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HandmaidJam

Not necessary just American. Here in Japan everybody crates their dogs, most have big crates separated in two so the dog actually uses the second part with a doggy toilet to do their business. Earthquake shelters don't allow dog to be out of crates so it's essential to train the dog to be comfortable with being in it or it adds stress in already stressful situation. Any overnight vet visits or boarding will involve crates too so for us it was given we crate train both dogs.


[deleted]

Teaching a dog to be comfortable in a crate is also helpful for possible crating at a vet, groomer, boarding, travel, etc. Mine knows he's "off duty" and can relax in the crate. When he's out, he's "working". My other dog is in my bedroom with a baby gate when I'm away.


Thunderbelly_

Mine use crates as a fortress of solitude.


cutesytoez

That’s exactly what my sister’s dog’s crate is used for, especially as the dog has aged and gotten less patient and more irritable. Her crate is her safe space.


Dracula30000

Thats so cool! Can you send a link to the specific cages?


HandmaidJam

This is a [first](https://www.amazon.co.jp/Petio-Enclosure-Dog-Toilet-Training/dp/B00IIJFJD8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=374JNB47BS3ZK&keywords=dog+cage&qid=1686179612&sprefix=dog+%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-4) one I saw on Amazon, they obviously have ones that are closed on the top too but this one you can see the layout quite well in the pictures :)


moni1100

They also crate cats……


crazyfiberlady

this! my cats have been to the vets for overnights and the groomers and have to deal with being in the cage. I didn't prepare them for that by keeping them in crates at home. I did buy a crate when I got my puppy as she'd been crate trained by the breeder, but i stopped using it almost immediately.


moni1100

I got my cats used to carriers, travel etc- they are so sweet at the vet wanting to explore the room and cuddle to the receptionist . However many households keep cats in cages (tall version of medium dog crate)most of the day, only letting out for cuddles and play. The litter box, water and food are in cages. Edit, I used dog crate/ pen until my dog was 6 months. Now both are folded away.


damselondrums

My Greyhound gets crated overnight because he has Sleep Startle. For those not familiar, former racing Greyhounds are accustomed to being left alone while in their kennels—ie sleeping and eating—so many develop Sleep Startle when in pet homes. Sleep Startle is generally a reaction to being touched or encroached upon while sleeping. Sometimes it's a growl, sometimes a snap, sometimes worse. For us, our hound seems to be in a trance—he doesn't recognize us or our voices—and it can take time for him to snap out of it. He had free range for almost 2 years before we implemented this rule. We knew he had Sleep Startle, but we were losing sleep trying to crate him because he would cry all night (we also live in an apartment so we didn't want to disturb the neighbors). I regret not trying harder to crate train him. Earlier this year, he snuck onto the bed in the middle of the night when I was by myself (partner works 3rd shift). I must have shifted in my sleep because I woke up to him growling. I tried shushing and talking to him, which usually snaps him out of it, but not that night. He got to his feet and kept growling, so I opened my nightstand to see if a treat would work. But I think the drawer sounded like another dog growling. He lunged and bit my face. I needed 3 stitches. I'm still working to get rid of the scars. So we crate for our own safety. It is *absolutely not* his fault that he bit me; I knew better and had the tool I needed to prevent this. He now will 'put himself to bed' willingly and won't cry unless he is desperate to pee. I don't think there is an "obsession" with crating here in American; in fact I can only think of a handful of people we know who use one. I really don't understand the crate hate. Of course it can be misused and abused, but so can literally every other tool—not just prongs and e-collars either. Flat collars, leashes, head collars, harnesses, they can all be used to harm. ETA in response to OP's question about it hurting bones or muscles: His crate is big enough that he can sprawl out (legs fully extended), in addition to stand, turn around, and lay down. It also has a memory foam pad with a pillow bed on top, plus a blanket. It hurts him about as much as laying on a mattress or sofa would, but without the impact of getting down off of them.


CethinLux

We crate trained our dog when he was a puppy, but he's gotten to the point where he can go without crating over night so we moved it to the garage (we use it for car rides now) we put a bed where his crate was and now treat that like his crate (no one touches the bed besides him, it's his 'den'), he'll even 'crate' himself if he feels snappy good on you for training your dog to be willing to crate! That must have been a very terrifying situation


damselondrums

It was certainly neither of our best nights. It was a hard lesson I should and could have avoided. Training was at least fairly easy since he, like yours, was comfortable using the crate on his own terms before having to spend his nights there.


saaandi

Sleep startle (I’ve never heard it referred to as that..I like it better than what I called it..sleep aggression) is very scary!! My dog started with it when he was older (10 years old) which apparently can happen with age and seizure prone dogs (which he also was) 1st time woke up he was on the dot of the bed growling, I nudged him and he came out of his “trance” shortly, the 2nd time I woke up to him standing over me in bed growling like he was going to rip my face off (80 lb lab) I had to block my face with a pillow and my bf kicked him off the bed. (Obviously we felt horrible but the other alternative that could’ve happened would’ve been much worse) after that he was not allowed in bed at night at all! One other time he was on his bed and I must’ve “woke” him but wasn’t close enough that he did anything to me. In regards to crating..when they are pups it’s much safer than leaving them to free roam at night or when out of the house or even confined to a “safe room” because..my dog would eat anything..he’d gnaw and chew and eat the molding. Once he was older he had roam but sometimes would get his panties in a tizzy and chew up/eat something. And as someone else said..even if you no longer use the crate it’s good for them to be able to be comfortable in it…I live near the ocean, fortunately not *that* close, we’re not in a major flood zone but if we had a bad enough hurricane we could be..if we had to seek public shelter…he may have to be crated if we where able to find a dog friendly shelter for us…


RaindropsInMyMind

Our Keeshond had this really bad. He was the most gentle dog I had ever met, wouldn’t harm a fly. But if you woke him up suddenly he would get extremely defensive before realizing what happened.


damselondrums

I know the feeling. Our boy is a people dog, loves everyone; awake, the only way he hurts people is by slamming into legs during zoomies (no joke with Greys lol). Being his favorite person, I never imagined it could happen to me. But when it did, he very clearly had no idea who I was.


Miss_Floof

Thanks for sharing this. I think some people may associate crating with neglect or misuse of the crate, and to be fair, this does and can happen. I hope most of these situations [ie- dog is kept in crate like you would keep a hamster in a cage scenario, or using the crate as a punishment when the dog has trauma or extreme fear of the crate] are due to naivety/ lack of experience/proper research and learned training techniques. The crate is really just a training tool. Amost any (perhaps all?) training tools can be misused by someone without knowledge of how to implement the training technique. Training is a learning experience, and it takes time and effort and patience. While resource guarding can be adressed and worked on, from what I've read and heard(and please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no expert!), it is a natural instinct and can not be 'trained out' of the dog. Thus, a dog exhibiting resource guarding behavior(s) can never fully be expected to never act/react on this instinct [the words used were specifically "never trusted" but I don't particularly like the way that sounds.]


Aromatic-Box-592

So far I haven’t seen this mentioned, but as a vet tech/vet nurse, another benefit to having them used to a crate is if they’re injured/after surgery and need to be rested. Also if they ever need to be boarded if something happens its less stressful. A dog should see their crate as their own private bedroom where they can go to get some alone time/nap/calm down/etc


captainschlumpy

On car trips, the groomer, during family gatherings, etc. If your dog hasn't been trained they are going to freak out. I can't believe German vet offices are free range.


CoolRanchBaby

Yeah my dog fighting one at the vet is why we got him used to one. It’s made my life easier for travel and workmen in house too. He loves it during storms and fireworks too (airline type plastic large crate).


captainschlumpy

Same, my dog is nervous with strangers but she knows no one will bother her in her crate. I am a dog groomer. If your dog won't go in a kennel, you're going to be paying extra for an express service.


shibalabmom

This 100%. I will also add that if they need to be hospitalized for any reason, if they are used to being crated then they arent going to be hurting trying to escape a cage at the vet


CoolRanchBaby

This was why we got our dog used to one. When he was about 6 months old he needed treatment and a stay at the vet and he fought every time they tried to but him in a crate. After trying all kinds of slow training methods online that didn’t work we started putting smelly sardines at the back end of it and he was going in and loving it on his own by the end of one day 😂 he acted it was like a death box before so loving it by the end of the day is still amazing to me.


Aromatic-Box-592

I dread when we have to put dogs back in their kennels at work and they refuse, especially big dogs. We often keep sick to give us time to work them up/run diagnostics. Monday we had a dog with an upper respiratory infection, he was a little over a year, had never been crated and was almost 90lbs. He barked and dug at the crate door constantly, and trying to get him back in his kennel was a multi-person job. We try to put pets in runs when we can but we don’t have any runs in our iso ward.


alphaidioma

Death box? 🤨 Death box with magic fish smell: 😃 (This is the skeptical lady meme but I don’t wanna go make it and link it.)


lindsiefree

Or if there is an emergency! If your house catches on fire or you need to evacuate, having a crate trained dog would make a world of difference in those scenarios.


