how would you like to be put in a crate??? please educate me
- Thread starter puppylover2007
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A crate is a wonderful training tool if it's used correctly. My crates are positive places. Puppylover's comparison of putting a child in a cupboard is not valid, because DOGS have a natural denning instinct that can be encouraged by using the crate properly. Dogs and humans = two different species.
My dogs both go into their crates on their own. This is because I have taught them that their crates are a positive, safe place to be. Shippo is still crated when I'm not around, and I leave interactive toys in there with him, such as a Kong. He is perfectly fine with that. Eevee was never crate trained, but guess what? I went out and bought a crate, put a dog bed in it, and she uses it of her own free will, because a crate is a DEN to a dog. She sleeps in it during the day when I'm not here.
I would NEVER leave my dogs outside alone, EVER! It is NOT safe. My family has LOST dogs by leaving them outside. They have been stolen, shot, and POISONED. My dogs don't even want to be outside without me, because I am part of the pack - they want me out there with them. I wouldn't have it any other way.
My dogs both go into their crates on their own. This is because I have taught them that their crates are a positive, safe place to be. Shippo is still crated when I'm not around, and I leave interactive toys in there with him, such as a Kong. He is perfectly fine with that. Eevee was never crate trained, but guess what? I went out and bought a crate, put a dog bed in it, and she uses it of her own free will, because a crate is a DEN to a dog. She sleeps in it during the day when I'm not here.
I would NEVER leave my dogs outside alone, EVER! It is NOT safe. My family has LOST dogs by leaving them outside. They have been stolen, shot, and POISONED. My dogs don't even want to be outside without me, because I am part of the pack - they want me out there with them. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ohhh let's see...
1. Parasites
2. The Elements (rain, wind, hot sun, hail, storms....)
3. Poisoning
4. Theft
5. Elbow calluses & sores (short, single coated dogs here!)
6. Frostbite (on ears)
7. Harassment (from loose dogs)
8. Nuisance barking
9. Aggression (frustration-based)
10. Sunbleaching & Sunburn
I could go on, but I've illustrated the point...
i don't see any point crate-training an outside dog, unless you want it to travel safely and be used to it's travel crate. crate training is not cruel, and every crate trained dog i ever had LOVED it's crate. to them it was like a boy's treehouse with a "no girls allowed" sign on it.
that said, aside from some working dogs, i don't see the point in having an outside dog.
that said, aside from some working dogs, i don't see the point in having an outside dog.
We've recently started leaving Herschel and Nala uncrated and they've been fine, but they LOVE their crates. After our morning routine I say, "Go to bed!" and the dogs go zooming into their crates.
Why? Because it makes them feel safe, comfortable, and allows them to enjoy an undisturbed nap. Maybe I will get a crate for myself...
Why? Because it makes them feel safe, comfortable, and allows them to enjoy an undisturbed nap. Maybe I will get a crate for myself...
My dogs love their crates. They go in them when we are not home and when we go to bed at night. They are not worthy of leaving outside or in the house to roam free. All we say is "kennel up" and they go right into their kennels and lay down. Now, they are very much eager to get out of their kennels when they hear us get up or come home.
Crates would be cruel to people, not dogs. Dogs have the denning instinct, small enclosed places feel safe for dogs, not people (and not cats, you'll never hear someone telling you to crate train a cat and that is because they don't live in dens like dogs). It also help aiding in house breaking (a dog will not soil what eh considers his bed, if it is too big then one side can be bed and one can be potty). The dog can play by chewing, and he is able to stand and turn around. He should still get plenty of exercise and human contact, if you don't have time for that than you should not have a dog anyways. Plus I know my dog just slept all day when I was not home (he was not crated) so being in a crate would not have changed anything. I would never leave my dog outside unattended, especially with New England weather. I would not feel right leaving my dog out when it got extremely hot, extremely cold, snowed a few feet or was pouring rain for hours. Someone could steal him, or he could become a nuisance barker which is it's own problem, and depending where you live, could prompt someone to poison him.My friend used to leave her dog outside while she was at school and her parents at work. Someone went into her fenced yard, cut her dogs run, and let her go. She got hit by a car and broke her leg, also got an infection in a wound she sustained, but she lived. Plus a dog can get out when left alone in a yard for 6 hours. The crate is safe, plenty of dogs like their crates and I see nothing wrong with them as long as the dog is not forced to stay in one for too long of a period.
You're making a lot of assumptions about people who use crates and how they use them, which is rude.
I don't just let Conrad out of his crate when it's "convenient for me". He's out of it any time anyone at all is at home. Well, he's free to be out of it any time someone is at home. We leave the crate door open and like many properly crate trained dogs, he elects to go in to his crate quite a bit when we're home. He likes to nap in it and just hang out and people-watch in it.
