How Do Your Dogs Travel and Sleep at Night?

Jasper, my oldest Pup will be 7 years old this month.  He was 9 months old when I got him.  He is a Maltese.  {see my sidebar for photos and a link to posts about all of my Pups}  I'd done alot of reading and studying on being a good Pup Mom!  And since I do have nice furniture, rugs and carpeting as well as other things around the house, I decided that Crate Training would be the way to go.  I opted for the black metal crate, just big enough for Jasper to get in, turn around and lay down.  He seemed to like it too.  He'd run and lay down in it...
throughout the day, too, after his initial training was done.  And he slept in it too.

These are my PuppyKids

***Prayers for Angel today would be appreciated.  She isn't walking on one of her hind legs.***

Three weeks after getting Jasper, I headed back to the Breeder in Indiana, to get a companion for Jasper...and that was Benny.  I put the crate in the car, with a soft bed in it and Jasper rode comfortably and quietly all the way to Indiana in it.  After a walk outside with Benny,  I put him in the crate with Jasper and headed home.  Even the 11 week old Benny, a Havanese, enjoyed the crate.  {Benny passed away in December 2013, when he was barely 4 1/2 years old}.  It was settled...any and all Pups would be crate trained - to travel and sleep in the crate.  Until potty training was done, they had a small crate they were in to nap during the day...and between potty breaks.  It worked out great.

Jasper and Benny shared their crate at night and on trips...well, anywhere we went, for about 7 months.  Then along came Rosie, who weighed only 3# and was 12 weeks old.  She's a Toy Poodle.  The "boys" graciously accepted her into their crate and she has loved having the boys around her.

Throughout the following following years, there were many beds that came and went - shared by all 3 of the Pups.  And finally, I decided to try a different kind of crate...a soft-side.  Jasper had gotten his paw stuck in the metal crate and also had gotten his nose hurt, when I had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision...so I thought a soft-side might be better.

While there are many things you can purchase as beds for your furry kids...I'm happy to say, there are quite a few selections for crates too.  See the metal crate below...and the fabric "Tents" you can purchase to decorate them?  Oh how cute.

But here is the Soft-Side Crate I purchased for all 3 Pups - Jasper, Benny and Rosie...both to travel in and to sleep in.  And, yes, I close the openings {which zip} when they go to bed at night.  I don't want my Pups getting up and getting into anything they shouldn't...especially while I'm asleep.  This is the Noz2Noz 36"x24"x31" crate.  All 3 have plenty of room to stretch out in it...and they don't have any hard bars that could injure them.  And...since Jasper gets paranoid when there is a fly in the house...the crate is a "safe place" for him when they're around.  I always have a nice, semi-soft bed that I put inside the crate.  They thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in it.  One end, one side and the top all have a zipper to open the screen.  I wondered, since my Pups like to scratch at the screen when they get excited, how it would hold up.  I've been using the same crate for nearly 4 years...and while you can see marks on the "screen", it does not affect the use of it at all.  It just make a dark mark if they scratch it too hard. 

And when Angel came along 2 years ago, she was potty trained and then she joined the "Crew" in the crate for travel and sleeping.

I have tried on occasion, to have them sleep with me at night.  They love laying down on my bed for a nap during the day...but as soon as it's dark outside...at night...and I turn off the lamp on my bedside table, they start whining and fussing, wanting to go in their bed and get tucked in {or zipped in}.  

The only problem I had with the crate, was the size - when I was driving and travelling.  I couldn't see out the back window, making it difficult to see traffic behind me.  It interfered when backing up out of a parking spot too.  So, this year, I ordered the size slightly smaller...and it's no longer a problem and the smaller size is OK with the Pups too. 

Somewhere in between purchasing the large crate and the slightly smaller crate this year, I also purchased the small crate...for one dog.  It makes transport of my most nervous little girl, Rosie, to Vet appointments and she loves getting into it if it's storming during the day.  Calms her right down.

These crates are washable - I use a sponge and soap and water.  The crate bottoms are waterproof, which is a good thing, in case of an accident or very wet paws.  They are easy to open and close.  They have velcro and the roll-up screens...the smaller crates also have a carry handle.

I just thought I'd share this information with you here...in case you've been thinking about crate training, travelling or sleeping arrangements or changing crates.  I haven't received anything from anybody for posting this.  These are my own feelings about this product.