To hate dog crates?

[DannyOD]

I used to use one myself but I looked at her in there in day like a little prisoner and I just thought No!!! Ready to be flamed but there you go

The use of cages/crates for dogs is fairly recent. Certainly in the 60's and 70s when we had puppies, crates were unheard of. If you had to leave a pup unsupervised they would be shut in a lobby or kitchen.
I have a crate, now gathering dust in the garage. I used it when my current puppy was tiny, but now she's 2, if we go out she is shut in the kitchen. Our last two dogs had free run of the whole house, as will current one when she matures a bit more.
I think shutting a dog in a cage when you go out for hours, (and I would say more than two hours) as some people do, is beyond cruel. It's not a pet rabbit. Dogs are surely better having a room to move about in, rather than confined to an unnaturally tiny space.
Crates have their uses, but I think they are used wrongly a lot of the time.
And needing familiarity with a crate in case of a stay at the vets? Sorry, that's just silly. How do you think dogs managed before everyone had a crate? Some of my dogs have never been an in patient either. It's a spurious argument.

My boy loves his crate. Big comfy bed in it with a duvet!
More than happy to go in at night time, it’s his safe space.

Lots of people I know lock their puppies in crates at night. They all tell me how much they cried the first few nights, that seems really cruel.

My dog is perfectly happy to sleep in her crate at night. If we don't put her in she'll wander around the house and wake everyone up scratching on bedroom doors. Even if she was allowed in our bed she wouldn't settle outside the crate.

Silly is it?

Try asking a vet if its silly, the number of dogs they listen to trying to get out of crates, rubbing noses and paws sore panicking, having to have more drugs to calm them down.. mm, realy silly.

We managed in the 'good old days' because... we didn't do TPLO ops to repair cruciate ligaments, we didn't keep dogs in overnight unless they were too ill to move, dogs DIED of this stuff instead.

My old house didn't have a door on the kitchen so we could not have put pup in there overnight.

I agree that leaving a puppy to cry over night is cruel but it's cruel whether the puppy is in a crate or not. Me and DH took it in turns to sleep downstairs with our puppy for the first few weeks

Lucisky, you may think it silly to crate train in case of a stay at vets etc but a lot of people recommend it - vets, dog trainers, dog behaviourists, dog groomers

Widdlin, your post is far too sensible for some of the dog crate haters on here.

Is it all about the crate though widdlin? I’ve never been to a vet and not seen a dog come in already stressed and trying to get back out of the door and that’s before they’ve even seen a crate. Maybe they are trying to get out and are worked up because they have been left by their owner in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people that smells funny and there’s lots of other animals they don’t know. My cat has had to stay overnight at the vets in a cage and we had to go and get her because she got herself in such a state yet she’s completely fine in a cat carrier when she has to travel with us.

I’m also always concerned with people who say their dog uses its crate when it gets really anxious and needs a safe place, a dogs own home should never make them anxious surely and they should always feel safe?

Yabu to think that all dogs like the same thing.

Some dogs do seek out and like being in their crates (mine sleeps in his without prompt and won't settle without it), others don't.

There is nothing wrong with using a crate correctly just as there is nothing wrong with not using one if your dog does not respond well to it. It's down to the dog I believe.

I’m also always concerned with people who say their dog uses its crate when it gets really anxious and needs a safe place, a dogs own home should never make them anxious surely and they should always feel safe?

For me this more comes into it when we are not at home. There's been a few instances where we have been away and brought his crate, set up exactly how he has it at home, and it really helps him to settle in a new place.

YABVVVVU.

My dogs will bark and cry the house down if they're not in their crates when we're not in. They have a double one in the kitchen and one in our bedroom, definitely their safe spaces.

"I’m also always concerned with people who say their dog uses its crate when it gets really anxious and needs a safe place, a dogs own home should never make them anxious surely and they should always feel safe?"

Do you never get fed up at home and just want to hide away in your room/ be on your own?

I was about to say yes you're being unreasonable (because your reason for not liking the crate is kind of silly and they do work really well and give many dogs, which naturally have an instinct for their own little den, for comfort and safety) but since you didn't use the asinine 'ddog' in your question, I'll give you a YANBU. Merry christmas!

Also I'll add, we started using a crate when our dog was a puppy - he was never in there for more than 3-4 hours at a time (because otherwise he'd chew the furniture to shreds and sometimes you do need to go somewhere that doesn't allow dogs - like the doctor or the supermarket or to a wedding) and he quickly started going in of his own volition when he was overstimulated or just wanted a nap. He still goes in there 6 years later, though we haven't closed the door in at least five years (and in fact I removed it and it's on top of the fridge).

