The (mis)use of dog cages is a subject which a lot of controversy, there are those who advocate their use and those who would never use one. I am involved with dog rescue and have been for well over 20 years, in the early years, it was a nightmare when we had to re-home a dog which had destructive tendencies. I, too, felt that there was no need to use a cage for a dog and felt that it was cruel. However, years pass and experience grows. I now have no problem with a dog being in a cage for a short period of time, a couple of hours maximum. The cage must be large enough for the dog to be comfortable, it must be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down flat, all without being cramped. I see it as just an extension of the dog’s bed, somewhere for peace and quiet and where the dog is able to relax and rest without being bothered. I do object to those who cage their dogs full-time whilst at work, that in my opinion is downright cruel. Even coming home at lunchtime to let the dog out is, I think, no better. The argument is that the dog is only in the cage for 4 hours. Wrong. If the dog is then put back for another 4 or 5 hours then the dog is caged for 8 or 9 hours. I don’t agree with dogs being outside in runs or being left in garages no matter how ‘nice’, I am sure that will not go down well either but it is my opinion.

When re-homing adult dogs it takes time for the new owners to create a bonding with their new pet although most dogs settle into their new homes pretty quickly. If those new owners have to contend with a dog which is destructive when left, it is harder for them to grow to love that dog. After all, it is easy to love a good dog, not so easy when that dog is trashing your home. In my experience of re-homing, unless the dog has a deep rooted reason for being destructive, once the cycle of trashing has been broken then the dog can only go forward. I have lived with destructive dogs and I know how heartbreaking it can be when you have saved up to buy something nice and then find it only fit for the bin. It is vital that the cage is not used as a ‘sin bin’. It is purely another training aid to be used to prevent a problem not to put the dog into whilst you clear up the mess and calm down. I would rather come in to my dog, make a fuss of it and have my dog pleased to see me than come in to a load of destruction, shout and yell and frighten the poor dog to death – believe me this happens. Quite a few of our rescue dogs are put into their new homes with a cage on loan. When I re-home a dog I want it to stay in that home for the rest of it’s life, I don’t want it to be re-homed time and time again when the use of a cage as a temporary measure can allow the new family to bond with and grow to love their new dog. It is also our policy not to home with full-time workers, I know that will go down like a lead balloon but I am the one doing the re-homing, and the one having the worry about how a dog is settling down. Quite often the dogs problems started when they were left full-time hours from being a puppy, perhaps more care should have been take with the original home. I am sorry that this reply is so long winded but once I get on my soapbox I don’t know when to shut up.

I've only skimmed this thread so apologies if I'm repeating anything already said
I used a crate for Murphy -it was anything but a little wire cage -it was bloomin huge ...it was his bed , his den, his place of safety and refuge when he didn't want to be bothered by the world .It was a Godsend...I had an open plan house where nothing was out of bounds -he slept in it at night and barked to go out if need be ...he took himself off into it voluntarily at various points in the day and he went into it when he was left alone (never longer than 3 hours in the day ) Like anything they can be abused but used properly they are no more stressfull than a closed door .
Some dogs take to them ...some don't ..horses for courses

Just out of interest, why not? If a dog is in a large, secure outdoor run, with shelter and a bed; what is so bad about that?

Obviously, if they are just chained up to the kennel (and I've seen this happen) then I can see a serious problem.

Our problem was that the whole of the dowstairs part of the house, and the stairs and landing had no internal doors and was all open plan. Max could wander anywhere in those areas with no secure confining area. My OH ended up building a 5 foot wide wooden barrier to go across an archway, but Max eventually learned how to move this to escape!

Luckily we've now moved and can easily use a baby-gate to confine Max to the kitchen and 200ft garden when needed.

great post Novavizz I agree.

I have picked up the pieces too many times, dogs start off being out just for a couple of hours whilst the owners go to the shops etc, then just a bit longer while they get a few jobs done, the time progresses so that quite often the dog spends more time alone outside than it does in with the family, and Boxers are a people orientated dog, we then get a dog handed in to us which may not be housetrained anymore, it may then take guarding very seriously to the point of being dangerous - who wants to take on a dog like that? Who wants to re-home a dog like that? When I put a dog into a home I need to be as sure as I can that the dog is safe to be re-homed. I don't home guard dogs.

It can take us a long time to get that dog to a stage where it can be re-homed safely, not to mention expense. Not many people want to take on an adult dog which wee's and messes in the house, it is acceptable from a puppy but not it would seem from an adult dog. The majority of people that ring us for a rescued Boxer do so because they don't want to pay the high price for a puppy. Not many people want to take on a dog with any sort of problem, most want one as young as possible, housetrained, fully vaccinated, chipped etc. There are a few that genuinely want to give a rescue dog a home but most just want to save themselves a few quid.
I am not saying this happens every time but in a lot of cases it does. This has deviated from the original thread and I'm sorry but I hope I have answered your question. No offense I hope, this is just my personal opinion.

I agree entirely with Paul G. the original poster. I have never liked the idea of crates, and would never use one. Some people maintain their dogs like them, and if this is so, fine, but only if the door is off so the dog has freedom of choice wheather to use the crate or not.

I personally think it is a rare dog that likes being caged, and dogs that do use them from choice do so because they have been conditioned in that way

Hi,
We got a crate for Tyler 2 days after we brought him home,it was just impossible for us to watch him 24/7.Hubby wasn't keen but i explained how they should be used after reading the article on here.We have found it an invaluable piece of equipment.He loves it,anything he considers his ends up in there,he sleeps in there and we consider that his space.The only time the door is shut is if we go out and can't take him with us(he goes most places with us)and during the night.
We are going to be showing him soon,so it will come in useful then.
I don't agree with leaving dogs in them for hours,it is cruel and i think idle on the owners part as they can't be bothered.

Yes, dogs are trained that a crate is their space, just as they are trained that a bed is their space. That happens with the door open, the door shouldn't be shut til the dog is happy in that space anyway.
From a personal point of view, I would rather a pup was in a cage and safe for the 10 mins it takes me to shower, than out and chewing through cables/eating chairs/being eaten by my older dogs.
I was anti crate initially as I've already said, but they are a useful training aid. I would not ever have a young pup without one now.
They can be and are misused as is any training aid sadly.

I used one with mine when they were pups. It is a large 42" crate, all of mine can lie in it and stretch out if they wish. It is now Sol's crate and the only reason it hasn't been put away is because he likes to be fed in there. If I put his food in his crate he eats it properly and feels safe doing so as he knows that it is his space, if I make him eat it outside he gobbles it so quick he has been known to bring it back up. He is a lot better, at the moment all three are in the living room eating a bone each but if he feels that he needs a refuge to eat his food in then who am I to say he can't have one? I disagree that dogs that use them from choice do so because of conditioning, he does it because he feels more comfortable eating in there. I don't take it to agility shows with me, he eats there quite happily in our little garden around my tent, usually a little way away from the others. There is never any danger of him losing his food to the others, I wouldn't allow it, but he doesn't know that and this way I can work on the issue without him making himself ill.

The biggest problem with crates is that people abuse them and use them for convenience rather than necessity.

I have 4 crates that I use, two I use for showing my dogs dont like people coming up and poking at shows so are they are quite happy beening in the crates at shows in the crates there are foam beds with blankets and toys and have a crate covers with mesh windows front and back so the dogs can see and 90% of the time they are sleep while we are at the shows, the other 2 are quite large and used them when I have a bitch in season and I have to go out for something then both dogs go in they can laid stretched out and still wont touch the other end and like their show crates they have everything in there other than that my dogs live in every part of the house and sleep with me at night