Conrad's crate is way more than a matter of convenience. Having a 90 lb. dog who does all of the following the instant you leave the house is more than a simple inconvenience: tears up the carpeting by all the doors to the outside, tears down all blinds and drapes, hurls himself up against windows, vomits, gouges scratches in all doors to outside, jumps up on any piece of furniture that will afford him a view to outside or access to a window no matter what was on the furniture originally, and literally attempts to climb walls. Pharmaceuticals did not help. Desensitization and counter-conditioning is a long, slow process. We lived with this dog doing this every single day for over four months before we resorted to trying to crate-train because we also once upon a time felt it was cruel. The house we lived in did have a dog run attached to it (6 foot cyclone fence, concrete floor) and the period we were trying to house him out there ended with him routinely injuring himself on the fence in his frantic attempts to squeeze out the bottom (until he figured out how to lift the gate off it's hinges).
Now, once a upon a time a dog like that would have been taken out behind the shed if you get my meaning. And we were close to doing the modern equivalent of that. We were completely at a loss as to what to do.
Enter crate-training, the "last resort". The right kind of crate (the plastic kind, closed, dark, muffles sound somewhat) was a miracle for him. The first time I introduced it, he walked right in, laid down, sighed and took a nap. I barely even had to do any training, it was like he'd been screaming in a language we couldn't understand for months that this is what he needed in order to feel safe when alone.
I don't just let Conrad out of his crate when it's "convenient for me". He's out of it any time anyone at all is at home. Well, he's free to be out of it any time someone is at home. We leave the crate door open and like many properly crate trained dogs, he elects to go in to his crate quite a bit when we're home. He likes to nap in it and just hang out and people-watch in it.
Conrad's crate is way more than a matter of convenience. Having a 90 lb. dog who does all of the following the instant you leave the house is more than a simple inconvenience: tears up the carpeting by all the doors to the outside, tears down all blinds and drapes, hurls himself up against windows, vomits, gouges scratches in all doors to outside, jumps up on any piece of furniture that will afford him a view to outside or access to a window no matter what was on the furniture originally, and literally attempts to climb walls. Pharmaceuticals did not help. Desensitization and counter-conditioning is a long, slow process. We lived with this dog doing this every single day for over four months before we resorted to trying to crate-train because we also once upon a time felt it was cruel. The house we lived in did have a dog run attached to it (6 foot cyclone fence, concrete floor) and the period we were trying to house him out there ended with him routinely injuring himself on the fence in his frantic attempts to squeeze out the bottom (until he figured out how to lift the gate off it's hinges).
Now, once a upon a time a dog like that would have been taken out behind the shed if you get my meaning. And we were close to doing the modern equivalent of that. We were completely at a loss as to what to do.
Enter crate-training, the "last resort". The right kind of crate (the plastic kind, closed, dark, muffles sound somewhat) was a miracle for him. The first time I introduced it, he walked right in, laid down, sighed and took a nap. I barely even had to do any training, it was like he'd been screaming in a language we couldn't understand for months that this is what he needed in order to feel safe when alone.
Spanky has the laundry room which is a good sized room and Bandit goes into my bedroom. Spanky has his bed, his toys (chew toys, kong stuffed with frozen peanut butter, his favourite ball) and a water dish in there. He loves going in there. It's his quiet time, which he NEEDS, because when around people he does not sit still. Normally he just goes right to his bed for a nap. He's got plenty of room to stretch, run if he chooses, and just be a goon. But like I said he normally just goes to sleep. I actually put a camera on the washing machine and pressed the film button to see what he did in there. I'm a goof I know but I was curious.
Bandit stays in my room because it's the only room I can get him into where he won't pee on other people's things. He's got a real issue about that when I'm not home. He hangs out with my cat (his bestfriend) and has a few toys and his water dish in there. He's not big on playing when I'm not home either. Him and Spazz (the cat) just cuddle.
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wow, so far so many of you agree with the crate as more of a sercurity issue and a safe place for the pups to go when they need "private time", however some of you still think that crates are more convience, like i said to each his/her own. as far as i am concerned as long as your pup feels safe with you and loves you and you return the love, then, that is all that matters.
i for one live in a very safe sound neighbor hood, and everyone interacts with one another, parties, BBQ's and so forth, we get are pups together and have a great time, i see no sense in keepin my pup in a "bubble" per say their whole life, to me, that would break their spirit, really dogs are VERY socical animals, and will warm up to almost anyone, given the right person.
as for my pup being outdoors vs indoors, i think i based that decision based on the size, i do not feel that a full grown dog should be kept indoors and no be able to explore his outside world, as long as you take as much precautions outdoors as you do indoors, then, everything is fine. I mean, think about it, accidents can happen IN the home, just as they can outside the home, but, given the right amount of knowledge, you can make your dogs life WONDERFUL, my mom has had her pups for 7 years and they would not go indoors ever! they love the wind in their ears and face, they love to RUN JUMP PLAY and smell the outdoors, they love to eat the grass, and so forth, so why rob you dogs life of the very things that he/she is naturually used too???
i for one live in a very safe sound neighbor hood, and everyone interacts with one another, parties, BBQ's and so forth, we get are pups together and have a great time, i see no sense in keepin my pup in a "bubble" per say their whole life, to me, that would break their spirit, really dogs are VERY socical animals, and will warm up to almost anyone, given the right person.
as for my pup being outdoors vs indoors, i think i based that decision based on the size, i do not feel that a full grown dog should be kept indoors and no be able to explore his outside world, as long as you take as much precautions outdoors as you do indoors, then, everything is fine. I mean, think about it, accidents can happen IN the home, just as they can outside the home, but, given the right amount of knowledge, you can make your dogs life WONDERFUL, my mom has had her pups for 7 years and they would not go indoors ever! they love the wind in their ears and face, they love to RUN JUMP PLAY and smell the outdoors, they love to eat the grass, and so forth, so why rob you dogs life of the very things that he/she is naturually used too???
