I don't know if everyone uses crates for their dogs or not...Mine are in them just when I leave the house for a while... I knew that you should not leave toys and things like that in the crate with them, but I read an article that said to not even put mats, cushions... in them. You should just put your dogs in the crate...nothing else. If they need water, you could put that, but he says they shouldn't be in the crate long enough to need much! I always feel bad putting mine in without padding, but they can tear them up and choke or swallow it and not be able to pass it...
Oscar has never been in a crate. We have never had a reason to put him in one. He is never descructive and he has never had an accident in the house. Plus the only crate that we can find that would be big enough for him is like 300 dollars and thats not even including shipping.
I've never used a crate but even when I block the pups in the kitchen I put their pillows in there for them. I would hate to think they didn't have something soft to lay on.
JL, unless your pups have a history of tearing up their beds/blankets I would think that it is perfectly fine to put a crate pad in with them, or if you're leary of anything too fluffy, even just a sheet folded up would be better than NO pad at all (IMO).
One of my dogs does chew on things... especially socks.. If you leave them down, he will chew and swallow what he chewed off... usually during the night, I wake up to him vomiting on the bed with a big piece of sock in it! At least he was able to get it back up...otherwise, I am not sure it would have passed the other way. I don't leave them in very long, but I am still real leary since I had a puppy die last year... I am an overprotective mom, I guess...
Ahhh, I see why you're concerned then! Nothing wrong at all with being overprotective of your babies :) Let me think on it a bit and see if I can up with any alternative ideas for you...
