to crate or not to crate???

#16
I don't think the topic here is about locking the dog up all day & forgetting about it..I agree that is not appropriate. Some dogs like their crates & will go in willingly, even when it's not closed (like mine) It's their den, not a "prison". There are certainly appropriate times to crate a dog. Every dog is different but please don't make it sound like uncaring owners are the ones who put thier dogs in a crate, that simply isn't the case here.

As in my previous post, I'm housetraining my pup right now & the crate is a lifesaver. My vet recommended I do it this way & I'm glad he did. He's only in it at night & when I'm gone (which being a stay at home mom, that means a trip to the grocery store or to pick up my kids~ NOT an 8 hour workday out) I take my dog outside to run in our large fenced backyard every time he goes out to potty...plus he plays in our utility room when I'm home but can't watch him closely. I'll always have a crate for him to go to because he likes his.
 
#17
my two chihuahuas are crate trained. I think its a safe place for them to be when I am not home. They are in their crates for no more than 2.5-3 hours at a time when I am not home. Also when I am home I leave the crate doors open and they often go in and sleep after playing outside. hope this helps.
 
#18
Saich2 said:
Have to agree with Rosie, think this practice of keeping dogs in cages is awful. I am wondering if the reason the dog is so crazy running and jumping is because it has been caged and its glad to get out. If the dog has long walks during the day and has a garden to run in then their is no need for a cage. I can see you are a caring owner and only want the best for your dog but putting her in a cage is not the answer. I would ask how many walks a day does the dog get and for how long. Also ask yourself would you like to be shut in a cage for any length on time every day, I would think the answer would be no.
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Well the long walks during the day and garden to run in would be wonderful if I lived in a place that had wonderful weather all year but since I have a 7lb dog that gets cold and does not like to do long walks regularly that's niether here nor there......We take her to the beach when the weather permits, she has a pen set up outside which she does not like to play in for long as she rather play with her toys inside and she's trained to pee pee in the house in a doggy litter box......I take her outside to go potty too but she doesn't like to stay out for long, every breed of dog is different and small dogs don't necessarily have the same needs or wants that larger dogs do.

So OK, nevermind, if you don't have anything constuctive to say please don't reply, telling me I'm a horrible person is not what I'm looking for. I'm not looking for criticism I'm merely looking for what other people do and if anyone has professional experience or input. My dog by nature can be a little crazy, she's a min pin. On a day that I'm home all day she can sleep for a bit, sit in the sun and relax, and then all of a sudden decide she wants to be leaping from the back of one couch accross the table to another chair, sometimes she slips or doesn't make the jump, when I know she's setting up to do something like this I stop her. It has nothing to do with her having been "locked up" it's just in her breed to be a little wacky sometimes..... My concern is that one day she will do this when I'm not home and hurt herself. She's perfectly content in her bed in her crate from what I can tell. She goes in there on her own.......sometimes I'll run out quickly and leave her out in the house but if we are gone for a little while I just feel like she is safer and like I said before, god forbid something happened in the house she would be able to be rescued if she's in her crate, if she were loose she would either never be caught or run away, it's just her personality. Maybe if she were a large dog it would be different. If at some point in time I have a house where I could giver her her own bedroom that is totally safe for her I will def. do that but I don't have that luxury right now, nor do I have the luxury to quit my job and be with her every waking moment, part of me feels really bad about that but I know the joy we give one another out weights that and besides she's in bed with me snuggled up every single night (except if I'm on vacation then she's with my mother in law) for at least 9 hours, that has to count for something, not all dogs have that luxury, so maybe it's just a matter of balance......
 
#19
Booker did this quite some time ago, but I guess it was his way of telling us that he was no longer finding it appropriate to stay in the kennel -


BookerKennelDemo.jpg


The remains of his pillow
 
#20
I did not say you was horrible person, you must care about your dog otherwise why would you be questioning putting her in a cage. My personal opinion is that its wrong. I have had dogs all my life all sizes and breeds never once used a cage. Their is no need to use them. No animal should be caged but again thats my opinion. So many behaviour problems come from dogs being over caged. Yes people use cages when dogs are puppies but they should only be used as a training tool for no more than a couple of hours at a time. They should not be used as a way of confining an animal.
I am sorry my remarks upset you but you ask for opinions and I have a lot of experience with dogs so this is my opinion.
 
