Hi,
I am new to the board - and equally as new to owning a Bull mastiff. Could i ask what people's advice would be in relation to buying an indor cage for her ? she is now 10 weeks old, and i have 2 boys who are absolutley besotted with her (2 yrs & 4 yrs). Therefore i need somewhere for the dog to go thats her own space, when the boys have tired her out - and also somewhere she can go when we have to go out for short periods.

Any advice you could give me on this would be gratefully received, as i am absolutely over the moon with her and am happy at my choice of breed.

Thanx

Welcome to the forum. If you type the word 'cage' into the search facility in the top right hand corner of the forum page, you will gain access to many threads on this subject. Both for and against.

Try putting the word crate into the search facility aswell since its usually called a crate not a cage.
By the way wouldn't be without mine-all my dogs have been house trained at an early age and I can go out knowing they and my furniture are all going to be safe while I'm out...no naughty puppy and no angry owner!!!Suits me.If used at an early age they take to them easily and mine use theirs all the time since its left open in the back room even though I no longer shut any of them in it at all
Archer

Hi there, it's the best thing I bought. I used a pen (a topless crate) for Oscar from 8 weeks until 4.5 months (just removed it). It was great for giving me peace of mind when I was out and also allowed Oscar some space. He was only kept in it at night, when we were out and when we needed some peace and quiet. Now that I have removed his pen, I have noticed that he doesn't roam about in the kitchen at all at night. I think it trained him to stay in one place at night. It was also great because people could come and go around him and he got used to it. To be honest, I think I might have gone mad without it. (House training was really easy too).

Thanx for everybodys help and advice on this - i will be getting a cage on monday. I hope to find one that is collapsible as well.

Thanx again

Try the back pages of the Dog world or Our Dogs newspapers-loads of cages from diff. companies and many deliver
Archer

My daughter and her husband who is a vet, were both very much against using a cage, until they were given one to try, as their dogs would chew anything and everything! I advised them to put a blanket over the top, back and sides of the cage, then leave the door open for them to go into or out of as they pleased, only locking them in if they had to leave when they went out. Much to their surprise the dogs loved their little den, and would prefer to lay in it most of the day. As the door is always open when they are home the dogs can choose whether to be in it or not, and as I told them the dogs would love having a little den space of their own. They now say it was the best thing they ever did..... now though my little grandson is crawling and if he can he gets into their cage before they can and locks them out!!!!!!!

We bought a cage when Gus was about 3 months old .
It was left in the living room with the door always open and with his favourite toys inside . He never really bothered with it at first, only going in occasionaly but all of a sudden he has started using it - he goes in when he wants a bit ofpeace from the boys or when he is really tired out . It is his own little bit of peace .
It is worth getting one just to see how pup acts with one - even a second hand one. Plus they are useful in the car etc
Lel

We didn't get a crate until 2 weeks ago (pup is now 15 weeks old) and at first he didn't like it! The first night we put his basket inside it so that he knew he had to sleep in there - he cried at the baby gate for 5 mins then decided that nobody was taking any notice of him and that the tiled kitchen floor was far too cold to sleep on - then went inside it and fell asleep! I crept in after 10 mins and he was sleeping like a baby! The next day I left his basket in the crate then took it out before bedtime. We've had no bother with him. His crate is known as "Dexter's Den"!
We got the crate from www.beddingdemon.co.uk - folding crate with 2 doors complete with vet bedding.
Good luck
Dexy