I don't think I would go so far as to say that it's OK to crate your dog because a dog is not allowed in public places. Those are two different issues. And I do have to disagree, to some extent, that a dog is trained and not taught. I believe that I do teach my dog things everyday but perhaps not at a complex level as I would teach children. i really would rather not go into that topic because it's something else altogether. The point I was trying to elicit was that whether you train or teach, there's gotta be a point where that lesson ends.
people on this thread say they crate their dog for minimal periods of time when they are not home to prevent their dog from engaging in bad behaviour. but what about when you are home? does your dog do those bad things that you are afraid he will do when you are not home? Like i mentioned earlier, if I knew that my dog had certain tendencies, I would make it a point to address the issue but if you don't know that they have that tendency, then isn't it just a presumption?
I take Archie to the dog park. He might get into a fight with another dog, but he hasn't done that yet. But does the possibility that he might mean that I need to deprive him of having friends? What I think my argument(s), the more i develop them along the way, are coming down to is an issue of trust.
do you trust your dog to be home alone and behave, as you, the owner have taught/trained him to? |