[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I honestly cannot figure out why this is hitting such a nerve with you / why you're taking this so very personally...?

I feel like replying to your purposely exaggerated comment about shelter dogs is only going to further inflame you, but I'll go ahead and reply since you put it out there.

Our shelter dogs are NOT crated - not even close. They have large kennels where they have an inside area AND an outside area. They can walk around, jump, sit, stand up on hinds, go inside, outside, lay down, play, eat, drink. Humans can go inside the kennel and stand up, sit with them, lay down, do training...whatever.

There is a HUGE difference btwn a kennel and tight confined spaces like a crate. I don't even really understand why you're trying to compare the two as being comparable to each other. They're not the same thing, not at all. That said, we do have shelter dogs who can't even tolerate our large kennels, they just cannot psychologically handle it...and for those dogs we find an alternative like fostering.

To sum up what I've said many times now: some dogs can tolerate crates, some cannot. In my book, it's not ethical to force an animal into tight confinement if they cannot handle it. That's really it.

Again, as I said in a previous post, one must look at dogs as individuals. That is why there are dog trainers and dog behaviorist. The latter looks at what is behind the actions....something that is so important when you are dealing with issues. Dog trainers tend to be more rigid. Nothing wrong with that but it won't help in the case of a pup like the OP has. Not all puppies whine and cry when left alone. You have to find what works for each one and sometimes it is rehoming.