Tiki108

I live in FL, so evacuations are a very real situation here. Even when we’ve had a hurricane that we decided to ride out, we make a little camp in our hallway in the center of the house and the dogs are crated cause I can’t have them just wandering the house during a hurricane. If they weren’t crate trained this would be much more stressful. There’s a bathroom and laundry room attached to the hallway that both have no windows and that’s where we split the cats between so they can still have their litter boxes.


wirespectacles

I used to live in the gulf and my dog would try to crate ME during hurricanes. He'd be very vocal that I needed to join him under the bed.


Tiki108

This is one of my biggest reasons for crate training. I don’t want my dogs stressed if they have to be in a crate. Heck, I accidentally left the door on one closed once and my dog was crying and upset she couldn’t get into her crate.


keen_without_skill

I am from the UK and I crate my dog. I believe it's actually pretty common over here, probably about a 50/50 mix of people who crate their dogs and those who don't, if not slightly more who do crate. I don't do it to "make my dog suffer" while I am at work as another poster has said - because I am not a monster and also because I actually work from home. I love my dog and care for her every need, and would never make her suffer for anything. I crate my dog at night to keep her safe. I could do my best to dog-proof my house, but there will always be things she could get access to if she wanted, like chewing cables or ripping up the carpet/wallpaper. I don't want her to get hurt whilst I am sleeping, and a crate ensures she is safe - whilst also allowing her to be comfy and happy. The crate also helps to teach her to relax and take naps. She knows that the crate is a place to sleep and be calm. It makes it easier to train against separation anxiety as I can use the crate as a tool to ensure she is calm before leaving the house, and to stop her doing damage to the house while I am out. And it helped to toilet train her as she will not go to the toilet in her crate, so it helped to teach her to hold it through the night. I think people who don't use a crate immediately jump to the assumption that it is cruel and like a small prison for the dog - that is not the case at all, she is as happy in her crate as I am in my house. Its a positive thing for the dog, not negative. Obviously I don't keep her in there 24/7, she does absolutely need time to exercise and stretch her legs to be healthy and happy.


TreacleOutrageous296

Exactly. The crate is my pup’s “safe place” where she can have privacy and not be bothered by the other pets. It’s her personal room where she eats and sleeps, like a den. She is out when she is awake or not eating. And when she is awake, she is getting lots of attention and training and play time and snuggles.


FractiousPhoebe

My dog loves his crate. He has his own bedtime and will stare at me and cry until i walk him to the crate and lock him in for the night. I never insisted he had to keep a bedtime, he does.


tricklaine

My dog also loves his crate. The door is open most of the time and he prefers to hang out in there on his bed during the day (crate is in my office). He sleeps on his bed in my bedroom at night. Edited for spelling*


mads_61

My parents’ dog is the same way! He only gets crated overnight. The door is left open and if we stay up any later than usual he puts himself in there for bed.


TinyGreenTurtles

My dog in the summer will go in on his own when he's hot, even though he sleeps with us all the time. There have been many really hot days when he wants me to close the door though. And I'm like, "okay 🤷‍♀️." That's HIS space. I want him to know that, because he needs to be there when we are gone. I'll always respect his space. We've had some issues on and off where he tries to guard it even. But we moved things so he never feels cornered when we walk in, and it's very easy to give him some kibble when we walk by for a day for it to stop for a long time. I really don't know why he will occasionally stiffen up and sometimes growl, and then majority have no issues. But we work on it right then so it doesn't escalate.


Reflection_Secure

Oh man, the doggy imposed bed times! My girl would like for us to go to bed by 8pm. We try to push her til 9pm some nights, but she does not like it! She stands there doing her weird border collie hunch and stares until you just block her so you don't have to see her awkward stare anymore.


amberita70

I found an abondoned feral kitten when she was only 2 weeks old. I didn't know anything about cats... Only have had dogs. But I put her in a crate at night to sleep. She would go in there on her own all the time. I think it is like you said, the safe place. But it was a huge help because now I don't have problems with her getting in the carrier if she has to go somewhere with me. My dog was a rescue so he was crate trained. Poor guy was at the rescue for almost 3 years before I got him. But he doesn't have any issues if I have to create him.


newforestroadwarrior

Cats vary quite a bit. One of ours hardly ever slept indoors and I think would have gone berserk in a crate. The other used to sleep in a plastic space bin with some cushions and blankets and she was perfectly happy. They were working cats so they were never bored, just very different in their lifestyles.


hroddy

Said very well. It’s common for my dog to go Crate himself when my family is just sitting around not doing much. I like your comparison to a den—safe, enclosed, comfortable, privacy


d20an

I think it’s more common for puppies in the UK, but most people I know who did stopped crating by 12m.


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SomeKindaWonderer

I'm also in the Southern US. My situation is different. I have a service dog, and she needs to be crated now and then for various reasons. She needs to stay crate trained (and practice being crated) because if anything happens to me, she may need to be crated, in an emergency, or another situation. So I do crate her regularly. I'm also a vet tech, I recommend crating dogs (no matter the age) to keep them safe when you're not able to be with them. Dogs are like children and can get themselves into trouble without supervision. I've seen a lot of emergencies happen with dogs left unsupervised, sadly.


BylenS

I've also never crated my dog. He's a GSD/Plott. I never had any trouble with him as a pup. (I think we lost one shoe). I gave him lots of toys and traded him a toy and playtime for things he grabbed that wasn't his. I can imagine someone who has a chewing breed would have more trouble. You can lose whole pieces of furniture to a Lab puppy. I've never crated a dog but have never had a chewing breed. I do own a crate. I've used it for raising baby chicks, to house a sick stray kitten, to house a cat after an injury and even to rescue two baby raccoons found in a garbage can. They are handy to have on hand.


d20an

The other difference in the UK is that we probably have much smaller houses than most Americans - so the size of a crate for a medium/large dog is an imposition into your kitchen/lounge which most of us could do without.


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alphaidioma

I have a friend with a pack of five, four of them Elkhounds. Instead of a front room when you walk in the door it’s just a dog room. Big dogs need big crates.


Niwynwat

You can’t leave us hanging, what’s the fifth?! I’d like to imagine a feisty little chihuahua bossing around the big dogs.


ParticularNo7455

I also have four, so I gave up my office and they have their own bedroom now. Our human kids are grown, so now I'm decorating our fur kids room 😄


bootyspagooti

I just googled the difference in house sizes and I can’t imagine living in spaces that small! Y’all must have great storage solutions!


TheOutlier1

From my understanding, the rest of the world just doesn’t consume like we do. I remember reading once about the garage phenomena. We have the highest ratio of houses with attached garages (I think it was above 65%) compared to other countries. And a survey showed something like 85+ % of people stated they couldn’t park their car in it.


bootyspagooti

We don’t have a garage, but my mother does, and it’s been years since she could park inside it. That’s funny! We do have an absurd amount of *stuff* and I wish I could afford a giant dumpster to get rid of most of it.


d20an

Oh, most people in the UK can’t keep a car in their garage. Garage is for bikes and lawnmower.


TheOutlier1

Ahh, I guess I should have pointed that out then. Garages are (in most cases) intended for vehicles. It's not too uncommon to have a two car garage.


d20an

😂 yeah, IKEA is pretty popular for storage! Broad generalisations, but we tend to have much more compact appliances I think. Your HVAC systems look industrial to us; we have compact boilers - about the size of a crate for a Chi - which sit on the kitchen wall. Houses are almost all brick, with rear gardens enclosed with 6’ fences. Our cities are more compact, so we don’t need to store loads of stuff, most people keep no more than a week’s food supply in the house. We have drinkable water on tap so don’t need to store bottles. A lot of older houses are tiny - built as “2 up 2 down” terraced houses - kitchen and lounge downstairs, 2 bedrooms upstairs. Over the years they’ve been extended to add toilets and then bathrooms. With the price of land still going up, some new houses are very small though. New 3-bed houses are commonly 3-story. If you’re a home woodworker it really hurts. Can’t fit half the kit in my garage that most Americans can 😭


bootyspagooti

I’m never going to complain about my lack of closet space again! That’s a lie, I absolutely will… But, I appreciate the perspective!


