Hi,

I'm new here and don't even have a dog yet. But I will have one very soon, but we have to square away his adoption etc.

My question is should I crate train. I come from Australia and we don't seem to go for this as much as in the US.

I want to do everything I can to make my new dog feel secure and relaxed with our family. I have always associated crate training with confining a dog. Can you crate train an adult? Does this help settle rescue dogs by giving them a 'special place'?

I have 3 kids, so a place of his own will be important (it's important to me and they are my kids :) but I was going to have a trampoline bed in the laundrey that he could come and go as he pleased. How would you do that with a crate? I don't want to be locking him in and out like a gaol warden.

Any advice or comments will be most welcome. My soon to be is a staffy cross (border collie we think) if that would be a factor.

Regards

j