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Original poster

Keeping a Dog in a cage?

131 replies

seenordontbeseen · 08/12/2018 12:24

My boyfriend has just got a beautiful dog from a rescue centre but on a night he has it sleeping in his cage and also when he is out during the day.
I don't like it,I have a dog and he is free to wander where he likes,he sleeps in my room and jumps on the bed etc.
I just don't like it,is it just me that thinks a dog doesn't belong in a cage?

OP posts:
ItsBloodyFreezingg · 08/12/2018 14:08

Dog’s who are destructive need behavioural therapy to address the cause of their anxiety and separation phobias, not simply locking up so that owner’s don’t have to deal with the consequences of their dog’s anxiety

Puppies are destructive. Simply because they are babies that don't understand yet and are often going through teething pains as well. They will also eat anything they can get their paws on which can lead to poisoning or choking hazards if you aren't around to watch them.

It isn't just about convenience (which is fine at night time, not everyone is perfectly happy with having their houses being destroyed!) but also dog safety when they are young.

BiteyShark · 08/12/2018 14:15

ItsBloodyFreezingg exactly and if you didn't keep them safe you would have someone else coming on to tell you that you are a bad owner. I have decided that you can't win with dog ownership as too many people decide that their way is the only way.

adaline · 08/12/2018 14:15

Dog’s who are destructive need behavioural therapy to address the cause of their anxiety and separation phobias, not simply locking up so that owner’s don’t have to deal with the consequences of their dog’s anxiety.

What about puppies who eat everything? They don't understand the dangers or that it's wrong, they're just playing. I've fished all sorts out of my puppies mouth and that's with me in the same room as him - I dread to think what he'd manage to eat if I left him alone and uncrated for any length of time. He can open doors and cupboards, open drawers and the cats often knock stuff on the floor for him as well!

He doesn't have behavioural issues, he's a normal 10 month old puppy who likes to get into mischief! If we go out he is crated for his own safety. Much better to be crated for an hour or two than in the emergency vets after eating something poisonous or that could cause a blockage.

Queenofthedrivensnow · 08/12/2018 14:20

I hate it. I tried to crate ddog when he was a puppy. He hated it. It worked for about 6 months then he totally rejected it. The crate is in the car now to keep him safe on journeys. I got rid of the main one gladly!

A friend got a similar dog and crates him the majority of the time. It's damaged our friendship really.

Part of having a dog is accepting that occasionally even with adequate exercise and company that they will chew something or make a mess. I choose my dog

Lazypuppy · 08/12/2018 14:21

I hate crates for dogs, i'm the same as you OP, my dogs have eventually get rthe run of house.

Start of in the kitchen, and as they get older and need more space they get more of the house when we are out.

jophie80 · 08/12/2018 14:26

If you don't have space for a dog to run around like in the garden and are too busy in the days to be with the dog and walk them in the park, then I think it is plain cruelty. And yes you should say something to your husband, what he is doing is wrong.

This is animal abuse, and I am sorry we humans punish people and put them in solitary confinement when they are very bad, and in confined jail cells when they have broken the law, so if that applies to humans, and they suffer. I assume a dog kept in a small crate does suffer too. Just because it because habituated to that doesn't make it right.

My mother in law, got a huge white shepherd last year, a lovely boy he was 3 years old, and when every day they went on long country walks he would get very tired, clearly the poor boy had been locked up for most of his life like some criminal.

The way some people are allowed to treat dogs is inhumane. If you work all day, and can't provide access to a garden don't get a dog, it very cruel.

ineedaholidaynow · 08/12/2018 14:28

Ddog has a crate. He sleeps in it at night and when we are out. I am in the house a lot during the day so he doesn't have to use it much during the day. He willingly goes into it, in fact once he recognises the signs that we are either going to bed or going out, he will automatically go to the crate, nudge the door open and go in and wait for the treat he gets before we shut the door.

If we leave him alone in a room not crated, he will bark and scratch at the doors. He is much more settled in his crate. If he didn't like it we wouldn't use it.