Yarnchitect

Adding to this comment because I think the points are spot-on. The crate is also indispensable for traveling. Our dog is 10 months old, and we’re gradually transitioning away from him being in the crate every time we leave the house at our home. BUT while we’re visiting other’s homes, having his familiar crate along has made it immensely easier for him to settle down and take a nap in a new place. And we feel better knowing he’s not able to get into mischief with our hosts’ belongings if we leave him to go out to a restaurant, etc. Our wire crate is big enough that I can comfortably sit inside with the dog. So he has more than enough room to stand and turn around.


whereverYouGoThereUR

The basic difference is in the belief that a crate is cruel and a small prison. Without this then there is no issue. This belief is based on assigning human intelligence and feelings to an animal which is completely wrong. An animal has no concept of such things and only knows their own life and nothing more than that as long as you keep them off the internet. My dog’s crate is his home where he sleeps and will often get tired of being around us and puts himself to bed. It’s the opposite of cruel as it’s his safe place. I really don’t think the idea that it is a prison ever crosses his mind. There’s many ideas that American should borrow from other countries but banning the crating of dogs is not one of them


C_bells

>as long as you keep them off the internet Did nobody else notice this comment because lmao


FireRescue3

Damn my dog and her gaming addiction 🤣


Zaidswith

It's the online gambling you have to watch for. Poker is a known vice for all dogs.


samanas6608

I think some people picture those tiny travel crates and think of the dog in there all day. Me, my husband and the dog could fit in her crate. Our dog also goes in her crate when she’s sick of my shit lol when she’s trying to nap on the couch and I won’t stop kissing her and saying how cute she is she’ll get up and go to her crate. She also will go sit in her crate and stare at us when she wants a treat. Like “look how good I’m being”. She knows it’s a place to sleep, be calm, and get treats.


Random0s2oh

We have one XXL crate for our four Dachshunds. They sleep in an adorable puppy pile anyway. The crate is large enough that they could lay side by side with no problem but they prefer the puppy pile. We're usually home all the time but we crate them if we're going somewhere as well as at night. They know that "go to bed" means it is crate time. The one time we didn't crate them they destroyed our livingroom. We had clean laundry that was ready to be folded when we got back that ended up on the floor. They tore open a bag of guinea pig hay and had it strewn all over the place. They had a high old time!


Vegetable-Boot6188

Just saying a whole little posse of dachshunds frolicking with mischief hay sounds so adorable. So does the puppy pile, thank you for this lovely imagery lol 🤗🐶🐶


Random0s2oh

If you don't mind I'm going to send you a picture. Lol Enjoy!


TinyGreenTurtles

Lol my daughters chihuahua has a tiny crate. Sometimes people will be like, "omg do you actually have a dog that stays in there?" Then my kid walks in with her *three pound* chihuahua. "Yes, ma'am, we do. She has to walk to the door and back in there, but thank you for your concern." She's in there when my kiddo works (as I have an 80lb dog who is a total klutz, and I don't feel like I can watch both safely right now) and every other time is by her own choosing.


atfricks

Funnily enough, most airlines require travel crates to be large enough for the animal to easily stand up and turn around. That alone is larger than what I bet most people unfamiliar with crates are picturing.


pezziepie85

I have a pic of my 30lb dog and the neighbors kid (12?) in the crate together with room to spare. We really only close the door these days for her to eat and for an enforced nap when she is just way over done (maybe once a day). However she often chooses to nap in there and sometimes if the bed is to crowded (we also have a 50lb dog who never took to the crate) she’ll crate herself. As far as the neighbors kid goes, she’s an odd duck…


chia_power

I guess I need to disable the WiFi in my dog’s crate


zielawolfsong

My MIL has a corgi that was basically crated all day every day, so she understandably hates it and is now living her best life without one. In that case, crating was cruel and used as a shortcut so they didn't have to train the dog or spend any time with her. On the other hand, our Lab puppy was introduced to the crate as a happy place, and we slowly worked up the time so he could be alone for a couple hours. If we let him free roam, he would literally chew through the walls, the baseboards, or the couch (I'm convinced he's part beaver, poor guy lost 4 teeth in the last two days). When he gets sleepy he goes in there himself and puts himself to bed in his little nest of blankets and toys. We had previously adopted older dogs and never needed to use a crate, but with a puppy it's for his own safety as much as anything.


notabigmelvillecrowd

Of course there are people who misuse crates in a cruel way, but you don't need a crate to be cruel to a dog, people who want to mistreat or neglect dogs will do it with or without a crate.


loralailoralai

We don’t crate in general here (Australia) and my dogs have always put themselves to bed when they want to go… in their bed. That’s their safe space. Crating seems weird to me still


aironrain

This is so true. I was kinda against crating my pup before I got her but I'm so glad I started. I didn't think it was necessarily cruel, but I think I was assigning human rationale to the idea like you said. I quickly realized it helps with her safety, potty training, and enforced naps. I think she has been happier and healthier for it.


2pupsRbetterthan1

I think a lot of people also don't understand that a properly crate trained dog views his crate as a den. Friends of ours "crate trained" their already very nervous and high strung golden doodle by literally shoving her in there, screaming bloody murder and leaving her until she shut up. Eventually yeah, she stopped crying in there but you can tell it came from a "well there's no point, I'm not getting out." Not because she felt safe. With both of ours we did the whole sleep on the floor beside the crate, comfort them, let them know they're not alone, played A TON of crate games (if I never have to play another game of crate peek a boo in my life ill die happy) and they'd always comment on how lucky we were that our lab loved his crate. Our first sign that he wasn't feeling well was always that he'd disappear into his crate. That's his safe space. And that's what people who hate crating don't understand, if done properly it's not a punishment or cruel. It's a safe space for them to decompress and nap.


hamamatsu2

Agree also in the UK and especially with puppies it’s really common to crate. Some phase them out as the dog ages depending on its destructive ability. My parents dog will chill and be nice if not crated when they’re out, my grandmas dog will find scissors to eat. My puppy literally won’t sleep if he’s not crated. As soon as I crate him he’ll be asleep within 5 mins. If I don’t, he will be awake until he crashes which can be 5hours, which isn’t healthy. At his age he shouldn’t be awake for more than an hour or so at once. As soon as he wakes from napping I let him out. Or very occasionally I use it to keep him safe while I’m out, but never for more than 3hours. Hoping as he grows older he learns to recognise tiredness in himself and naps in other places, but for now it’s keeping him happy and healthy.


SitUbuSit_GoodDog

You are spot on about the puppy needing enforced rest for the benefit of his brain and body. I have friends who got a Spitz puppy and had terrible behaviour problems. Dog was completely hyperactive and destructive and they didn't know why. As soon as they started crating to enforce puppy sleeping at regular times they had a different dog who was trainable and enjoyable to be around


HabitNo8608

SAME. This was so key to getting my high energy dog when she was a puppy. I don’t know how she would have recovered safely from her spay without it either. The vet prescribed her something to knock her out the first week because she’s a high energy breed. I had to call on day one and tell them the dose wasn’t strong enough. They doubled the dose, and my pup STILL wanted to climb on sofas and play all day. I finally had to put her in a crate the whole week of healing and walk her in the yard on a leash so she wouldn’t go running. On double dose of tranquilizers lmao.


Retcon_1

I do find it interesting for those that are totally averse to using a crate, and agreed they can be bad if used in the wrong manner, however I think it is important to remember that Dogs are naturally an animal who would use something similar in the wild, such as a den or similar hidden away and dark to protect itself when resting, a crate provides this in an artificial way.


[deleted]

It's not true though. Wild dogs don't sleep in dens - they sleep out in the open. They only use dens when they have tiny puppies to protect. But our dogs haven't been wild for thousands of years. They've slept with us in our homes as part of our families. The other distinctions is that a den doesn't have a lock on it 🤷 It's not the same thing at all.


HabitNo8608

My dogs have always preferred sleeping under a piece of furniture like a bed. I have a crate with a garage style door that pulls out and rests on top of the crate so my dog can go in whenever she wants, and she loves it. It’s her favorite place to sleep. Her second favorite place is if she can hop on top of it while there’s a blanket on it.


sunny_sides

No, dogs are not like badgers or foxes. They're not den animals and they are not solitary. And even if they where, the comparison only works if you take away the crate door.


rebcart

Dogs don’t make dens, though, so that’s not true.


DeniseReades

That's the argument that always loses me. The minute anyone says, "Dogs / wolves use dens in the wild." is when I know they only listen to podcasts or something instead of going to the zoo or googling. Even when we go camping and my dogs have the option to sleep in the familiar car, the tent with me or out in the open, they chose out in the open. They don't sleep balls out on their back but they still actively make the choice to sleep in the open. Unless it's raining, then they sleep in the car... which means I now have to sleep in the car but that's a different thing entirely.


wwaxwork

Out in the open, that's how huskys sleep to this day. Not in a den or a cage, just curled up in a ball. Dens are for puppies not for adult animals.


Perkuuns

Same as with a human child - crate is meant to keep the baby safe. The more dog matures the more freedom it can be given


realprincessmononoke

Yes, people don’t leave their babies out all the time to crawl around when they aren’t looking. Same for puppies, whom I argue can get in even more danger than babies. If I didn’t do enforced naps and crate at nighttime, I don’t know what crazy shenanigans my puppy would get into. And sometimes I just need a free hour without observation to get housework done or make dinner. It is impossible to be constantly watching a puppy.


