Hi Brian……..its your decision of course but I would never advise anyone to get two puppies at the same time. Wait until the first one is 18 months or so then get another one.
Anyhow…..back to crates. Its really up to the individual whether you crate your dogs or not. They are very useful though. Never use them as a punishment, crates should be a happy place for dogs to go. If you cover them, leaving the door section uncovered they make a great “den” and dogs love dens.
If you decide to carry on with the crates after housetraining you can leave the door open for the dog to go in and out as they wish. If you need to go out and make sure the dog is safe pop them in the crates. Its really not fair to leave a dog locked up for hours though. You can buy water bowls which clip on the crate so the dog has water too.
Unless you are absolutely certain your dogs will be safe to roam around the house, plants are gone so they can’t chew on them ect then I would definately keep the crates.
Good luck and have fun with your puppies!
Chelsea you need to take her to a Vet to find whats causing this. Your dog is in great pain to the point of causing swelling when she tries to defecate. Please don’t leave her like this any longer, she needs help.
Yes, I know this already. I have an appointment this week but in the meantime trying to find something that might give her relief as I am very aware that this is painful for her.