In the dog's best interest....

[lovenotwar149]

Ok,I do hope this doesn't ruffle any feathers, that's not the intention and I'm not taking the moral high ground but rather just questioning it for myself.

I am currently a trainer fosterer for a Labrador ,volunteering for the blind dog association. Its going very well. Forst time fostering and we've had this beautiful golden lab for 12 wks now. He's adorable and we are doing very well with him.

We have not had a dog before. I got upset recently when I visited the new training centre that our branch are moving to this wk. A slight change is occurring - the centre will still be using trainer fosterers like ourselves, but will also be going back to their old ways whereby they use the kennels for many of the dogs too. This mean the 'kennel dogs' , the ones who don't go to trainer fosterers homes after training, stay at the centre in the kennels in their respective pens. To me it looked like they were being caged. I felt sad about this and questioned if this was in fact cruel to the dogs.

Another this I have questioned , I know it's a valuable cause etc but from the dogs perspective, are they, the dogs I mean, being manipulated /used etc and having the life sucked out of them?

I would love other ppl's thoughts on this pls.

No the dogs are not being manipulated.

Re the dogs in training. They will be trained exercised and probably spend more time with people in a 24/7 day period than pet dogs that are owned by people who work. The dogs will be mentally stimulated and will have down time to chill.

The period of time that they will be kennelled will be a short period of their lives.

Guide dogs have a great life and are dogs bred to love the company and work. If they are not happy contented dogs they will not make good guide dogs.

There’s a shortage of foster caters and a long waiting list for guide dogs so…needs must I suppose. I know the kennelled pups will be cared for and given lots of the appropriate attention. Otherwise it would be money wasted.

I have to say that I’m concerned with your overthinking of how you’re going to cope when your first pup goes on from you.

thank you for doing such a great job though.

It’s not cruel

If they have more puppies and young dogs in training than they have foster homes for, then the dogs will have to be kennelled. They will be beautifully looked after, and if they pass their training will be valued assistants and companions for VI people. There’s a huge waiting list for guide dogs.

And also a huge list for people wanting to take in retired guide dogs and ones that have been withdrawn from training for whatever reason, so any in that category won’t be in kennels for long

It's an interesting question. I suppose you could wonder whether they are viewed as a commodity, being reared for a specific purpose, but such is the life of a working dog, whether it be service dog, sheepdog, gundog or protection dog. Not all dogs are destined to be pampered house pets.

Personally (and I know I'm going to take a beating for this) I think kennelling is preferable to crating. I have a massive issue with crating. In kennels a dog has room to walk around, in a crate inside the house it does not. So although you call it caged, I would rather see dogs kennelled in pens outdoors than shoved into a cage in someone's living room all day.

I know I'll get the talk about crating being fine when it's "used correctly" but in a lot of cases it isn't. It causes psychological issues and, particularly in bigger dogs, muscle atrophy. I know that is a whole different subject but I find it hard to see kennelling as any more cruel than crating.

There’s a big recruitment drive for Guide Dog fosterers / trainers on at the moment, so hopefully the kennelling situation will ease off. However, they don’t want unhappy, badly socialised dogs so the ones in kennels will have plenty of attention and input - they’ll just be in the kennels for downtime and rest. That’s no different to many working dogs doing different jobs.

Ahh thank you so much for these replies...much appreciated. Feel better already. Re overthinking...yh thats me alright.
And re giving him up...I will be able to. I know Im part of a programme and that he isn't my dog to keep. Will I be sad today g'bye...sure as hell and I'm not going to hold back because I have to say g'bye to him in March. It will be fine. I do absolutely adore him though, absolutely.
Thank you so much again pp l:)

I couldn’t be a GD fosterer because there’s no way I could give them up at the end of the training, so well done for being one of the people who can see the longer term benefit of what you’re doing
I have a friend who is applying at the moment so I shall have my vicarious puppy scruffles from her - when allowed in the training regime, of course!

@CoubousAndTourmalet I agree with you.
I find crating to be a cruel practice for the benefit of dog owners only, not for the benefit of the dog. If you have a house pet, then the pet should find its own place in the house with the freedom to come and go as it pleases.
If you have a number of working dogs, then kennels are absolutely fine on the basis that working dogs are out and about having freedom and correct exercise far more than pets.
It's like ball throwers: only for the benefit of owners who can't be bothered with proper walks. When used intensely and on a daily basis they create obsessive behaviour in dogs and over exercise dogs in a way which does not replicate movement and speed in a natural sustainable manner.
OP I think that in the absence of sufficient appropriate foster homes, these kennels are absolutely fine. Also these dogs will be looked after and trained far better than in a home in terms of their specific role. They are working dogs, they have an incredibly important job and a dog with a 'job' has a more satisfying existence than a pet dog who gets lots of cuddles, lots of treats and no purposeful activities on a regular basis.

If you have a house pet, then the pet should find its own place in the house with the freedom to come and go as it pleases.

I agree with this but I think an open crate should always be one of the available options. That way the animal has somewhere to go when it doesn't want to be disturbed. It's also good to accustom a dog to a crate in case it ever needs to be confined for medical or safety reasons. A sick or injured dog is already stressed and if it's not used to a crate then that's just adding to its problems.

Sorry but I disagree. A free range puppy will always find its own quiet place to sleep without needing a cage.

As to confining for medical or safety reasons, that is total nonsense. All 9 of our pups were reared free-range but two of them had to be crated for ferry travel and three at the vets post-surgery. It was never an issue. They were perfectly fine in a cage on a ferry/at the vets, despite never being crated at home.

Some very interesting perspectives. Time for me to start some more 'over - thinking!!' Lol! Thank you guys!