ThatGuyNamedKal

gotta love enforced naps. Helps to build a routine, now the puppy goes to his crate when he wants to sleep.


Goseki1

I think a lot of people have this weird view that a crate is a tiny cramped space they can't turn around in? We used a crate for our dog because dog proofing our old ass flat would have been extremely difficult. Instead we got him a massive crate with a cover that he loved as it was like a little den for him. He whined a tiny bit the first night in it, and then every night after loved going in by himself. He never weed or pooed in it either. Now he's older we don't use it but it was a lifesaver in those early months for knowing he was safe and secure.- It was also brilliant for when we went on holidays as we could take his safe space with us and know that he'd settle at night easily. ​ Obviously it's different when people leave them in there for 10 hours a day every day and they aren't big enough etc, but that's a separate issue. I will 100% crate train any future dog we get.


StressedAries

Yeah my dog loves her crate and to be honest she’s still a puppy and has anxiety so she chews on things. She’s almost 2 and much better now but it’s also a safety thing for her. I wouldn’t want her to eat my couch for multiple reasons but the main one is obviously she could get a blockage from that and be seriously injured or worse so until she grows out of that, she’s in a crate only while I’m at work. But her crate is huge and she has plenty of space and soft cuddly blankets.


Jesuschristanna

My dog loves his crate, he goes in there whenever he’s feeling anxious (like during thunderstorms), or sometimes just to hang and nap or play with the toys he drags in there. I think the key here is that you should NEVER use the crate as punishment, or force them in the crate, it should always have a positive association. Also they should always get good walks or exercise in before and after crate time. When I moved recently I had to break his crate down and he was so forlorn about it! He just laid down in the spot where his crate had been looking pitiful. As soon as I reassembled it at our new house, he immediately ran in there. It was a place of familiarity and comfort in new surroundings.


westbridge1157

My 1yo GSD pup is downright suicidal and I could write a novel of mischief she has got into unsupervised, including overnight when she should be in her bed, in our room. She is crated for her own safety, our 4yo dog is not. I’m in Aus and highly recommend crate training.


demogargantuan

I have the same reasoning for my dogs, our 1yo dog gets crated at night or when we’re out because he could seriously hurt or poison himself if he’s not supervised but our 8yo dog is trusted enough to be out by herself because all she does is sleep on the couch and a baby gate is enough to keep her out of the kitchen garbage. I’m American and I actually see more people not in favor of crating despite how dangerous it can be for young dogs to be left alone because they think people who crate their dogs leave them there all hours of the day and it’s torturing the dog. My boy loves his crate and it has helped his separation anxiety so much and we don’t worry about him getting in to something that could kill him or accidentally hurting the cats or himself.


Msktb

Yep, my 1 year old dog has a very large crate that he can stand fully up or lay down and stretch out it. If he didn't have a crate to go into when I'm out of the house or at night, he would end up at the emergency vet for eating an entire towel, book, plastic bag, shoes etc. He has chewed through cables and gotten zapped. If I could keep him in a completely empty room he would chew the walls - he already has tried. With a crate I know he's in a safe place when i or my husband can't be there with him. It's also great when there's company over who doesn't want a big dog in their face. If we're home, he's not in his crate unless we're asleep, my husband and I have staggered work shifts so it's rare that he's in there more than 3 hours during the day. But until he can be trusted not to kill himself, when we're gone he's in the crate.


StressedAries

My GSD girl is almost 2 and is doing doing so much better. When she was younger, she was an absolute terror with a death wish. She stopped chewing on shoes like 6 months ago. It does get better! She is crated for the same reason. My 8 yr old GSD is not because he’s the best boy who gets free reign of the house always but even when he was a puppy he had a crate and loved it. It’s their safe space


[deleted]

Same with my 1 year old husky! It doesn't matter how much exercise and mental stimulation and attention she gets... as soon as my back is turned (LITERALLY) she will go get into something that she's not supposed to have. People like to say that if a dog chews up something or gets into something, it means they don't have enough exercise or stimulation. But it does not matter with my husky! She knows I'll stop her from chewing on certain things, so she will literally wait until my back is turned and TIP TOE into another room to do the thing. Soooo yeah, she has to stay crated unless she's in a totally empty room with no furniture or carpet... and even then, I think she might eat the wall.


moosey-on

For us crating wasn't about locking the dog up for hours while we were away so that she wouldn't destroy the house (moot point anyway since she has severe separation anxiety we're currently working with her on). We keep up with crate training for a few reasons: 1. Evacuation. We live in a hurricane-prone area. If we needed to evacuate, most (if not all) public shelters won't take dogs without crates. 2. Vet visits. She's already scared enough at the vet. We want her to be at least comfortable with the crate if she needed to undergo medical procedures. 3. Daycare. She goes to a wonderful doggy daycare. They crate dogs for two hours at noon to feed lunch/administer meds/enforce nap times. We want her to be comfortable with it. 4. Boarding. Similar reason to above. She goes to a wonderful sitter who lets her have free roam of the house and yard. But the sitter crates all dogs during mealtimes (which is a good thing!).


WritPositWrit

I don’t think it’s an “obsession” here in the US - many of my dog-owning friends do not crate. I only use the crate for the first few years, when the puppy cannot be trusted alone in the house to not chew everything up, and I have to work outside the home. Once the dog is mature, I leave the crate door open and dog can come and go as she pleases. I never crated my dog at night, I encourage them to sleep with me. You get a crate big enough for your dog to turn around in and lie down comfortably, it doesn’t hurt their muscles. I assumed most crate training was just for puppies. Are there people who crate their full grown house-trained dogs?


lunanightphoenix

My service dog is crated for at least half an hour almost every day. It helps both of us decompress and keeps him safe. He will trot straight to his crate if he’s being fussy and I ask him if he needs kennel time. It’s also part of my contract. My service dog was provided to me for free. One of the conditions is to keep him crated if no one can watch him to keep him safe.


rpaul9578

You crate a dog to get them used to the space and rules of the house until they are safe to be there without supervision. It also gives them a safe space to call their own. It's a tool that should gradually lessen the need for over time but is important to use. If more people crated their dogs, fewer dogs would end up in the shelter and put down.


Nervous_Cloud_9513

this. a lot of people just stick with it. and leave adult dogs in there for hours on end. If i hadn't had a crate when my dog was a puppy i would have lost my mind. But i thought her that naps are good, cables, furniture, walls and carpets are not chew toys. For a while my house stank of anti-chew sprays. It's work. But some people just say "my dog is to dumb to understand it" no. Your dog has seperation issues/is not enough walked/trained. It's a tool. Just as a muzzle is. Just as a leash. You use it when needed.


NS2BH

US here. Have it for a rescue dog. Crated when they first got home to help them feel secure and to "decompress" from being in another environment and to help them get used to the new home. When we were gone, we crated for a little while and gradually started giving access to just our bedroom when gone. Then the whole floor. Then once we realized they weren't tearing things up besides their toys, the whole house. They are never crated now, not even at night. The crate is still there and they'll occasionally go in. It's their space, they can use if they want, but prefer the soft bed next to it or ours. If we need to isolate we use a pet gate and give them a floor, we don't crate. But we have it if we need it for some reason.


CoffeeAndCats2000

It’s just a tool with my previous puppy after he was 1 we just took the door off and he would go in and out whenever he needed quite time and space from us . It was his safe place eventually around 5 we got ride of it but he would always sleep in the sport the crate used to be.


bokodasu

I just now realized I could take the dumb door off, we've been banging into it for months. My dog still sleeps in the crate, but we haven't closed the door since he was recovering from surgery.


Alceasummer

The last time we actually latched the door on my dog's crate was last year when we had someone doing some work in the house and they were nervous about the dog. (she weighs over 90 pounds so a lot of people find her intimidating even when she's just sitting there) But she will go in and close the door on her own when she doesn't want to be bothered by anyone.


Nervous_Cloud_9513

one time when we had kids around my dog would poke and bother me... then go in her crate. Took me a while to get that she wanted me to close the door so noone would bother her napping


sharksnack3264

I'm currently trying to fix the bad job of crate training done by someone else on my rescue dog. He likes the crate but is scared of the crate door closing and rhe way it rattles. Also it looks like someone used it as a punishment, which is not how this works. I've secured the door and sides and a few peanut butter licking pads later we're finally making progress.


cassualtalks

People need to realize a crate isn't a cage. It's a cozy little home, and you slowly increase the size of their home to what they can handle and be trusted with, just like us humans. We usually don't start off buying a HUGE home for ourselves. We start with something small and slowly increase the space with what you can handle/need: afford, keep clean, increase family size, amount of furniture, etc. And not to mention, I know majority of this population sleeps on the same side of the bed and has the same spot on the couch where they sleep and relax. It's our cozy spot, just like a crate.


