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Originally Posted by lickthestar I agree that there is a fine line between using the crate for training and the abuse of crates. On the flip side, the pounds are also full of dogs that have been crated too much and who engage in bad behaviour because of pent up energy, and are subsequently put in the pounds. |
Hey guys, with 74 replies and 1000 views as I am typing this, I gotta put my two cents in on this one, LOL!!
Lickthestar, thanks for introducing a thread that obviously draws strong reactions from all of us. I truly believe that everyone here loves their baby and wants only the best life for their pup(s). But, the pound is not full of these dogs because a crate was used to restrict free roam of the house. The pound is full of dogs that for some reason were not properly integrated into a loving family. The reasons for this are many. But it's not the crate that makes a particular dog unfit for a particular family. The family may have chosen the wrong dog for them. They may have expected that a dog could be left alone all day, in or out of a crate, then left to amuse themselves all night. Dogs left to roam by owners who refuse to crate end up in pounds too. Not everyone knows how to train a dog. Improper training of whatever kind, in or out of a crate, leads to confusion, frustration and disappointment for the dog, who only wants a human's love and also for the owner, who feels like they're in over their head. These and others are the reasons that dogs end up in the pound. I agree, it's a very sad scenario.
Personally, I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I crate trained all 3 of my house dogs from the time they came home. I felt a crate gave a small scared puppy some security in a foreign place during the times when we could not give the puppy 100% of our attention. Crate training and restriction of access is the only way I managed to housebreak Bo. With free run of the house, he'd sneak away and potty every time! I can't nor do I ever plan to give him 100% of my attention 100% of the time. That creates a spoiled little monster! He needs to realize his place in my life (believe me, he's ranks high!).
That said, my family and friends are constantly on me because of my Bo-mania! I adore my little guy and he never lacks for sweet talk, hugs and play. My husband and kids adore him too. So he knows he's loved.
Now that he is bigger, I like for him to be able to walk around albeit, restricted while I am gone. So I bought a pen that is 2 feet wide, 3 feet long and about 2 1/2 feet tall. He has a blanket in there and toys. There's lots of room. If I decide to go for a walk, run to the store, anything that takes longer than 15 minutes, he goes in the pen. He's gonna miss me when I'm gone no matter if he's in the crate or out. In or out he'd sleep most of the time. Dogs LIVE for when their owners come home.
And no, I don't trust my dogs to have free roam of the house when I'm not there. I don't have a ming vase, never will. But what I do have I'd like to protect. I can't put away my table legs! They're firmly planted on the floor. No owner can predict what a dog will do when they're gone. Dogs can be ingeniously inventive in the mischief they can get into. A Schnauzer I had once got into a matchbook collection and chewed 3/4 of them up! I guess she could've burned the house down! Could I have predicted that? No. Did I let my guard down? Yes, but she'd never bothered it before and she was two years old!! It would be foolish to think I could have second-guessed every little thought that came into her head.
No, I don't keep my dogs in a small crate when I'm gone, but Bo and Woody, my Schnauzer are restricted. Woody has to stay in my daughter's bedroom and Bo is in his pen. We've got a swinging baby gate to the bedroom that restricts Bo's access to them when we're home. Sometimes he's allowed back there, sometimes not. I got it at Baby's R Us and it's one of the best $60 I ever spent. Bo sleeps in his pen at night. He doesn't whine. He sleeps. Woody sleeps whereever. He's 8 years old, he's earned it. Will I give Bo more freedom when he's older? Maybe, maybe not. He'll have to earn my trust. Is my house puppy proofed? Yeah, as much as I know how. Everyone's happy.
Hey Admin, any prizes for the most words in a single post?? C'mon!! LOL!