Well, I’ll have to say that this is a blog post I was not planning on doing, but thanks to Pinterest, here we are! It’s a look at the crates I have built into my home, so they are part of the furniture.

You see, a few years ago I wrote a blog called “Could I Be A Dog-Loving Mentor?” … and the image of my built in crates is one that has been shared on many Decor or DIY boards at Pinterest. That post is also on Dog Training boards, and if you have not seen it, I’d recommend you check it out.

But, back to home decor … which is quite the diversion for my blog … it happens that some time ago in our Agility Nation membership program, I did a segment showing the built in dog crates in my home. We’ve pulled that video clip out, and it’s below for you.

 

Many of you are probably thinking … “Why is this in Agility Nation, Susan? Is home furnishing the true ninja secret of your agility success?”.

It’s because we bring out something new every Monday in Agility Nation in relation to dog agility training and the supporting skills for agility. The month is divided into 4 main topic areas. As we all know, sometimes a month will have a 5th Monday, so on those Mondays, we take a look “Behind the Scenes”. The video above is an extract from a look behind the scenes with me about what I pack in my bag when going to agility trials.  I just happened to be in that area of my home when filming, so did the quick overview of the crates on the spur of the moment!

Specifics On The Built In Crates

Each crate measures 24” (61 cm) wide, 34” (86 cm) tall and 33” (84 cm) deep. They were built to suit the size of dogs I have, so if you have larger or smaller dogs, you will need to change the size accordingly.

The crates were part of the design of our home. That means that I don’t have some of the specifics like the type of hinges and so on. I am sure you can take your phone or tablet to any hardware store and play this video, or send a link to this blog post, and you will get immediate ideas back on the materials that will suit you best.

The crate partitions are removable. The door slides out from the top of the crates.

We’ve got a PDF for you showing the layout of my built in crates and have included photos for reference. Click here to download the “Built In Dog Crates” PDF.

Don’t Forget Crate Games!

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t include that if you are going to build crates as part of your home decor, it is vital to crate train your dog. It’s super important that our dogs are happy and relaxed in a crate.

If you ever need to leave your dog at the Vet, it’s going to make your dog’s experience much better if he feels safe in a crate and can relax. You will need your dog in a crate for travelling. If there is ever an emergency and your dog needs to be crated, it’s far better for everyone if he is comfortable, most especially it’s better for your dog.

Crate Games is going to help you condition your dog to a crate for comfort and confidence. People who do dog sports know the benefit and possibilities in Crate Games, but it’s also for dogs who might never do sports. For a “great family pet”, Crate Games:

  • Is a great tool to help your puppy with toilet training,
  • Helps to transport your dog safely in the car or by plane,
  • Creates comfort for your dog when your dog has to stay at the vets,
  • Helps the crate become a den or safe place for your puppy or dog,
  • Helps if your dog ever needs to be confined due to major surgery, or events such as evacuation,
  • Teaches our dogs self control and motivation within a positive framework,
  • Is a great way to learn about shaping and maintaining criteria for all the family.

More Home Decor

Seeing as the theme today is decor, I’ll leave you with a photo of Momentum and Tater in front of their new collage portraits. The collage portraits are very unique for sure, and look different the further away you get from them. I just love them. The reason the dogs are posing so well under their portraits is that they both have the foundation of Crate Games … so that’s another reason to play!

Tater-Salad and Momentum posing with their “Samuel Price Art” portraits.

Returning to the built in dog crates … I know that many of you have done similarly as a DIY project. Let us know in the comments what you did and the materials you used. Your ideas help everyone! I’ve seen some of your photos and videos, and you have super ideas to share.

Today I am grateful for all of you, who visit my online ‘virtual home’ across many locations and spend time with me and my dogs.