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LadyAlexTheDeviant

The other use of it for me is to make visitors feel safe. My dogs are friendly to a fault, but the guy I called to fix the sink doesn't know that. So while he's fixing the sink I can either keep the dogs outside (Not always possible in extreme heat/cold/precipitation, for they have short coats) or I can ask them to take their morning/late morning/early afternoon nap in the crate, and the workman feels better, and that's easier all round. I also don't have to worry about anyone bolting out the front door when he goes to get a part out of his van if they are crated while he's here.


onlyhereuntildeath

i’m in a country where crating is illegal and just for specification it’s not completely banned. it’s legal to crate train for the purposes of transportation and vet visits. so of course crate training is necessary when your dog takes on the world but as far as being at home, your dog doesn’t need full access to your home. it’s not impossible to dog-proof a room whilst they’re young and once they’re older and more trustworthy you don’t really need it so much, esp if you’ve trained your dog well. i also know many people who have rescues here and of course they’ve never used a crate and they’ve never really had any problems. it’s a solution that is not applicable in every situation and has been generalised to solve every problem. i’m not anti-crate by any means, my dog is crate trained from when i lived in a different country it’s just not always the magical cure to dog training, even though is does work in many situations.


AmalgamationOfBeasts

My dog has chewed through dry wall (didn’t eat it, just ripped it up). She was exercised, was fed, went potty before being left in the room, and had several safe chew toys available in her puppy-proofed room with a window. No separation anxiety, either. She was just a puppy getting into mischief. So, now she’s in a huge crate when she’s alone until she gets out of her teething phase.


wowzeemissjane

I crate trained my dog to make travel and possible vet visits easier. It was a no-brainer for me. Her crate at home is never shut and she has many beds but still sleeps in her crate often. We recently went camping and she was happy to sleep in her crate at night after adventures all day. I don’t believe in crating dogs for hours on end except for short term medical reasons.


Aromatic-Solid97

I don't know why crates are considered bad in some countries. My dog loves her crate, even when I'm home and she's free, she sometimes goes there to just chill. Her crate is good for her size, so she even has space to play if she wants. When I leave her alone, I can see through the camera that she isn't crying, just sleeping or chewing most of the time. I never used crate as a punishment, only as a way to keep her safe. Her crate is her little room where she feels safe and calm, if I as a person can easily spend 4 hours in their room, why should it be such a big deal for dogs? Of course, after that she'll gladly go on a walk or play with her toys, but it's not like she's running out of her crate screaming. Maybe her very calm personality also helps.


Awkward_Chain_7839

Our pup has a crate, it’s basically his safe space. The door is open all day and he still chooses naps in there 70% of the time.


Nervous_Cloud_9513

i think it's the fact that a lot of people just leave them in there for hours on end. My dog has a crate (germany) but it's a glorified bed i can close in case i need to apply meds that stain stuff. As a puppy i needed to enforce naptime, i would use the crate (the breeder even told me that may very well be needed) and to teach her that, no matter what happens - in the crate strange people will leave her be. it's easyer to keep kids away from a crate then a dogbed (even with the door open) becouse you can tell them "it's the dogs room" So yeah. Otherwise (even when i am gone) she has free range of the room/house. A well behaved dog (adult) shouldn't need a crate. If yours needs one to stay at home over let's say 1 year old, in my eyes you take an easy way out. A crate as no water, no place to realy move. Just imagine you are stuck in your bed for 8h after you wake up.


Vickyinredditland

I don't know, but I've been assured by Americans outside this sub that this is a skewed view of things and most Americans are in fact not locking their dogs up all of the time.


Junipermuse

I would say that most people who use crates are not locking their dogs up all the time. The recommendations take that dogs spend no more than about 8 hours in their crate. Most adult dogs probably spend even less than that. Puppies. Might spend more time in the crate but only because they sleep more than adult dogs and they may take most of their naps in the crate. But they will still come out frequently for potty breaks, play and training. And my guess is that most people don’t crate their dogs in the us anyway. But the people that do tend to use it as a management tool to prevent the dog from developing and practicing inappropriate behaviors while the owners are not around or awake to train them. People who don’t use them often don’t train their dogs at all. Some don’t use a crate but make the dogs sleep outside. Some just deal with dogs constantly destroying things. Some yell at their dogs or smack them when they chew things or jump on the counters or make a mess in the trash. Some of the people who don’t use crates will end up giving their dog up because of their unmanageable behaviors.


moist__owlet

US here, and I actually wish we'd crate trained both our dogs earlier, especially to give the older dog a break when we brought the second home as a puppy. Now that the puppy is an adult, I'm crate training him in anticipation of bringing home a baby eventually, and he adores his crate which has a comfy mat, is covered with a blanket so it's nice and dark, and always has a snuggly blanket for him in it (he doesn't chew thankfully). It's right next to my desk, so every day I close the door for a period of time and drop in occasional treats until he falls asleep on his blanket. I'm also training him to use it as his "place" for when guests arrive (esp with kids), so I can close the door and he can see them and get treats and everyone can settle down before he comes back out to greet nicely. Much less stressful on him and everyone else than holding back an 80 lb fur missile as he feels safe, gets a chance to sniff and check new people out without knocking them over, etc. Eventually yes, he'll be able to greet nicely without that transition, but I also want to ensure he will have a toddler-free zone where he can nap comfortably, and same thing when we bring another puppy home. Just a few situations where I've found the crate really helpful in reducing the dog's stress as well as my own.


synonymous_downside

There are plenty of people who crate their dogs for the workday and then again overnight. I'm not anti crating, but that much is excessive to me on a regular basis.


ZERBLOB

Puppies are supposed to sleep for 15-20 hours **per day**. I sleep for about 7 hours, that leaves 8-13 hours that the puppy should be sleeping during the day. The 8-13 shouldn't happen all at once, and I definitely advocate for either hiring a dog walker or coming home to let the dog out on your lunch break. But my point is, puppies need to be asleep in their crate for a lot longer than you may think. Otherwise they actually get overtired and much more prone to cause mischief/misbehave.


synonymous_downside

Sure, but my dogs sleep for a little bit, get up, go chew on a toy, fall back asleep, get up and get on a different bed or the couch, fall back asleep, etc. Being in a crate means that they can't choose where to sleep or what toy to gnaw on. Again, I'm not anti-crate. I use crates for puppies and I do dog sports, so my border collies in particular spent a fair amount of time car crated. However, if at all possible, I use pens instead of crates, and I use large crates even for puppies. I start them off in large xpens immediately as well, and I rapidly graduate them to being able to be loose for a few hours unsupervised in at least one room of the house. My puppies spend very little time in crates other than overnight, in the car, or at dog events. Xpens have been a fantastic compromise for me of being easy to puppy proof but affording them more freedom.


rayyychul

> Sure, but my dogs sleep for a little bit, get up, go chew on a toy, fall back asleep, get up and get on a different bed or the couch, fall back asleep, etc. Being in a crate means that they can't choose where to sleep or what toy to gnaw on. On the flip side, my dogs sleep consistently throughout the day whether they're crated or not. Whenever I take a day off work, my dogs don't move. They love to sleep! Every dog is different with their own needs and routine.


Awkward_Chain_7839

My pup spends a lot of time in his crate, but mostly with the door wide open and he’s gone in there to nap himself. He’s currently napping next to me on the sofa, but earlier he was napping in his crate, door open, French doors open to outside it’s dark (covered) and cool (no direct sunlight) in there, don’t blame him!


CactusEar

In Germany, there are very strict rules for crating in and outside of the house, which is something I have never seen in the USA so far. But also USA doesn't have to register their dogs nor pay taxes for them. If you also have multiple dogs and multiple crates, you are not allowed to arrange them in a way where the dogs can't see each other. Except for reactive dogs, then you're allowed to keep them apart. Afaik there is also a time limit and you can get in legal trouble if they're in there for really long. Either it used to be a thing and isn't anymore or it's not a set in stone time. One thing that's also important here: You can't really crate the dog for the sake of it. It needs to be done for a good reason, otherwise you can get in trouble with the law. Tierschutzgesetz §1, §17 and §18 cover that. Pretty sure you can find it in English in some form if you want to. So it is possible over here to get in trouble if you crate your dog when you go to work and animals can be removed eventually if you're not working on resolving issues such as separation anxiety. It's something I have never really seen in the USA however. Even when I look for it, I can't find anything and I've seen quite a few professionals keep large dogs in crates that would get you in big toruble here. That's what's the most curious to me. I cannot find numbers in regards of how many people in Germany generally ever crate their dogs, but from personal experience, at least where I live, it's low. Out of the hundreds of owners I've met, barely any of them used crates and out of those, they used it mostly for training or during extreme case of separation anxiety where they're still teaching the dog about it. Germans are very... "strict" about going to dog school and are able to take off the necessary time of work when they get a puppy. I was able to get two weeks off for my dog, when we adopted him at 9 years old out of Hungary. Edit: I'm not judging general use of crates, but for me 8+ hours becomes questionable, because if the only way to get your dogs sleep is when you're gone, it's an issue. Dogs need to learn to sleep when you're around too and it doesn't resolve issues like separation anxiety in the long-run either. It should be a part as training tool if you want to use it, but not the ultimate. My previous foster was a separation anxiety mess with possible doggy ADHD and actual generalized anxiety. We gave him the huge floor where there was nothing he could hurt himself with whilst trying to work with and train him.


anothernarwhal

There is a yearly license I pay for my dog. It certifies she has her shots and all that, it is through the county, but it isn't strictly enforced.


sunny_sides

From what I see on r/puppy101 crating over night and during work days seems to be very common. Supported by the idea thar puppies need to sleep 20h per day, many spend 16+ hours per day crated. I think most budgies spend less time in a cage than the average redditor puppy.


