The title kinda says it all. As I just ordered a crate and will begin crate training I was wondering what all you put in or around your crates. I read about using high value treats and crate-only toys, but was wondering if I should get a bed to lay in the bottom of the crate or not. Kenzi is an adult dog and doesn't sleep on a dog bed currently (though she has one. it's her own choosing) and didn't know if that might make her uncomfortable or hot in her crate. Also, how many use crate covers and would one be a good idea if she isn't sleeping in the crate at night? I want to make the transition from free range to crate as easy as possible for her and not make her bored or uncomfortable, but I also don't want to crowd her with too much stuff even though it's a 42" crate.

We keep nothing in the crate regularly. As for a cover, Bode doesn't need one, but when we did try using a sheet to cover it, he pulled it in through the bars, so I would suggest something stiffer.

For Mishka's crate, I had put a crate mat in but he just started ripping it up, so I put an old sheet folded up so he had something softer to lay on to make those elbow spots go away. He just pushes that off to the side. As far as toys, I used to leave rubber chews and kongs and stuffed toys in his crate until recently when I came home and he had killed two of his stuffed toys. So no more soft toys in the crate. I recently bought a dark colored blanket to cover his crate with so he sleeps better / longer at night. The lights from the neighbor's flood lights would make him bark in the middle of the night. I also got him a fan since his crate is mostly covered so he can get some fresh circulated air in it when he sleeps. It definitely helped.

Beds are hit and miss, some dogs like them others don't. A lot of it just depends on how your dog is with the objects. If she'll destroy or not. Heh.

Good luck with your training!

Nikolai gets nothing in his crate because he eats everything, and Siku has a blanket in there. He likes to kind of move it around and get comfortable, and plus it doesn't rub his hair when he moves around in the crate. I don't think its right or wrong either way just your preference. I don't have crate covers, but it might help her in the beginning so its more den like and safe feeling for her.

We do also keep water in their crates, those kind that attach just because they get really thirsty after their kongs, and when we forget they go crazy when they get over with over drinking.

As far as toys, that depends on the type of chewer she is. If she doesn't rip apart things then you can put her favorites in there for her, but if she does then I would just do kongs, or very large moose antlers ( i get the real moose antlers, not the ones from Petco, I don't trust the quality of those, they seem to break easily) that she can't swallow.

When we first got Kai, we put a bed in her crate to try to make her feel more comfortable. She hated it! Every time we came home, she would be lying on the crate floor, pushing the bed up against the crate walls. We quickly took it out and she is perfectly content just lying on the floor of the crate.

There are a few toys in her crate, but I don't think she chews too much when she's in there (though can't tell for sure because we're not around). When we leave her, we usually give her a high value treat for the crate (for example a filled kong)

Other than that, she has her bowl of water, but she generally doesn't need too much. A high value treat, bowl of water and a few toys.

Regarding the crate cover, we have a crate with the wood ceiling shelf that covers it. I don't know if this has been good or bad, but I'd guess it's made a positive impact. One thing to keep in mind if your husky gets anxious in the crate: try music. It may sound silly, but many dogs listen to sounds and stress out while in the crate. From the time she was a young pup, we played music for her and she's been completely fine.

I have a towel on top of Dizzy's crate as a cover. It's in a corner so there are walls on two sides. So only the front and one side is open. It works well for him. I leave a fan outside the crate for him (he loves his fan). In the crate, I leave water and an old standard size pillow with an old pillow case on it. It only takes up a portion of the crate so he can lay on it or push it aside if he doesn't feel like it. I might graduate him to a real bed soon, but started with the pillow in case he decided to redecorate. He hasn't torn it up so far, but he's rarely in the crate alone for the entire day (hubby works from home most days) so he might if he got bored enough.

In terms of toys, I have a variety of chew toys that I rotate, nylabones, himalayan chews, bully sticks, cow ears, antlers, etc. I know he does get bored and chew them from time to time (sometimes I hear him gnawing away in the middle of the night). When we leave and lock him in, he gets a pig ear or a couple of homemade pupsicles. I got little dixie cups and filled them half full with beef broth and threw a few kibbles in each one. He goes nuts for those and barely notices I'm leaving if he gets one. Pig ears are his most favorite thing ever, so world war 3 could happen and he wouldn't notice.

Those are some great suggestions. Knowing her, a sheet for the ground, a mini fan on the side and her kong will probably be the best start. She has random moments of destruction. (hence the crate training) Most days she will be perfectly fine out on her own, but then one day out of the blue she might chew something up and I have a feeling anything on the floor it will probably be that way. She'll leave it alone for a couple weeks then shred it one afternoon for some reason. I must try the frozen beef broth. It'll be something new to break up the frozen yogurt, pumpkin, and peanut butter. She loves plain ice cubes.

Link's crate has an old Kong pad, that he destroyed in about 3 seconds, covering the top, a Primo Pad inside, which is like a bulletproof mat, and some designated crate chew toys, and a center bone for peanut butter when we leave.

I use an old blanket for a crate cover and used to have a bed inside but it just made Jasper too warm to the point he would pant and cry until I took it out. I'd recommend a special bone or durable chew toy so that she doesn't get bored, I know with Jasper leaving any plush toys inside meant coming home to stuffing everywhere, and definitely a fan I dont know if its a husky thing or not but everyone I met seem to love lying in front of them lol.