I have crates for both my dogs and as others have said i think if used appropriately they are a wonderful aid for both you and your dog,mine are left open in an out of the way place and the dogs can chose to go in and have a snooze or some 'time out' if they feel like it.Mine do not dislike their crates and consider them 'their own space'
I do feel however that keeping dogs in crates continually for long periods of time or for no reason is wrong and yes you're probably right in saying that people abuse the use of crates.It is a shame.

I think that essentially punctuates my personal feelings on the subject too.

I find it both odd and interesting how we as dog owners attempt to justify certain actions, be they right or wrong. At the top of my 'odd list' is the use of crates. (Interesting too is how the word "cage" has been softened a little to crate.)

Many dog owners see the use of a shock collar as cruel, and yet are more than happy to have a dog's movement severely restricted, apparently in the belief that wolves loves dens and therefore so too must a dog. To me, they are both accounts of cruelty, and cruelty doesn't have degrees designed to make the owner feel better. At least it shouldn't have.

This theory then falls over a little when other actions often performed in wolf packs are rejected, as that particlar theory doesn't quite fit in with their own feeling of right and wrong.

Like you, I see absolutely no place in modern dog-ownership for the use of caging a domestic dog which is a pet. It doesn't feel right, it doesn't look right, and I share your view that it's tantamount to abuse, albeit mental instead of physical. I couldn't imagine a single scenario which would ever lure me into believing otherwise.

However, I understand that for some people, some dogs, in some situations, they offer a "solution". I just don't place any weight or credit whatsoever in the notion that a dog is behaving because it has no choice but to behave, over a dog behaving because it wants to.

If I'm locked in a cage, I'm not going to destroy anything either, because I physically can't. However, that doesn't mean that I don't still want to the moment I come out. To me it's breaking a dog, not training a dog.

I used a wire mesh crate on the passenger seat for my Jack Russell when she was tiny- then pregressed to a dog bed and she wore a seat belt harness- now we are back to a rigid fabric crate on the front seat as she doesnt like to see things"coming towards her" when we are in the car However the end panel is open so she can watch me. Ive never crated her in my house- I restricted her access to certain rooms while she was a pup. I think a puppy playpen is a better idea for long periods .

i use a croft freedom pen and its not often closed .....car crates are essential for travel we don;t all live in a perfect world where we can be home all day and own lots of land so i think the comment is unfair

I Don't Have 1 And Never Have Had 1 But, If I Ever Felt It Would Help Me And My Dog In Some Way I Would Get1. Crates Are Only Ever A Problem To Me If They Are Used To Much Or Not In The Right Way!

I used a crate when my GR was a young pup and have to say I found it invaluable.

We used it indoors when he was tiny as a place to keep him safe when doing things such as opening the oven door when an inquisitive pup could have caused or been the recipient of an accident.

We used it in the car as well not only so that he was unable to escape when we opened the tailgate but for his, and our, safety in the event of an accident.

It was a brilliant tool for helping with housetraining at night and I actually think it made the job easier as he was fully trained -night and day- in 2 weeks.

It gave him a safe place to retreat to if he wanted and the family knew that when he went in there it was his time and to leave him alone until he chose to come out again.

He has never been shut in for hours on end but again it was a brilliant tool for discouraging chewing things in the home. He was given toys to chew in his crate and has never, ever chewed anything indoors at all ( I know I will regret saying that ). I think this is because he never had the opportunity to and so it never became an issue. However he has eaten all the shrubs in my garden so he obviously likes to chew but has just learnt not to do it indoors.

We stopped using the crate when he was around 6 months old when he was beginning to outgrow it and also because he was trustworthy to leave at home with the run of the place.

A crate is like any other tool - if used for the correct reason and in the correct way it is great. If abused it is a different matter. I use a lead with my dog to keep him safe when walking but there is no way I would use it to beat him with.

A crate is like any other tool - if used for the correct reason and in the correct way it is great. If abused it is a different matter. I use a lead with my dog to keep him safe when walking but there is no way I would use it to beat him with.



thats very well put

I have a crate for Finn. I felt as a puppy if we ever had to leave the 2 of them alone it would be safer if Finn was crated for the few hours they would be left because of the size difference and the way boxers play together. Finn went through a destructive stage whenever he was left alone and being locked in the crate for a small amount of time kept him safe from hurting himself and others as he had taken a fancy to chewing electrical cables. He chewed my hoover cable which nearly electrocuted my son when he switched on the hoover

It was also used as a bed for Finn although he was never shut in unless they were left alone.

Now just as I was thinking of taking the crate away they have both been taking turns in sleeping in it at night. Its their little den and a space for peace

I agree with some of what you say, but I think to dismiss the dog crate as a prison is to do it a great disservice.

We've used a crate (albeit with the door taken off unless we're travelling) from day one with our pup, and we've used a puppy pen with her rather than leave her to roam the house unsupervised. The open crate sits inside the pen, and she's confined there overnight and at times when I'm out or having a bath. I know some people like to have their dogs in their bedroom, but it's not for me, and I think I'm better to restrict her to an enclosed space than to risk her being electrocuted or strangled, or even to chew a hole in the antique sideboard I don't think confinement is training the dog, but I'm pretty sure it's limiting the damage while I do train her! Plenty of dogs end up in rescues for their destructive behaviour, ours won't!

I've been lucky enough to have the first 3 months with our pup off work, so I've invested a lot of time in providing her with mental stimulation, socialisation and basic training. Nobody can watch them 24 hours a day, however, and anyway, it's important to us that she does learn to spend time on her own without panicking, so she has spent gradually increasing periods of time in her pen, with plenty of toys, Kongs, etc... to keep her occupied.

I wouldn't dismiss the use of crates for house-training, but i have to admit that I wouldn't be confident enough that I was doing it right We have found it very easy to get the pup used to travelling, and I think it's partly due to her being at ease in her crate. She also goes straight there if things (usually the hoover) get too much for her. My mum found the crate a real blessing with her old rescue dog who was absolutely hysterical in kennels without it, but totally chilled anywhere as long as her crate was there

I have been using a crate for the first time with a puppy we have - Lupi.

He is 11 weeks old now and I have 3 other dogs. However, I don't leave him in there while I go out as work at home mainly and my dad is around when I'm out. In the odd situation where he has to be left alone (apart from the other 3 dogs), i make sure he has been fed, done his business and a little play with the others. He falls asleep and often doesn't wake up until I've been back for a while.

He has his own toys and bones in there and mainly goes in when he is tired or to keep him safe whilst we're going room to room.

If we didn't use it, there would be a stong possiblity he would over-do it with our 3 big dogs and Phoebe (lab) would steal and destroy his toys - our other dog Charlie (labx) would steal his bones.

He sleeps in there and when he wakes up he's let straight out. Towels are put over it when he sleeps as it makes it more cozy and dark. It also keeps him from the dangers of biting through electrical wires and helps with Housetraining.

We tried to sort out the wire situation, but have far too many what with computers, televisions, etc, etc.
When he has been trained a bit, we'll just leave the door open and no food in there. What we'll probably find is one of the labs in there!

We are getting another door gate, so when everyone is out he will be contained with the other three in the kitchen. However, at the moment Shadow (staff) can open all the doors himself, so we wouldn't know what trouble he could get into.