WinterfellWench · 08/12/2018 14:33

I think it's a horrible thing to do to a dog. Locking him in a damn crate! And LOL at the posters saying 'he probably LIKES it.' How the fuck do YOU know. And why on earth would an animal like being trapped in a crate?

Never knew anyone do this til this past decade. No-one ever 'crated' their dog, pre 2000's. Just goes to show how many people don't know how to care for, and train their dogs. We had dogs for YEARS in our farmhouse, and plenty of visitors, and not one dog was ever locked in a crate!

adaline · 08/12/2018 14:34

Why are people comparing dogs to children? Dogs are animals and are not small children or prisoners.

And I don't understand people saying "well, my dog hates being crated therefore crates are bad" - all dogs are different and have different needs. I have a dog that hates crates so we don't use one - he goes to daycare while we work to avoid having to leave him alone. However I know other pups from the same litter who love their crate and actively seek them out when they're tired or overwhelmed.

All dogs are different and some are more/less destructive than others. Labrador puppies, for example, are known for being strong chewers and destructive as puppies, whereas smaller breeds may not be such a problem. Likewise older dogs are much more likely to be calm in the house whereas young rescue dogs may be far less predictable.

Dogs chewing things they shouldn't can be fatal. Mine has gotten his paw on things when I'm sat two metres away from him in the same room! Dogs eating things like socks, food like grapes/raisins/chocolate or plastic/material can kill. Some dogs can be trusted, plenty of others can't.

I'd rather a dog was crated and remained safe and unable to destroy to the house or eat something dangerous than be given "free run" if it's not safe. If done properly, dogs are crated for their own safety and comfort. Lots of people might use crates as the easy way out but that doesn't mean all uses of crates are bad or wrong.

TruffleShuffles · 08/12/2018 14:40

I’m hate dogs being put in crates. If you have an anxious dog then you need to address what it is that’s making your dog anxious not put it in a cage where it is ‘happier’, no animal should happy to be locked up. Yes puppies can be destructive but it doesn’t mean you have to put them in a cage, start in a kitchen for example and make sure there is nothing they can harm themselves with then gradually increase the space they can go in. If you don’t want your pet to be able to share the space on your home them you don’t have one.

tabulahrasa · 08/12/2018 14:41

“Dog’s who are destructive need behavioural therapy to address the cause of their anxiety and separation phobias, not simply locking up so that owner’s don’t have to deal with the consequences of their dog’s anxiety.”

He’s had years of behavioural therapy... not at all linked to his willingness to endanger his own life by chewing electrical cables or trying to eat coins... they’re just because he likes them, he’ll do it when you’re there too, only you can say leave and drop then...

But given that the door is only shut over for about 6 hours overnight and he’s only left during the day for a couple of hours once or twice a week, I’m really not bothered if someone else considers it locking him up for an easier life...

But 9 hours a day in or out of a crate is way too long to be alone!

Bluearsedfly36 · 08/12/2018 14:53

My dogs go in crates at night and when we go out, doesn't seem to bother them, they go in there if they want peace and quiet.

adaline · 08/12/2018 14:54

Yes puppies can be destructive but it doesn’t mean you have to put them in a cage, start in a kitchen for example and make sure there is nothing they can harm themselves with then gradually increase the space they can go in

And if you have a puppy who will happily eat your kitchen given the chance? Or that can open doors?

Not all dogs are safe being given the run of even a small room. Mine is only 10 months old and can open doors, cupboards and drawers, and he's strong/tall enough to jump up on the kitchen sides.

Kittykat93 · 08/12/2018 14:56

People saying that crates are fine and their dogs like them - great!! But do you keep your dog crated all night and most of the day?? That's the issue here with the op,

TruffleShuffles · 08/12/2018 15:01

Then adaline you really need to persevere with training your dog. A destructive dog is not a happy dog, it’s either under exercised or under stimulated. If a dog isn’t mentally stimulated it will need to find it’s entertainment elsewhere and that’s when they become destructive or have behavioural issues.

adaline · 08/12/2018 15:04

Then adaline you really need to persevere with training your dog.