My two Chihuahuas are snuggled up together in their little crate right now as we speak. The door is left open. They can go there or on the couches...wherever they want to. But they love their little safe place, their nest to "get away from it all" sometimes.
Adult humans wouldn't like to be in a straight jacket, but brand new infants love to be tightly wrapped in a blanket. Humans aren't into small places, but dogs can adapt to them well, if conditioned properly.
I don't agree with leaving a dog in a crate all day long for hours and hours....but for a few hours after a good deal of exercise, I think it's a great tool. It sure speeds up house breaking.
As the others have said, it should never be used as punishment. And puppies are extremely adaptable to being conditioned to things. As long as it's trained properly, gradually and made a very profitable place to be, dogs do fine.
Sometime your dog may need to spend the night at the vet's in a small enclosure. Early crate training habituates them to being comfortable with that. After a surgery, a dog may need to be on complete bed rest, no moving around in the house. Having already been accustomed to a crate makes this immobilization tolerable and acceptable.
There are many benefits to crate training. There are also ways to abuse the use of a crate in ways which are not good for dogs.
Adult humans wouldn't like to be in a straight jacket, but brand new infants love to be tightly wrapped in a blanket. Humans aren't into small places, but dogs can adapt to them well, if conditioned properly.
I don't agree with leaving a dog in a crate all day long for hours and hours....but for a few hours after a good deal of exercise, I think it's a great tool. It sure speeds up house breaking.
As the others have said, it should never be used as punishment. And puppies are extremely adaptable to being conditioned to things. As long as it's trained properly, gradually and made a very profitable place to be, dogs do fine.
Sometime your dog may need to spend the night at the vet's in a small enclosure. Early crate training habituates them to being comfortable with that. After a surgery, a dog may need to be on complete bed rest, no moving around in the house. Having already been accustomed to a crate makes this immobilization tolerable and acceptable.
There are many benefits to crate training. There are also ways to abuse the use of a crate in ways which are not good for dogs.
i personally leave my dogs in their crates when we are not home. although we have a nice fenced yard, we too are subject to severe weather changes (hot hot summers, freezing winters). never would i leave them unattended in the yard!
They are comforable with toys and chewy's and when we get home, they are loved and cuddled and excersised.
If there are people around who are not fond of my energetic very social dogs, they can go in their bed and be safe and out of the way.
Its only cruel if its misused!
They are comforable with toys and chewy's and when we get home, they are loved and cuddled and excersised.
If there are people around who are not fond of my energetic very social dogs, they can go in their bed and be safe and out of the way.
Its only cruel if its misused!
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that sounds so cool, i like that he has a REAL room to play in and still feel safe, sounds like you spoil them LOL.. i will have to see what my hubby thinks of that one, besides, Thunder is our baby, and he does deserve the best, that is why we are building him his own dog run with a covered top and paneled sides like my mom's dog's/ that way he can still be outside. cool ideas, keep em coming.
Also, we have wild animals around here, who attack/EAT dogs. Think mountain lions, coyotes, and bears. I would be an idiot if I left my dogs outside alone in the state of Colorado. <<; It's in the paper all the time "15 small dogs disappear from neighborhood/are presumed eaten."
Eevee is in her crate right now, lounging. She loves it. It's her day bed.
Eevee is in her crate right now, lounging. She loves it. It's her day bed.
Oh oh safe rooms me me I know *waves hand around*
We have one for Marlowe. We're really lucky--the house we bought has a finished basement with two smallish storage rooms (both have windows and Marlowe's is carpeted). I just put a baby gate in the doorway and voila, Marlowe's room. His bed is in there, his crate is in there (he doesn't use it much but I continue to make it a part of our morning routine so he remains acclimated to confinement), his toys are in there, and I store some stuff in there too.
In our old house, we just used a spare bedroom. Same idea.
We have one for Marlowe. We're really lucky--the house we bought has a finished basement with two smallish storage rooms (both have windows and Marlowe's is carpeted). I just put a baby gate in the doorway and voila, Marlowe's room. His bed is in there, his crate is in there (he doesn't use it much but I continue to make it a part of our morning routine so he remains acclimated to confinement), his toys are in there, and I store some stuff in there too.
In our old house, we just used a spare bedroom. Same idea.
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let me make a point here, i never said my pup would be outside 24/7, i simply said that eventually he would be an outside dog based on his size, he will be close to 80lbs if not more, and i do not think it is far to leave a dog of that size in a home, they need to be able to run and play and feel "free" in a well taken care of backyard that is puppy/dog proof.
