why put your dog in a cage or crate?

Question

I WOULD HATE THE THOUGHT OF MY DOG NOT HAVING THE RUN OF THE HOUSE .
IS THIS JUST A EXCUSE FOR LAZY DOG OWNERS NOT TRAINING THEIR DOGS .

Answer 1

YES! it is,down right laziness and lack of patience too! The thought of my dog locked in a crate,is just unbearable! How on earth do they go out seeing the sad little face looking back at them through bars.
If their pet is soiling the home or chewing the home up,then train
it properly.It takes time and patience to own the ideal dog.If you have to lock the dog in a cage all day because you are at work,or because of behaviour problems,then don't own a dog,get a hamster that can look after its self while you are out.Dogs are a family member,and should be treated as such!

Answer 2

Not an excuse!! My dogs are crated for their safety while I am at work. If my house should catch fire the fire dept. knows how many and where my dogs are. My dogs are not getting into things that they shouldn't be in. They can not fight with each other! Did I mention that I have 4 that are inside! Sometimes there are people that come to my house (bug sprayer etc....) I know that my dogs are crated and can not slip out the door while he is coming and going doing his job. They have been crated trained since they were 5-6 weeks old. The gates are left open when they are not in their crates and quite frequently that is where you will find them napping or just observing and they can come and go as they please.

There is nothing wrong with a crate when it is the right size and has adequate ventilation, padding..........etc. It gives them a place to feel safe. Would you leave a baby free to roam the house when you was away?

Answer 3

I do obedience with my dogs, so it's certainly not laziness on my part. My dogs are crated when they are small when I'm not there. That way I know they are not destroying my house or, even more importantly, not poisoning, electrocuting or drowning themselves. They are crated at night before they are housetrained, then they graduate to the utility room & finally have the run of the house. They are also crated in the car because it helps make them feel more secure - it also saved the life of one of my dogs when we were in a crash which wrote off my car.
Yes, the use of crates can be abused but most people do not crate their dogs all day and most dogs love their own little den to sleep in.

Answer 4

A crate or cage is one means of training your dog. Some dogs will adapt, others will not. Most people use the crate when they are away from home and allow their dog the run of the house when they are home. Dogs were born with the instinct to have a "den" so the crate fulfills that instinct. It is supposed to be a secure place for them to go to whenever they want to. If you are lucky enough to have a dog that does not tear tthings up when you are gone to work, then don't use a crate.

Answer 5

Domestic dogs as well as wolves have a natural instinct to have a den. This is where they go to sleep, where they have and raise their young, and where they feel comfortable.

Many dogs are uncomfortable being left with the run of the house. Dogs are pack animals, and in a pack, their leader makes the decisions. When you put a follower in a situation where the leader is gone and they suddenly have to make decisions, it can be a very stressful experience for a dog, especially a very submissive dog. It often results in dogs destroying furniture or soiling the house. Not because they don't know better, but because their leader is suddenly gone.

This is very basic dog behavior and instinct, and I think when we own dogs, we need to understand those things about our dogs.

Dogs should have a safe place to go and sleep in - a crate is well suited for this purpose because you can also take it with you when you go somewhere else, and that helps your dog feel at home. A crate trained dog will feel at ease in his crate and that can be useful when you're traveling, riding in the car, moving to a new house, etc.

A young dog should not be trusted loose in the house - he needs to either have a crate or a dog safe room - both to keep him comfortable as well as keep him healthy. You might be bothered if your dog chews your couch cushions, but they might kill your dog. There are too many people who've lost a puppy because they felt crates were unnecessary or cruel and left their pups loose in the house instead. Eating something that causes a blockage in their intestinal tract can kill a dog while you're out, leave alone chewing on power lines.

Crating has nothing to do with being lazy owners who aren't training their dogs. Crating is for responsible owners who understand dog behavior and therefore provide their dogs with a den.

Besides, you can't "train" a dog when you're not home ... you can't "train" them not to chew on the carpet if you can't catch them doing it. Scolding them after the fact does nothing ... except make the dog afraid to come to you when you get home.

Answer 6

I suppose it could be an excuse; however, for puppies especially, a crate that is warm with a blanket, relatively quiet and dark is a comforting place for them.

Dogs, like their wolf cousins, are den animals. They would normally look for shelter in small caves, hollowed logs or other similar shelters. The crate is a human attempt to replicate that environment for them.

There's nothing wrong with putting your puppy in a crate to begin training him to go in there when you leave the house. There's also nothing really wrong with letting him have the run of the house, assuming he doesn't chew anything up. I wouldn't suggest trying to put an adult dog whose never been in a crate into one, but if you start when they're a puppy it can be a nice relaxing place for them to spend some time until you get home.

EDIT: I see sherirenee1954 beat me to it.

Answer 7

Puppies especially should have a crate. It helps with training where to go to relieve herself. Also keeps a puppy safe from chewing wires or other dangers in the home. I crate trained my dog and she now @ 2 years old still goes in there on her own.(door is kept open now). It's her safe place with her blanket and toys. Never ever use a crate for punishment,

Answer 8

Actually crate training is RECOMMENDED by most people "in the know" when it comes to properly house traning a dog. My dog has the run of the house now that she is trained, but she still loves her crate. She sleeps in it at night when I go to bed and uses it for cover when bad storms come through...

Of course it can be abused and I am sure there are stupid people that put their dog in the crates for hours and hours each day. Hopefully these people are few and far between.

Answer 9

I used to think this was cruel too (before I knew better). There are many reasons you put PUPPIES in a crate. First it protects them from wandering around and hurting themselves. it creates a safe space to call their own and hide if it just all gets to be too much. It trains them to hold their bladder and bowels. And it's a safe place to keep pup for short periods when you can't supervise.

A crate is not a substitute, nor is it ever intended for long-term confinement.

If you make their crate a happy and safe place, some puppies will continue to use their crates on their own long after puppyhood.

Trust me, there's nothing lazy about crate training.

Answer 10

well.. for me, I don't want my puppy to go and pee all over my carpet, cause she pees like sixteen thousand times a day. I let her sleep elsewhere in the daytime, but at night I put her in there because then she won't wreck the house when I'm sleeping.

Also, it's a place for her to go when I'm too busy to play with her. She's getting to know that when I put her in her crate she needs to sleep or just relax.

I don't like to do it either, but it's what has to be done. I'm not a lazy dog owner either, I do love my little puppy, and it's part of training to keep them in their crate.