Dog crates are cruel

I’m not going to read the story but I doubt it’s the actual crate which killed them? More like neglect? Which can happen in or out of a crate.

my dog was crate trained by the breeder before I had him and when he was young I used the crate at night. Crate is now in the shed but is used at dog shows and also occasionally in the caravan awning.

He’s perfectly happy in there. In fact if I tie him up in the caravan awning while I go to the loo block he barks, if I put him in his crate he lies down quietly. My caravan neighbours told me this last time I was away. I can go for a shower and know he’s safe and quiet.

I’ve crate trained two dogs now. If you know how to use them, they are an excellent trading tool.

Our dog loves her crate. We used to close it at night when she was younger but we leave it open now and she pops in every night at bedtime. We don't need to use it to contain her if we have workmen or guests as we can put her in another room but we could use it if necessary. I think leaving dogs locked in them for hours at a time is cruel though.

Sadly, many dogs are mistreated by their owners whether they are in crates or not. Should we just ban dogs?

People complain about flexi leads but we use one with Ted and we don't have any issues, its the same thing. Crates are not necessarily unsafe.

I haven't seen lots of things, that doesn't mean they don't exist

I've never seen any crate large enough for that tbph.

Maybe if you're putting a Westie in one designed for a Newfoundland. I doubt there are many of those though.

She takes herself there when it's bedtime, keeps her toys in there, and lets us know when she wants in and out during the day

Lets you know? So why not just leave the door open? She can hardly let you know when she's stiff or too warm at 2am and wants to stretch or move, can she?

Most dogs start out pining and whimpering in their crate, that's why you have to crate train. They stop when they realise there is no way out and them being unhappy or lonely doesn't mean someone will let them out.

I don’t know, people will say in the right hands but actually most dog owners aren’t near professional when it comes to behaviour and ownership (most like to think they are but I’d say a very small percentage are) but at the same time most dogs I’ve seen in crates do seem content! We never did but everyone I’ve seen with them the dogs aren’t exactly pining to get out which to me would make them not cruel, in fact I’ll go as far as to say they seem like a haven to some!

I loved the crate. I was unsure at first but I was advised to get one because I had young children. Our dog was free to come and go out the crate but that was their space to go to when they had enough of us. It also meant when we went on holiday and took the dog with us they also had somewhere very familiar they could sleep.

It's like anything, people can use it incorrectly and it can cause harm.

No space to stretch their legs or adjust their temperature. Just stuck there in one tiny cage until someone let's them out.

That depends on the size of the crate. You can get massive ones that are safe and secure, but big enough for a bed, a cool surface, a bowl of water and for the dog to stand, turn around and lie their full stretched out length.

Agree.

The terminology 'crate' is used because it makes it sound better, that's all. The crate - a training tool. The crate - their safe place. How lovely and responsible.

In actual reality, it's just a cage though isn't it? A small wire or wood cage that you keep at home, to lock away the dog when it becomes or may become inconvenient. Massively over and mis-used ime.

I can actually see the value of a secure area for short periods when you have a very young puppy or a sick dog whose movements must be restricted. I preferred a puppy pen for ours when she was very young because it was 5 times bigger than a large crate so she still had room to play - and up to 6 months she was in it when we went out or to bed. She was a baby in an unfamiliar environment. At 6 months ish we got rid.

I can also see why a doorless crate may be kept forever...dogs do sometimes want to hunker down under something and be alone. Every so often ours takes herself off to the dining room for a nap under the table...usually after a mammoth walk or if there's a housefull. And the message is very clearly 'i'm done now, leave me the fuck alone'. And we do. And a couple of hours later she'll wander back to spend the rest of the evening on the sofa with us. If we had a crate here, I absolutely believe she'd use it for those times.

But dogs are pack animals and largely want to be with their people. So many times I read of people locking adult dogs in cages for 12 hours a night. Even before they go to bed. 7-7 every night or similar. Or every time when guests are over - talk about how to induce anxiety in a dog every time people are around. Even for work...oh I'm only gone 4 hours, she LOVES her crate, she's fine.

No space to stretch their legs or adjust their temperature. Just stuck there in one tiny cage until someone let's them out.

It's cruel, unnatural and unhealthy, both physically and mentally. But so many people are so captured they can't see it.

Many dogs are not safe outside of a crate, though. I walk several dogs who will eat the furniture if they're left "free" - crate them, and they curl up quite happily and sleep.

Of course locking dogs in crates (or in rooms, or anywhere, really) is not a good idea but it's not the crate that's the issue here.

I have exercise bands in my house. This week I learned to my horror that a mother used them to strangle her children. Banning exercise bands wouldn’t have saved them from their mother. Those poor dogs died because they were owned by a scumbag.

Crating a dog overnight or when you are out of the house is illegal where I live, or rather, you can have a crate and they can use them but you are only allowed to close the door if you are transporting the dog or if it's due to veterinary care. I know of 2 countries that ban them like this but I can imagine it will become more common as people are sharing the view that it's not in the dogs best interest. They need to be able to move around, stretch, and it has shown to be bad for their mental health.

I do however think it's fine to have a crate that the dog chooses to use or not use where the door is always open. I am all for dogs having a, to them, safe space. Just don't like small solitary confinements for dogs.

That is an owner issue, and nothing to do with crates.
The same bad owners would instead just shut their dog in a bathroom and go out for hours instead.
My mum used to know someone who shut their staffy in the bathroom and went on holiday for two weeks. My mum was one of many people popping in to let the dog out for a wee and a stretch.

Crates are useful if a dog is recovering from illness or surgery. My dog was already crate trained and we already had a crate when the vet told us that we had to get one and keep her in it so she could recover from her op.

The dogs didn’t die because of the crate, they died because their owners were awful people. A crate is supposed to be a safe space, and used correctly can be a really great tool for a dog. Also, whether you use one or not, all dogs should be crate trained as there are almost certainly going to to be times in their lives when they end up in one eg. at the vet, so why wouldn’t you want to prepare them for that ahead of time so they aren’t scared?

I’m not a fan, and don’t use them. I have four rescue dogs. If used correctly I don’t doubt they are fine to use, I just don’t personally agree with them. Bad owners are always the issue..

I use crates for my dog and my cat. They both walk in happily.

my dog is a puppy and gets very distressed if she has an accident. She cries when she pees in the house. Putting her in the crate for a few minutes when I can’t supervise helps to prevent that from happening.

my cat is just a little devil who is obsessed with human food. She gets a few appropriate treats and sits in her crate during human meal times so that she doesn’t bite and scratch while trying to steal our food. Everyone, including her is happier.

there is a huge gulf between short stints of containment and neglect.

It’s not laziness though. It takes effort to crate train a dog.

It’s not the dog crates that are the problem, it’s the owner.

They have a place to keep a puppy safe - cooking, gardening, washing the car with the front door open or need to go out for short periods - to do the shopping etc. They’re also valuable to teach a puppy to have some downtime.

Anyone who shuts a dog in a crate and leaves them to go out to work, over night or for other extended periods shouldn’t have a dog. They are absolutely cruel when used like that.

Just echoing what the pp have said . It’s not the crates that have caused the cruelty, but the owner.