I don't use crates for my dogs. I just put them on a chain at night straight after feeding them, just so I know where they are. One of them, a red stumpy tail cattle dog, gets put on the chain whenever we go out because she will try to heel our horses if we're not home. The dogs don't seem to mind toooo much. They are under cover on the back patio. In Brisbane, we don't get the extreme cold, so it's probably a different case. I'm just not comfortable with their being able to roam at night while we sleep, especiallly as one is a german shepherd and unspeyed. We are on acreage, so secure fencing is not an option.
Lance