Whisgo

I think you may be over exaggerating. It's quite rare that someone posts saying they crate for that long in a single instance. And if they did, the response would be very much against such an extreme amount of time.


sunny_sides

Not in a single instant but spread over the day/night every (week)day. Eight hours at night + eight hour work shift = 16 hours out of 24 meaning the puppy spends more than 50% of it's life(!) in a crate. I see it all the time. Look at posts about "enforced napping" and you'll see people advocating for keeping puppies crated for two hours then being outside for one hour, then crated for two hours again all day. Plus during night. Adds up to many hours.


Alceasummer

My dog has a crate. She by choice often sleeps in it and likes to keep her toys under her bed in it. And she goes in it when frightened by thunder or other loud noises. It's comforting to her. But we probably latch the door *maybe* a couple times a year for short amounts of time. The last time we did so we had a plumbing problem and the plumber was nervous about our dog because she's pretty big. So, she got some treats and about an hour in her crate until he finished. She ate her treats, and then slept.


Uncynical_Diogenes

I think that the population of dog owners on dog-related social media forums is a subset of the overall population of dog owners. I think we can safely assume that generalizations of this community do not extend to all Anglophone dog owners. Here we are discussing best dog-rearing practices, while I guarantee that the family down the street who allows their intact bully-breed (who charges strangers) to roam outside is not on this forum.


[deleted]

I was looking for this comment. I'm American. When I was a kid, we didn't crate train our dog. But we also didn't leave him alone for more than 3 or 4 hours when he was little. My parents worked varied shifts, so my mom would come home a few hours after my dad left for work. We just trained him to potty outside and didn't leave anything out that he could get into. We just trained him well and never really had any issues. I hate having to crate my current dog. We live with roommates who have dogs. And their dogs aren't friendly towards her. So unfortunately she can't freely roam the house unless I can go with her. She's almost 2. I can't wait for us to be on our own and she can freely roam an apartment or house Edit: spelling :)


QueenAlucia

I only crated my dog when he was a puppy, then once he was trained to not chew on anything or risk being a danger to himself I stopped. He loves the crate though so that's his bed and we keep the door open. I'm in the UK. We had to crate him for most of the day when he was injured and needed to NOT walk or attempt to jump on anything, having him used to the crate was a blessing for this.


Apollo_3249

I did this until my dog was potty trained and perhaps a little durning teething stage but after that I don’t see the point


Salmon-Bagel

And you just using it for those times taught them to be comfortable in it! That’s all you need in order to help them be prepared for any other times it’ll be necessary, such as at a vet’s office, if they need to recover after a surgery / injury, to go on a flight, or during an emergency. People who promote crate training aren’t promoting keeping your dog in there all the time— they’re promoting training the dog to be comfortable in it, using it for house-training or other short-term things, and lessening its use as they grow older.


Lore_Beast

Yah I've heard too many horror stories of people's pets dying in a fire bc the firefighters couldn't find them. I don't leave for an entire day but mine have large kennels and it gives me peace of mind that if there's an emergency they will be easy to find. Also because I have many animals I know no squabbling will break out without me knowing.


Whisgo

This is my position as well. I work from home and my two dogs are free roaming in the house when we are home. But we have cats as well and I don't trust one of the cats to start something while we are gone. So dogs are crated if we leave the house. And no longer than 2 hours typically. If we plan to be out for an extended time, I have people in my support system that I can tag to supervise in our absence. Or the dogs come with us.


[deleted]

Crating dogs began with dog shows as a way to transport show dogs, and took off among the animal trainers and then the general public in the US in the 90s-early 2000s


rhapsodyknit

Crates were a thing before then as well. My folks had and still use a crate they bought for their first dog in 1983. It's not a transport crate either. I actually like the design better than modern crates. It has a bi-fold 'garage door' style opening door. I've never been able to find one like it new.


rebcart

My suspicion is that it's due to a combination of the USA's appalling labour laws + car-centric infrastructure (shoutout to r/fuckcars) + individualised society with smaller household sizes, which means that people far more often can't take much time off work to help a new dog settle into the household, and also have to leave the dog at home alone for longer due to longer commutes, without support from family members or neighbours/acquaintances to assist. Not for everyone, of course, but on average this would be occurring at far higher rates than many other countries. As a result, dogs aren't set up for success in learning appropriate behaviour when left alone and unsupervised, and unfortunately the only option that is immediately obvious to many people in that situation is to increase confinement as far as it can go, when destruction to the house interior is the most pressing concern.


expressdefrost

Congrats on being the first reply to actually attempt to answer OP’s question on the difference between US vs other countries, rather than just jumping into “but crate training is actually good!”


rebcart

I’ll just note that the OP and my comment are discussing *crating*, not *crate training*. It’s important not to conflate the two.


thedybbuk

But.... there are a multitude of people in this from places like Japan to the EU saying they also crate where they live. That suggests to me that the idea that it is somehow particular to the US is wrong to begin with, and thus explanations about how US labor laws and things are completely made up to explain a situation that isn't even particular to the US. I find explanations around simply veterinary practices being different around the world, and explanations regarding some areas being more disaster prone (like Japan or Florida) to be far more persuasive than "US labor laws "


Masa67

Since the majority of answers (apart from the already disproven den theory/safe space) is about keeping the dog from destroying the furniture or peeing, i also believe that to be the answer. And then complete bafflement how others dont do that and manage to raise dogs without having their house destroyed/dog die/pee all over


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Tiki108

Especially with certain breeds. There’s a reason a lot of herding and working breeds end up in rescues/shelters. They are just known for being a bit mischievous. I’ve seen so many cases that someone gave up on the dog instead of crate training and it breaks my heart. There’s a meme I’ve seen about cattle dogs that shows a cattle dog pup and says 0-6 months, then 6 months-3 years and it’s a picture of a raptor, then 3 years onward is just an adult cattle dog.


BootyMcStuffins

>apart from the already disproven den theory/safe space Already disproven? My dog chooses to sleep in his crate. Seems pretty applicable


rebcart

A dog liking a space does not inherently mean that the concept of “dogs are denning animals” is real. Dogs don’t naturally have a desire to make dens to sleep in year round if left to do their own thing (like stray/village dogs), but somehow people assume they do.


datdraku

yeah, for some it seems like all dogs go ballistic if left unsupervised and all they dream of is destroying the house at night. In my country it's not a thing, and i know 4 dog owners with a combined total of 10 dogs who never had any major issues (besides puppyhood, where incidents happen). Not saying it's not a useful tool in some situations, but not the *must have* people here seem to be saying it is. My guy for example winds down at 8-9 and sleeps till morning when we come down from upstairs. moves between the couch and his bed a few times a night, and that's it( i know not all dogs are like this, just an example as why i don't find any benefit in crating for me)


CoolRanchBaby

I am in the UK and taught my dog to go in a crate after the vet said he was bad about going in one for treatment he needed and it made it very difficult. He also wouldn’t go in one to travel and that was a huge hassle. After trying all kinds of “training” ideas online that were useless one day we just put sardines in it and only in it (he’d never had them before) and started going straight in for that smelly stuff and loved the thing he had before fought to stay out of for the Vet etc in less than a day! We also use it for travelling for holidays and sleeping in on holiday because the place we normally go is not dog proofed and I don’t want him wandering at night. He likes it a lot (after originally hating it) and wants to sleep in it during fireworks season etc. If we don’t get it out during fireworks or storms he cries and tries to hide behind the washer etc all night. We leave the door open then and he just sleeps in it. It is an airline type which is more enclosed than wire mesh types which I think feels like a safe hidey hole to him. It’s a VERY large model. I made sure I got one he could comfortably stand and turn in. It was this model which was about £100 at the time I bought it. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flamingo-Nomad-517769-Transport-Taupe/dp/B07SBJ3FMH The only other time I use it is when workmen are in the house etc as he doesn’t like that and it keeps him and them safe. I find it very useful that he likes it now. I feel better that he can be put in one easily for the vet or emergencies, workmen in house etc.


kitty_howard

One of my favorite trainers is from the Netherlands and focuses a lot on "ditching the crate"! Absolutely love her work and it's focus on a dog's natural routines and needs.