My dog is a 10 month old puppy and never left alone. He goes to regular classes and has passed every single one. So please don't be so condescending and please don't tell me how I need to "persevere" with anything.

He gets two walks a day and plenty of mental stimulation including doggy daycare, obedience training and brain games. However he is also a beagle and they are known for being destructive and exceedingly stubborn. He is perfectly happy and well stimulated thank you very much! Angry

BiteyShark · 08/12/2018 15:06

Kittykat93 you are correct that the problem is with the length of time described in the OP which was most of the day.

However, a number of posters jumped in saying crates are bad in ALL circumstances and that is what prompted some of the posts to counterbalance the blanket statements.

ItsBloodyFreezingg · 08/12/2018 15:07

WinterfellWench

My dog is very happy and loved and to be honest, pretty spoilt. He was crated at night as a pup for safety reasons and still to this day chooses to sleep there even with the door open. I know my dog, I know if he's unhappy. He wasn't then and he isn't now.

I've done lots and lots of reading up about this before we got him as our breeder recommended the crate at night and I was unsure myself. I didn't find anything to suggest that crating was damaging or abusive if used correctly i.e. over night, not as punishment and certainly not for long periods over the day.

If you have a pup that can be left in the house and not get into trouble that's good for you. Many many others are dangers to themselves until they learn otherwise. The way my pup was when we got him, I would have been neglectful to leave him free at night as he would eat (and likely choke) on anything he could get.

He's older now and better behaved and so he has the choice of leaving his crate because he can be trusted not to harm himself. He chooses to sleep in there still (or occasionally on the bed half way through the night!).

BiteyShark · 08/12/2018 15:09

A destructive dog is not a happy dog, it’s either under exercised or under stimulated.

Again another blanket statement. Puppies don't tend to recognise things they can chew versus things they can chew which will hurt or kill them. It takes time.

ItsBloodyFreezingg · 08/12/2018 15:10

A destructive dog is not a happy dog, it’s either under exercised or under stimulated

I'd sort of agree with you IF the dog in question wasn't a puppy. Puppies can be destructive whether or not they are stimulated, trained or exercised sufficiently. It's par for the course of having a puppy. They are babies, and can't be expected to be perfectly behaved until they are grown dogs and have learnt proper behavior.

CaptainMarvelDanvers · 08/12/2018 15:11

I have a large travel cage which is set up in the living room and my dog likes to go in to it to sleep, but the door is always left open. Even if it was a gigantic cage, I would never lock him in.

I don’t remember cages being in use in the 90’s yet most puppies managed to make it to adulthood unharmed without them. Locking dogs in cages for hours upon end doesn’t sit well for me and I think it’s more about protecting the owners home and belongings than the dog’s welfare.

GemmaMcEacharn · 08/12/2018 15:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

jophie80 · 08/12/2018 15:13

In my honest opinion if you need to put a dog in a cage for more than 2 or so hours, then I suggest to try to re-home it to a family that is able to provide a life for the dog it can actually enjoy.

WoahBaby · 08/12/2018 15:13

A rescue dog is very different from a dog you raise from a puppy. We took on a really difficult rescue dog but didn't realise how deep his problems were until we left him alone while we went out for 1hr. We came back and he'd trashed the place. Turns out he had awful separation anxiety. We offered him the crate with a blanket over it and a bed inside plus water and he was soooo much better. A crate is a safe space for a dog, it's not cruel if used properly. If DP was literally throwing the dog in there, being aggressive etc, then that's wrong. In time the new dog may settle and the crate won't be needed as much.

ItsBloodyFreezingg · 08/12/2018 15:16

Safety aspect aside, I don't see the problem with wanting to protect your belongings either (at night time). There is nothing wrong with saying hey I'd rather my house not be destroyed.

It's okay to expect and train a dog to sleep at night time instead of chewing through your coffee table whislt you're in bed.

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