#21
When I said that I used the cage method I didn't mean that I constantly leave my dogs in the cage all day long. Me and my husband work two seperate shifts so that they are not left in a cage that long. They visit the vet often and are in perfect health. I would like to know what kind of job you would be able to have that would allow you to make money and to not leave your dog for over 3 hours? My dogs are like children to me. In a couple of the books on chihuahuas I have read, they recommended crate training and that they like being in smaller spaces. I have a fenced in back yard so that they can run around freely, we go on walks when the weather is nice. They are never caged when I am home with the exception to sleeping and even then my husband is home in a matter of 4-5 hours. In my first post I was just saying what I personally do. I even said "this works for me but may not work out for others". I am extremely hurt by certain people saying that I am being cruel to my dogs. My dogs have it better that most and the fact that they have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, a warm bed to sleep in, a loving family and regular vet visits is better than some people have it. I understand that everyone has their own opinions and I will not bash on yours, so I just wish that you would consider mine with an open mind. Sorry this is so long, I just needed to express my opinion. By the way, this is not meant to put down anyones personal training methods. I just wanted to fully explain my personal situation. Good luck Lola on which ever method works best for you.
 
#22
vbskull said:
When I said that I used the cage method I didn't mean that I constantly leave my dogs in the cage all day long. Me and my husband work two seperate shifts so that they are not left in a cage that long. They visit the vet often and are in perfect health. I would like to know what kind of job you would be able to have that would allow you to make money and to not leave your dog for over 3 hours? My dogs are like children to me. In a couple of the books on chihuahuas I have read, they recommended crate training and that they like being in smaller spaces. I have a fenced in back yard so that they can run around freely, we go on walks when the weather is nice. They are never caged when I am home with the exception to sleeping and even then my husband is home in a matter of 4-5 hours. In my first post I was just saying what I personally do. I even said "this works for me but may not work out for others". I am extremely hurt by certain people saying that I am being cruel to my dogs. My dogs have it better that most and the fact that they have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, a warm bed to sleep in, a loving family and regular vet visits is better than some people have it. I understand that everyone has their own opinions and I will not bash on yours, so I just wish that you would consider mine with an open mind. Sorry this is so long, I just needed to express my opinion. By the way, this is not meant to put down anyones personal training methods. I just wanted to fully explain my personal situation. Good luck Lola on which ever method works best for you.
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Thanks, you make me feel much better..... My mother in law is somewhat of a dog expert and her opinion is that what we are doing is right for our dog. You're abosultely right, all dogs are different if Lola had resisted we would have resorted to something else but this worked. I have to remember that everyone is going to have an opinion, though I wasn't looking for opinions I was looking for what others do because I had honestly always thought at some point in Lola's life I may stop crating her but as she is moving towards 5 (which is killing me) she's still like a puppy in many ways and she still takes chances that if she did while we weren't home she could hurt herself which is my BIGGEST concern. I don't see any behavioral problems with her being in her den while we are out. We give her so much love like she's a child (which is kinda bad for us because I have to accept she is a dog and will not outlive us). I guess there will always be different views but I don't believe I am harming her, as a matter of fact I think I'm being more concerned about her and more responsible, I know people that accidently left asprin and cold medicine on an end table the dog got into it and almost died, yes this can happen while home but you can pay attention to what's going on and respond. Lola can get up on tables and counter if she wants, I would never forgive myself if she got into something that shortened her life. I know she's safe in her den (it's NOT a cage) and as a matter of fact, often when she's out and not playing she will lay down in there by choice or go under the covers on our bed confined to a space one third the size of her den. It's true they do like small areas (small dogs).
 