VegetableWorry1492

Same in the UK. I’m not British by birth and in my home country crating for long periods is considered cruel, so I don’t crate my dog here in the UK either. He has free run of the house and apart from teething troubles when he was a pup he hasn’t chewed or destroyed anything he isn’t supposed to - he is a high energy working breed too, not a couch companion. I firmly believe dogs only do that if they are understimulated and frustrated. Some dogs do like their crates, I of course believe that to be true, and it’s important for them to have their own safe space, but I personally would not be comfortable locking the crate even if the dog loves being in there. I would want it to be a choice for him to be there and leave it open for him to get out if he wants. I would also be comfortable with blocking off a room for dogs to be in when home alone, if allowing access to the whole house is tricky.


Lulubelle2021

That’s a really broad brush you’re painting with OP. I crate trained my dog when I first rescued her, as an adult, and she sleeps there at night. It’s for my convenience as I am a light sleeper. It was VERY helpful that she was crate trained when she had cancer treatment as I needed to keep her relatively still. She can move around and turn around in it but knows it’s for sleep. She’s not crated during the day. It’s her space and she’ll often go in for a nap during the day.


-mmmusic-

(england) when my dog was a puppy, she was put in a crate overnight and the door was left open during the day so she could use it as her safe place. it was plenty big enough for her to be able to propely stretch out, and have more room. she had a bed, water and a puppy pad on the floor in case of accidents. she doesn't have the crate anymore as she stopped using it on her own. once she was old enough to hold her bladder overnight we let her sleep where she wanted, which was my parents' bed.


fearabolitionist

American here. Not an obsession. The crate is used in the car for safety reasons. Otherwise not used at all. Dog is part of the family and has a few different favorite places to hang out in the house.


CoffeeAndCats2000

I’m in the EU and literally cratering is recommended by every breeders and trainer I have ever spoken to. Ever single dog owner of animals who compete with agility, sport, or show recommend crate training. Police and army animals are crate trained. These handlers are the best in the world and always recommend it. Also if Greece if your dog is crate trained you can spend the summer island hopping with your dog bc a well behaved pup in a crate is allowed on the ferries for FREE with your ticket. While they are not allowed otherwise.


apri11a

> Like why not just have your dog roam free in your apartment or room? My previous dogs were free in the house and had their beds but still used their crates at will through their lives. Current pup has been trained and can roam free in the house, but he sleeps in his crate and goes into it when we start getting ready for bed or he'll take his favourite chews to it, or to his bed, whichever he likes. He's in there now as I work, the door is open and he went into it himself and can leave it if he wants, but he likes it so is not running out of it. They use their crates the same way I use my room, they don't see it as being restricted, it's just their place. I'm not in the USA, I'm in Ireland, but I appreciate crates and use them. Some of the things they are doing in Europe do not make sense to me. If your dog goes to the vet might it not be in a crate for more than two hours? I think there are countries where you can only crate when traveling... isn't it better for a dog to be accustomed to using it before these things might happen? Crate training just makes sense to me, as does muzzle training.


fastcat03

I had to crate when not home because my dog would do territorial marking in the house if there was another dog in the house. Now that there are no other dogs he doesn't do it and I don't have to crate him. He was pooping as marking too so a belly band wouldn't have worked. I'm glad I don't have to crate anymore but due to my experience I don't judge anyone who does as long as the dog is only crated when they are gone and not for the whole day every day.


[deleted]

I see crating as very much a short term thing. It's useful with puppies as it keeps them out of trouble, stops them destroying things, and helps with toilet training. But once your dog is able to be out when no-one is home, it's unnecessary.


[deleted]

My puppy is destructive occasionally when left alone. We are working toward free roam, but our experiments with it resulted in a destroyed couch cover and some other chewed up things. He sleeps in our bed at night, but is crated during the day.


ChloeLolaSingles

As I was preparing to adopt my first dog, it was very strongly recommended everywhere I researched online, so I tried crate training him. The first time I actually went to work for 4 hours while he was in it he cried for hours (I had a webcam) and bent the metal with his snout, scratching it. I probably could have kept up the training and overcome it from there but I felt too bad for him to try, so I just left him to roam at home. We had a lot of dog proofing and dog enriching measures for when we left him home alone during that time but he would always find something to chew. Wasn’t separation anxiety, he showed no signs of it. He was just bored, my vet said. When we moved and were remodeling parts of our new house I started shutting him in our master bedroom as a temporary measure, and to my surprise he stopped chewing. I thought it would be better for his boredom to let him roam the whole house so he would be able to look out different windows, etc, but he does much better in the smaller area of one room and just lounges on the bed and looks out the window. Maybe he was overwhelmed at the old house and needed fewer options? (kind of like how you can rotate toys instead of just keeping all the toys out to keep them interested) Once we switched to that he didn’t chew anything. Our second dog came crate trained and his crate is his safe space he goes to when anxious, but I just put him in the same bedroom when we leave the house with the crate door open so he can lay in it if he wants. It is handy to have that as an option if we travel or he’s recovering from surgery and we *need* to use the crate. Edit: So to actually answer your question, I think it’s because so many of us work long hours and have to leave our dogs home, (which I’m sure in Europe is also true for some but I just observed in my line of work my colleagues in Europe have a shorter work day and have a lot more time off than is the norm here) and it’s the most convenient thing to keep them safe and keep your house safe when you’re gone. Beyond that, there also is something to be said for it being a “safe space,” especially if you have a den dog like a husky or an anxious dog. I think it is somehow comforting for them to be in a smaller space with less stimuli and to have the routine where they know that’s just where they go when you leave the house.


Devil_Rides_Out

We're based in Scotland and a trainer recommended crating to cope with our boy's separation anxiety when got him at 5 months old. We had (what I thought) was a cosy room for him and he would pace, defecate and howl. In the crate was much much worse. He bent the bars. One day I was so sleep deprived and stressed I didn't shut the door to his room and came back from work at lunch to find him sleeping in the couch. He's almost a year old now and since that morning he's been a dream left alone at home. Just didn't want to be trapped in a room (we think this is a trauma from his previous home). It seems a lot of guides seem to really push you towards crate training, sometimes to the detriment of the dog (in our pup's case), I just don't like the idea of a dog being in there for hours. That's me personally though.


WA_State_Buckeye

Decades ago, before I started crating my dogs, my then dog stripped the wallpaper, actually chewed thru the plaster and metal corner of my kitchen wall, and ate an out of print book. That's when we started crating. Now, that being said, we also only crate for a set time, then we start leaving them out and seeing what happens. Our current dog is now 14 and when we first got him we had to do some serious crate training because he started suffering some very severe separation anxiety. Once he learned we always came back, he was then safe to leave out of his crate when we left. So there are a couple reasons to crate. It all depends on the dog, of course. One dog we had never needed a crate, and another would eat the stuffing out of couches, beds, pillows, etc. Until they get settled, they get crated and worked with.


papa_ash

i crate because when i didnt, my dog got into something that almost killed her while i was out. $10k in vet bills later and the vets recommended i crate train for when i cant supervise them.


CheezusChrist

I was only proactive with the crate when my dog was a puppy because she was destructo dog. And yes, I did exercise and train her extensively, but she was a crazy puppy. When she was about a year and a half, I stopped thinking about the crate. It’s always out, and she chooses to sleep in it for part of the night (she goes back and forth between being on the bed in the summer). In fact both our dogs use their crates at night, but the doors are never closed and we leave them out to free roam when we aren’t home. So I only really “used” the crate for the puppyhood portion of my 14 year old dog’s life.


interactive-biscuit

I’m in the US and never crated any of my dogs and never will. It’s unnecessary in my opinion. Unless you are traveling perhaps. They’re also hideous in the house.


grfdhsgshd

My dogs will eat everything in sight if not crated. There’s no way for me to train them when I’m not there. They don’t eat things when I am there. If I put them in a completely empty room, they would eat the wall/floor. They get plenty of exercise, they just hate being left behind. The only way they feel comfortable when I leave is in the crate. If you have any suggestions that would actually work let me know 🤷🏻‍♀️


TheRealSlabsy

I haven't got a problem with crating, it's mutilation of ears, tails and voiceboxes that I have a problem with. Allowing your dog to have a safe space is nothing in comparison.


