous breakdown :lol:

 

[Janimal]

I had a small crate too Katie as you know... then upgraded to a very large one when Archie arrived.

Kobi was crated until he was a sensible age...then allowed out with Oscar...in other words the door of the crate left open.

When Archie arrived...he was crated in the same room as them... exactly the same procedure till he could 'behave' as such, although

I am lucky enough to have a large utility room where they all sleep and they have always had their own sofa in there too.

I would carry on with what you are doing and let them sleep where they want to....I even have a similar scenario in the evenings when

the lads settle down...sometimes Oscar and Kobi get onto the sofa and Archie gets into a snuggle sack on the floor...as I also have beds in there too,

but other nights they all get on the sofa together....cant work them out... :-

Have to add I do have a baby gate on that room ....so they dont have the run of the house at night or when we go out...as our living quarters is almost

all upstairs, and have to add with 3 cats all havoc would be let loose at night Im sure... :lol: and occasionally Oscar will growl at Archie if he messes around...

Sounds like you are doing things right ....as they all appear so settled.

Ps...the large Dog crate now has Guinea Pigs living in it.... :lol:

 

[Esty]

When Smokey is a bit older (and not going to chew your house to bits!) I'd leave them open. When ours got to about six months they just started to not like like their crate (it was a massive one!). They'd cry and scratch and were not at all happy about being in there. We let them sleep with our son in his double bed and they were great for a while but by about ten months were sleeping in their beds next to our bed. For a while we had let them sleep IN our bed but we were getting no sleep! Now they settle in our room in their beds but since the weather has turned chilly, if they kick their blankets off and get too cold they sneak off to our thirteen year old's room and snuggle in with him :wub: They were very good about learning to stay out of our bed, though - it only took two nights of chucking them out and saying 'in your bed' before they got the message.

We also have a cat so they can't have the run of the house as poor Gus is entitled to good night's sleep as well.

 

[jok]

At my house the extension of the house belongs to the dogs (and the washing machine!) Set up in there i have a 36" crate and a large plastic basket with a bed in it. Living at my house i have a 4 year old dog, nearly 3 year old bitch and her 7 month old bitch daughter.

I don't have to lock the crate door as i lock the extension door to the rest of the house when im not in and the dogs can then also have free access to the garden. More recently, i have found that they all pile in one or other of the options together. Up until recently, they did try to avoid Rowan!!