#23
I would not be able to have my beagles if we didn't crate them. They are not cruel if used properly (i.e., never as punishment and you train the dog properly so they don't hate them).

Ever have a beagle before? They will get into so much trouble if left unattended. You can't completely beagle-proof a house, because they will always find something (whether it's tearing up carpet, putting a hole in your mattress, eating a library book, getting into the garbage or cupboards... all of these are from experience, for the record).

Before those of you pointing fingers about crating dogs being cruel talk, think about the reasons some people do. I do it to protect my dogs, my apartment, and my relationship with these animals (when you come home to a mess, destroyed property, and an unhappy dog, it's hard to be happy and enjoy your time with them). My girls are both rescues with terrible separation anxiety, and this has been the best solution for them. They go in happily and will go in them when even when we are home. They are the appropriate size for them, they have water and comfortable bedding, and they sleep while we are gone. No fuss, it's habit, they are happy and well adjusted. Without the crate, there's no way we could continue having them. We can't be with them all the time, and this allows us to leave home and know that they'll be fine when we return.
 
#24
lvchicago said:
Booker did this quite some time ago, but I guess it was his way of telling us that he was no longer finding it appropriate to stay in the kennel -


BookerKennelDemo.jpg


The remains of his pillow
Click to expand...

Question for you... how big is your dog? Make sure the crate isn't too big for the dog. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking bigger is better, but it's really not. My dog did the same thing when we first started crate training her, and we didn't understand why and we ended up stopping with the crate. I did more research crate training, and realized what the problem was: the crate.
 
#25
The crate was probably too big for him at the time - he's fine now and has run of the house while we are gone which is why there are nose prints on every window!!!
This pic was probably posted in the wrong forum as it is more of a joke to us now then anything. I guess it was a poor attempt at humor.
Sorry
 
#26
^haha, no, I understood the humor, I was just also concerned because I experienced something similar with my dogs and found the source of their problem. ;)
 
#27
wordbox said:
I would not be able to have my beagles if we didn't crate them. They are not cruel if used properly (i.e., never as punishment and you train the dog properly so they don't hate them).

Ever have a beagle before? They will get into so much trouble if left unattended. You can't completely beagle-proof a house, because they will always find something (whether it's tearing up carpet, putting a hole in your mattress, eating a library book, getting into the garbage or cupboards... all of these are from experience, for the record).

Before those of you pointing fingers about crating dogs being cruel talk, think about the reasons some people do. I do it to protect my dogs, my apartment, and my relationship with these animals (when you come home to a mess, destroyed property, and an unhappy dog, it's hard to be happy and enjoy your time with them). My girls are both rescues with terrible separation anxiety, and this has been the best solution for them. They go in happily and will go in them when even when we are home. They are the appropriate size for them, they have water and comfortable bedding, and they sleep while we are gone. No fuss, it's habit, they are happy and well adjusted. Without the crate, there's no way we could continue having them. We can't be with them all the time, and this allows us to leave home and know that they'll be fine when we return.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I think min pins can be like beagles in some ways you've decribed. I really appreciate your positive input, and the fact that it's their way of life, not a punishment, it's a safe and comfortable place for them and that's what I have to look at it like!
 
#28
My dogs love their crates too. They often go in them to sleep when I am home and they are free to do as they please.

To each his own. But I must say that before I became experienced with crating, it looked cruel to me too. Now that I have had experience, I believe it is not cruel. More cruel, as others have said, to let your dog get hurt doing something he shouldn't while you are gone.
 
#29
I crate trained my dog when she was a puppy and it was tremendously helpful. After about a year I no longer needed to use it, but it was a lifesaver early on. I had tried it first w/out and I got no sleep and she slipped through many gates.
 
#30
We've always crate trained our dogs. With time they really do learn to love their crate....at least in MOST cases...I had a lab who really didn't and was luckily well behaved enough that she was okay alone in the house... But all the other dogs we've ever had if you just said "go in your house" they'd run right into it. And we'd find them napping in their crate. It becomes their own special private place and they love it.
 
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