are my neighbors mistreating their dog?
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Anonymous
| Keeping your dog in a crate is bad. |
Anonymous
+1 No humane or animal welfare organization supports crating a dog for hours each day. Not a single one. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behavior...rticles/weekend-crate-training http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/a...ng-2013-way-to-use-a-dog-crate http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/trainers-truth-about-crates/174 http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-information/dog-trainer-morn/dog-being-crated.aspx Dr. Michael Fox, DVM, whose weekly column appears in the WaPo, on the practice of crating a dog all day: http://www.chron.com/life/article/Locking-a-dog-in...e-all-day-is-cruel-3459711.php " This cruel practice of crating dogs while their owners are at work is becoming widespread. This is disgusting. Dogs are pack animals that need social stimulation and will suffer separation anxiety, boredom and loneliness while caged. Having to hold urine and feces for the long hours of confinement, especially for active young dogs or older dogs with kidney problems, is animal cruelty and neglect. I have seen the results of long-term crating - poor muscle tone, deformed limbs, splayed feet, neurotic obsessive-compulsive self-grooming, paw chewing and nervous tics like repetitive movement behaviors. A crate should be used only for house-training pups. Leave the crate open to serve as a secure den once the dog is house-trained. Anyone working long hours should leave the dogs in a safe, open room - ideally with a window - and have a dog walker visit at least once per day. Leaving on a TV or radio can help alleviate separation anxiety and, hopefully, associated barking and destructive behavior. " |
Anonymous
I think perhaps we are talking extremes here.... Yes- 10 hours at a stretch for a puppy in a crate is bad. 2-3 hours at a time during the day with exercise in between... That's actually called crate training and IS what they recommend. From your first link... "Crating philosophy Crate training uses a dog's natural instincts as a den animal. A wild dog's den is his home, a place to sleep, hide from danger, and raise a family. The crate becomes your dog's den, an ideal spot to snooze or take refuge during a thunderstorm. The primary use for a crate is housetraining. Dogs don't like to soil their dens. The crate can limit access to the rest of the house while he learns other rules, like not to chew on furniture. Crates are a safe way to transport your dog in the car. Crating caution! A crate isn't a magical solution. If not used correctly, a dog can feel trapped and frustrated. Never use the crate as a punishment. Your dog will come to fear it and refuse to enter it. Don't leave your dog in the crate too long. A dog that’s crated day and night doesn't get enough exercise or human interaction and can become depressed or anxious. You may have to change your schedule, hire a pet sitter, or take your dog to a doggie daycare facility to reduce the amount of time he must spend in his crate every day. Puppies under six months of age shouldn't stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a time. They can't control their bladders and bowels for that long. The same goes for adult dogs that are being housetrained. Physically, they can hold it, but they don’t know they’re supposed to. Crate your dog only until you can trust him not to destroy the house. After that, it should be a place he goes voluntarily." |