Anonymous wrote:If cages are so great and that is where dogs want to be, why let them out? If that is the best place for animals and the only way they will feel safe, then people should be advocating against letting animals out of cages given the view that is clearly scary and harmful for the animal to have any freedom.
According to those who are singing the praises of keeping them in cages - do you look down on people who let their animals out of cages?

Crazy how we have so many pro-caged animal people on this page and then you have all kinds of animal activists fighting to free other animals from cages as they say it is inhumane.

Who knew that some are activists for caging animals and some are activists against caging animals.

This is a weird take. Get off your high horse. Crating is NOT the same as abusing your animal.

Anonymous wrote:Dogs are den animals. The cage becomes their den. It’s very soothing for them. But you have to start the process early and stick with it. It’s worth it. Less separation anxiety for the dog.

What’s wrong with a dog house?

It's also a safety issue. If a dog is trained to go into their crate when they're scared, it makes them significantly easier to rescue in an emergency situation than if they hide under the bed.

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Anonymous wrote:Because my dogs loved it and when they were finally trained they loved to go in it to chill.

My biggest problem is they are large and I could never get rid of them because they loved being in them so much.

You could have the same space but without a closed/locked door. Your dog would love it just as much as a place to chill and not be caged in.

It’s never locked after they are trained.

If you have the door off or always open, then I wouldn't consider it a cage or an issue. If the dog or animal can come and go as they wish then great.

You don't seem to understand animal behavior or puppy development. You know how people used to train their kids or dogs to not get into stuff? They hit them. People who use non-violent restraints don't need to hit their young dependents. Unless you want to be attached to your dog 24/7, and rectify whatever mess he gets into when you're fast asleep... a crate is infinitely preferable to other solutions. And at the beginning, the crate will have to be closed. It's the entire point.

If cages are so great and that is where dogs want to be, why let them out? If that is the best place for animals and the only way they will feel safe, then people should be advocating against letting animals out of cages given the view that is clearly scary and harmful for the animal to have any freedom.
According to those who are singing the praises of keeping them in cages - do you look down on people who let their animals out of cages?

Crazy how we have so many pro-caged animal people on this page and then you have all kinds of animal activists fighting to free other animals from cages as they say it is inhumane.

Who knew that some are activists for caging animals and some are activists against caging animals.

My dog went in the crate at night and when we were gone. As she got older we only put her in at night. Then the crate was open but she chose to sleep in there. She also went there during thunderstorms when she was scared. She felt safe there.

It’s “Inhumane” to cage a human (see how there’s human in that word?) but not appropriately with an animal.

I know some dogs who didn’t do well
With the crate, so they didn’t have one. That is totally fine too.

If you don’t want to crate the dogs, don’t crate them. But other people have good reasons. Ie being crated at the vet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because my dogs loved it and when they were finally trained they loved to go in it to chill.

My biggest problem is they are large and I could never get rid of them because they loved being in them so much.

You could have the same space but without a closed/locked door. Your dog would love it just as much as a place to chill and not be caged in.

It’s never locked after they are trained.

If you have the door off or always open, then I wouldn't consider it a cage or an issue. If the dog or animal can come and go as they wish then great.

The door comes off after they have been house trained and are more mature.

Dogs are den animals. The cage becomes their den. It’s very soothing for them. But you have to start the process early and stick with it. It’s worth it. Less separation anxiety for the dog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because my dogs loved it and when they were finally trained they loved to go in it to chill.

My biggest problem is they are large and I could never get rid of them because they loved being in them so much.

You could have the same space but without a closed/locked door. Your dog would love it just as much as a place to chill and not be caged in.

It’s never locked after they are trained.

If you have the door off or always open, then I wouldn't consider it a cage or an issue. If the dog or animal can come and go as they wish then great.

Anonymous wrote:I think it's inhumane.

Maybe inhumane if you leave them in there all day and all night. But dogs actually like to have a small covered space and will consider it their “safe space”. If you crate train properly it is very beneficial to the owner as well as the dog. All our dogs have been crate trained. Eventually we take the door off and they go in and out - preferring to lie in there when they are home alone.

I have a very excitable large dog. He's 7. No amount of training and hard exercise has trained the hyperactivity out of him. When he's too hyper with the guests, in his crate he goes with a treat. When he's calmer, he's let out to socialize politely. At night, or during thunderstorms, he goes into his open crate to sleep. If it's too hot in the summer, he goes out again and sleeps next to an A/C vent.

I'm an animal biologist and have absolutely no problems with this concept of a "cage". Humans' fear of cages comes from their association with prison, criminality and mistreatment of animals. My dog, as well as my other pets, are royally cared for and not mistreated. Humans who are afraid of cages need to reframe their thinking here.

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Anonymous wrote:I think it's inhumane.

Same. I am not even a dog lover but definitely lose respect for people who keep animals in small cages. Don't care if its a dog or cat or monkey or bird or tiger. Animals aren't meant to be in cages. When I was a kid people had dog houses where if a dog wanted to be in a small safe space, it could enter but also leave at will. I get the move to cages was because people wanted a pet but only on the times they were free to play with it and so cages were a way to keep it away from them when they didn't want it around - I just think its pretty awful. Animals aren't meant to be caged.

How do you feel about cribs? And safety gates for toddlers? An entire house is too much freedom for a puppy. It’s overstimulating and can be dangerous if they get into something. We crate our pup at night and when we’re out of the house and can’t watch her. When she’s old enough to not eat everything in sight, including the house, the crate is there if she wants it, to enter/exit as she pleases, like a Den.

I would also never put a baby or a toddler in a crib that was closed on all sides with a shut door. I wouldn't cage children either. If your puppy or child is in a big space where they can run around and you have a gate for safety over the stairs or whatever, then that is fine, they aren't enclosed in a small cage.

Have you ever had a baby or a puppy? Cribs don’t have tops because babies aren’t very good at climbing, generally. Why do you think you are supposed to lower the crib setting when a baby can pull up? It’s so the baby is trapped in the crib and can’t get out. Same concept. Puppies are actively looking for ways to get themselves in trouble, you need to save them from themselves.

Anonymous wrote:For people who are opposed to crate training, how do you deal with non-routine vet visits where the dog needs to be crated?

I don't agree with crating a dog all day everyday by any means, but there should be a balance as situations will arise when a dog needs to be crated and if they can't handle that, what then?

Why would a dog need a cage for the vet? Just wrap a blanket around dog. If dog truly can only be moved with a cage, then it will be so sick it won’t care.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because my dogs loved it and when they were finally trained they loved to go in it to chill.

My biggest problem is they are large and I could never get rid of them because they loved being in them so much.

You could have the same space but without a closed/locked door. Your dog would love it just as much as a place to chill and not be caged in.

It’s never locked after they are trained.

My in laws dog seems to love his create. He walks in there...spins 2x and lays down for a nap.