My dog’s crate/cage/whatever door isn’t shut. It’s certainly not locked. It’s about creating a quiet space when the house is noisy and busy.

Crate is in lounge. He goes in there most evenings (8pm) after the adults have had dinner and plonk in front of the sofa watching TV in the lounge. He takes his toys in and plays and rests. He’s doing the dog equivalent of what are doing. We don’t make him, he can sit or lie anywhere, except the bed or sofa.

I think they’re great when dogs need a bit of me time.

I tried to crate train mine but it’s a stubborn wee terrier who decided his “safe space” was with me. If i am busy he curls up where he can still see me, and moves from room to room to do so.

It was useful for the very nervous, never been in a house rescue cat who took up residence for 3 months until she adjusted. Again now though she’s rejected it in favour of beds, sofas etc.

I'm just looking at our new boy, 9 week old puppy. Asleep in his crate, blanket over it, door open, flat out snoring, wrapped in his 'blanky' He smells a bit, the change of food is making him fart, it seems!

He is in no way anxious, he is quite a character already. 4 days with us and he has the run of downstairs. Crate in living room with us, food in kitchen, toilet in the conservatory, by the back door. We'll add the garden to his area when he is older, and it stops raining!

4 days!! and he drags his blanky from wherever it was abandoned and wraps himself up in it, in the crate. He was not crated before we got him. If it is so unnatural, cruel or lazy of us, etc, then why have we not had to train him to use it? We just popped him in there the first night we got him. I sleep in here and let him out for a small hours loo break. He hasn't cried, fought the bars, tried to get out etc.

The only time we close the door is when we need to leave the room. So eventually he will be locked in over night without me in the room, 10 pm - 5am. Given that dogs hat are appropriately exercised (walked or chew trained) sleep for up to 16 hours a day it doesn't seem cruel to give them somewhere that is their own space to spend that time in.

Apologies... I had to stop as he woke up, headed for the loo and has headed back in with his chew toy!

Trained my dog to not chew wires, eat random food, to ‘leave’, ‘stay’, ‘wait’, ‘drop’, ‘come’. Spent hours on it. Never crated as a punishment. Have never had to punish him.

Walk him twice a day, take him to the groomers, get him checked up, play with him, buy him toys, pick up his shit, love the very hairy bones of him.

You know, all the things you’re supposed to do.

And yet, because he has a bed in a crate that doesn’t get shut, I’m a lazy / cruel dog owner. Right-oh.

@CuriousaboutSamphire - I need to see a photo of a puppy wrapped in his blanky. Not because I don't believe you but because I need that in my life right now.

When I first met DH 30 + years ago his mum still had old tea chest made into a crate that had been used for 3 generations of his family's pups .It was on its last legs !So not just something to come into use in recent years in our family.Now my DCs have used a crate for all their pups.They have all loved their safe space and been able to retreat for some peace.Ours is now folded down ready for the next puppy.I have personal experience of owners who think crates are cruel.but dress their dogs up as fashion accessories and don't walk them enough.I know what our dog currently snoring off a couple of muddy walks would prefer.

I’m also always concerned with people who say their dog uses its crate when it gets really anxious and needs a safe place, a dogs own home should never make them anxious surely and they should always feel safe?

Try telling that to the numerous foster dogs that I’ve had over the years. Some of them have suffered horrendous abuse and would be put down if they went to rescue, because of their issues. The last one I adopted shouts to get his cage closed when he goes in for a rest as it’s the only way he can relax and feel secure when he has a episode.

Our Shiba Inu used to live outside most of the time with a huge double kennel and the run of the garden. In the worst of the winter (snow on the ground) we'd bring him inside at night and he'd go in a large crate in the kitchen. He would have wrecked he kitchen if not. To be honest he was happier outside though and in his later years would moan to go out if brought in - even when below freezing. I think different dogs have different temperaments and there is no one correct method when it comes to crates.

mydogisthebest

Your scenario sounds exactly like what I had with my puppy. Open plan flat - no division between kitchen, living room etc etc. Wires everywhere. I, like you, stayed home with him and I just trained him to stay away from wires and anything dangerous. My 3 dogs growing up never had crates either, and they were trained the same way.

We use one for our pup. Its attached to the puppy pen so she has space outside of the crate too. She's closed into the pen/crate overnight with puppy pads, water, food and her bed/blanket and is happy. Its left open during the day.

Its for her safety as she will chew on anything and everything, and right now at 8mo is stubbornly refusing to be trained out of it. I'd rather the crate than shutting her in the kitchen overnight.

Yep also hate them. Never heard of them til this past 5 years.

Never known anyone use them when I was a kid/teen/young adult, and everyone I know had a dog!