I like using crates. However, my current Shepherd Tara - who IS abnormal, let me tell you - couldn’t care less about crates. My wonderful beloved long-gone GS liked them. Not that either of them “needed” it, but when I ended up with the crate in the bedroom after they were mature, only the old dog would part of the time go in and sleep in it, etc. My current GS basically avoided it. She doesn’t mind being put in 1 at all, but given the choice, she ignores it. Doesn’t matter whether it was exposed (wire crates) or covered, either dog.
So, for Tara, we only have it available to pop up if we NEED to put her in a crate for some reason. I’m not wasting space for her to not use it!
They were great for puppy training. But I really don’t need it after that. My dogs have the run of the house, as I expect them to be reliable in all manner.
None of my adult dogs (except for a little IG who was never really housebroken but I got him as an adult and he’d been a kennel dog) need a crate once they are adults. All are free in the house and crates are for traveling these days. Years ago I did keep some crates in the house and when I had a lot of dogs I fed them in crates to avoid any sort of disagreements about whose food was whose with newer dogs coming and going.
You know, I wonder if the breed makes a difference in how they feel about it. I’ve mostly had goldens and spinoni. They are both really compliant breeds.
All of my crates that I still have (I hate to get rid of them, they would be expensive to replace if things change for me) are wire and folded up in the garage these days. I haven’t had one in the house since I last had a puppy here to socialize about a year ago.