BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Dogs Puppies in Cages

A friend of mine got a new puppy, and she makes it stay in a tiny cage all day when she's at work. That seems really cruel to me, but she says it's how you're supposed to train a puppy.

Isn't that like getting a horse and then locking it in its stall all day?

Vivi,

My experience with my dog included using a cage/crate. It was instrumental in training her. It also provides a place for her to go when she wants to be left alone. The children know not to bother Angel when she's in her cage resting.

The key is to make being in the cage a pleasurable experience; not using it as a means of punishment or discipline.

Our dog, Angel, loves her cage.

Hope this helps,

I can see it as a safe retreat, sort of like a little cave to hide in when the world is a bit too rough. But dogs are range animals, like wolves and mountain goats and so on. Their bodies are made to run long distances and to have a large territory to explore. They're very intelligent. To take a creature like that and lock it into an area that they can barely turn around in for 90% of its life seems very cruel. They do that to veal calves too, and people are horrified at that ... but when you do it to an intelligent canine it's ok?

What if we did that to 3 year olds, locked them in a cage barely larger than the child except for short breaks, with nothing to do? I thought I had read that dogs have the average intelligence of a 3 year old ...

Hmm, my dog sleeps 16 hours a day ... he must have lost that natural instinct. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

IMO, crate training is fine as long as you make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise in the morning or evenings. When I was training my dog, I would come home at lunch to make sure everything was okay. He's five years old now, and he loves his "house." He's old enough now for us not to have to actually latch the door on it, but we have done so when we've moved to a new apartment or when other things have disrupted our routine.

Also, I don't really think it's fair to compare crate training to the treatment of veal calves. A proper crate should allow a dog to stand, turn around fully, and lie down without being in a cramped position. Otherwise it's too small. And hopefully, your friend will only use the crate on occasion once the puppy is trained.

Here's a great article if you would like more information. Plus, here are some great links from the Bella Dogs site.

Hi!
Yes, we have a dog's host too! As I explained in my home cooking forum, sorry for the long delay.

Thank you for the good advice, Maria and Connie!
I totally agree with you about crate training.

Since crate training depends on the idea that dog's don't want to soil their living space, a crate used for house training can't be spacious. Barriers are even made for large dog crates to limit the space for a small puppy so he does't decide one end of the crate is far enough away.

A young puppy can't be expected to go for hours without relief either. Eight hours or more is way too long. Arrangements should be made for someone to be there for at least a few minutes half way through the day.

My Weims love their crates. When they know we're going away, as soon as the door is opened to the garage they each go straight to his/her own crate, without a word from us. They also go there on their own to pout occasioanally. :rolleyes:

Good article, Connie! I added it to my subject links. Thanks! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Our dog, Angel, now a 1.5 yr old Rottie is trained to go "home" on command too. I think that if used properly, the crate is a positive thing.

As far as exercise goes, we just rescued a 7 pound Silky Terrier who makes my Rottie work to just eat her food and play with her toys. Plus she gets plenty of exercise in the morning and in the evening. She also has "playdates" with other dogs in the neighborhood.

By the time the day ends, she goes to her "home" on her own. She usually beats us to bed!
<img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Regards,

Tiny dogs have amazing energy. Your rottie should have fun trying to keep up with her! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Your friend is correct.

A GUIDE TO THE CRATE
http://www.wibordercollierescue.com/DogCrate.htm

i used to train Irish Setters (and i've owned a few) and we used cages for all of them. not only as a part of their training, but we actually used to point to the cage if they got too over-xcited as many irish setters do <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
they used to go coz they knew that they'd done the wrong thing, but we never used to shut it so that they could come out when they were ready <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

putting them away for a whole day with no break is unfair, and what is the dog learning while its in there? yes the cage shud be used for training but not coz u haven't got the time to spend with it so u have to lock it away.

I don't approve of crates. Dogs are meant to be as free as they can. They are better pets when they are not caged. To keep a dog in a cage all day while at work is extremely cruel.
All my pets, from the minute I have brought them home, they are free. I have had many pets and never a problem. This is just my opinion