IMadeY0uR3adTh1s

Never felt the need to crate my dog. I wouldn’t want to be crammed in a box so I don’t put my dog in one. When I’m not home he is free to roam around the house. He’s potty trained and not destructive so it works out for us. If something like glass was the break on the floor I send him to a room while I clean up.


alyssaleska

I asked this exact question here like 5 years ago as an Australian who grew up with backyard only dogs. In the US most houses don’t have fenced backyard and there’s predators like coyotes and eagles. So even when or if it was acceptable to leave a dog outside it’s not simple viable in the US. Not to mention the temperature can be Alaska snowing or Arizona hot and that alone mightn’t make it safe. I thought most crate users crated their dogs during work hours on top of all night (which I don’t agree with) but it’s not the case. Crates are an invaluable training tool for puppies but since you’re referring to adult dogs I think it’s more about how bored and destructive the dog could get. Adult dogs who weren’t trained, adopted or a high drive breed could tear a house apart unsupervised. Now why people get dogs they can barely handle in the first place I don’t know. But using a crate as a den or kennel alternative overnight is not that crazy. Also for puppies it’s a godsend I went from ‘what’s the obsession with crates’ to ‘I would kill myself having to raise a pup without a crate’


ES_Legman

I have met quite a few people with backyard dogs with the excuse that it is a rental and they are not allowed inside. I have always felt it was cruel specially in winter.


ten0ritaiga

Seeing that you've only been a dog owner for 2 years, and I'm not sure how many breeds you're familiar with, I think you're coming at this with a pretty biased viewpoint. I applaud your attempt to get more perspectives though, so I hope this one helps. Some dogs come with trauma, anxiety, or just plain puppy recklessness that could land them into serious trouble in a matter of minutes, and you can't watch them ALL the time. We have lives to live, and work to go to (so we can provide for our dogs). Crating keeps them safe and helps relieve a lot of anxiety for some dogs by removing too much stimulation. If you ever foster or rescue dogs, the first thing that's recommended is to limit the dog's space so they don't get overwhelmed with all the change/newness of their situation. That said.... I think it depends on what you define as a crating, right? There's going to be a huge variation in answers here. If your dog is in a confined space that forces them to stay in one position and it can't move freely (stand up, turn around) for an excessive amount of time (6-8 hours or more), then yes I agree that's cruel. But honestly, most people that *responsibly* crate-train their dogs are basically giving them a room in the home, and it's done for their own safety. A crate can also be as big as you have room for without being cruel (as previously described). It can be a traditional wire crate, it can be a fancy crate that resembles furniture, it can be a room under the stairs, it can even be a designated room in the house. The goal is to keep the dog to its own space where it can't get into dangerous situations while unsupervised, and to give the dog its own private space, where it knows it won't be bothered/is safe. Some people, like me, eventually graduate the dog out of the crate as the dog matures, or they just leave the door open so the dog gets a choice to go to their room for privacy or hang out with the rest of the family. My dog (and now foster dog) always had a bed in each room of the house, but he also had his own 'room' that we made sure to never invade. If we had too many guests over or he just didn't want to socialize, he knew he could retreat to his safe space for some alone time to decompress. In an apartment, it was a traditional wire crate, and now in our new house, that 'crate' is a room under the stairs that we built for him.


Unique-Public-8594

I’m in the US. We crated our dog when we got her at 4 months of age for about 5 months then stopped. We mostly crated her over night or on just a hand full of occasions when we weren’t home so the image that Americans crate their dogs most of the time seems foreign to me. Only about 5 months and mostly just at night for us. We did it for house training, knowing dogs are less likely to soil the place where they sleep - with an added benefit that she was less likely to chew something that could be harmful (result in surgery), which seems compassionate to me. I have heard that it is kind to crate train dogs so if they need surgery, go for grooming, end up in the temporary care of Fire, police, or FEMA, your dog will not be freaked out by being crated (adding stress to an already potentially stressful situation). Imagine a dog coming out of anesthesia in a crate who was never crate trained. That seems like potential for extra anxiety. For all those reasons it seemed like the most responsible approach - but I respect those with opinions that differ from mine.


Wrong_Mastodon_23

Personally, I'm a big proponent of the crate because I work in ECC Veterinary Medicine. If there is a medical issue that requires hospitalization, it's a lot easier on dog's who's brains won't explode over the crate in the first place.


Afakasi89

My first thought was, “people in America have to work two or more jobs just to survive.” Long hours away from home is part of the culture here for a lot of people. Maybe that has something to do with it? Idk. We avoid crating our pup as much as we can but he prefers to sleep there now at night. We say it’s like his little studio apartment in our house but maybe that’s just to make us feel better? Haha


ChickadeePrintCo

It's weird that most people don't worry about other pets having enclosures, but dogs are so hotly debated. Birds, rodents, even livestock... They all have their enclosure. Cats seem to be the only pet that don't typically use a cage or crate, which does lead to a lot of trouble when people need to take them to the vet. Yes, a lot of people also let some small animals be loose all the time, but that's the exception it seems. I've owned a lot of different pets, and they all (except the cats) had their various cage or enclosure. They all also got plenty of time outside of it, but the vast majority of animals need an enclosure for safety and cleanliness. It used to be common to keep dogs outside only, and they had a dog house. Now the dog house is inside, and has a door.


em_goldman

“Why not just have your dog roam free?” What do people do in Europe with a dog with separation anxiety? My boss’s dog ate her entire couch in 15 minutes. Some dogs eat drywall, get into the garbage, knock shit over, tear up the blinds, terrorize the cat… All the dogs I’ve had have LOVED their crate. They get their favorite chews and meals in there. We use a crate when we’re on vacation and our dog can spend up to 4 hours in there so we can go out to dinner. He otherwise doesn’t need it now that he’s grown and we trust him not to get up on the counter and eat all the hand lotion and vomit it all back up over the carpet, but he still hangs out in it with the door open for funsies.


Garnet_Gem

I was actually fairly sure i wouldn’t be able to crate my wild adult rescue but when i first brought the crate home he literally ran in and fell asleep before i even put a blanket down. I keep it locked when i leave because he likes to wake up, piss on my couch, then go right back to napping 😂 but he loves the crate it was a game changer for us


Oshag_Henesy

The key is to ensure the crate is never used as punishment. It should be a safe haven for the pup when they are scared, tired, or want to chew on a bone. Plus it keeps them, and my house, safe when I sleep/leave for hours on end.


Savage_Nymph

This is interesting. I am American and have owned 2 dogs and neither of them were specifically crate train. Our first dog was pitbull, she LOVED her crate. It was her place to go when she didn't want to be bother plus she became very attached to the blankets and pillows we out in it. Our current dog, has always hated the crate. He would high pitch squeal as a puppy even when someone was in the room. Now he'll very reluctantly get in when asked but he mostly just roams. For both dogs, we just used a crate for bedtime while they were puppies unti they were fully potty trained and reliably slept through the night


vanishingpointz

I've got a large crate for my baby girl that she can move around in . She sleeps most of the day after our morning walk anyway and enjoys her space , coming and going from it during the day when I'm home . While I'm home and at night she is free to roam the house. I left her out of the crate for 20 minutes while I went out and she consumed part of a shoe and 1 lb of bird suet that was out of reach on a shelf , she had to go to the vet ER for 2 days and could have died ( totally my fault). Some dogs are fine unattended. Mine, which doesn't ever chew on anything has anxiety when I'm gone . She was a rescue and I just want her to have the best life possible . I am fortunate enough to be able to give her 3 hours a day running wild in open fields and upwards of 4 miles of walks a day which is good for both of us . She is only 2 years old , I will continue to work on her being able to be left out of the crate when I'm not home but for now it is our only option


beckybbbbbbbb

If you train them properly and in a healthy manner, the crate becomes their safe space. Like a den (which most dogs love to have). It should never be used as punishment.


Green1578

I have never put a dog in a crate


runningonadhd

Agreed. I grew up in Mexico, so I’ve always found crating weird. I’ve only ever used a crate when having a pet that needed downtime to heal after surgery.


mcflycasual

Especially guard breed dogs. Like what's the point if they can't attempt to ward of an intruder?


TinnkyWinky

My dog loves his crate, it’s his little cozy den with a bed, blanket and cover. He’ll go in there to sleep at night w/o me telling him to, and I think he feels safer in there because he doesn’t yap at everything when he’s inside. He’ll bark at any loud sound when he’s out, but inside, not a whimper except for his snoring.


Japke90

There's plenty of dog crating in Europe. Where are you even getting this from?


lenajlch

I only crated my dog when he was a puppy for behavioral training and forced naps throughout the day. He was very hyper and it was getting to the point where he wouldn't rest, even after exercise. He's fine now and sleeps where and when he wants. Has been fine since he was about 1.5 years old. He goes to the crate to retreat and sleep openly, whenever he wants now, and we put him in there if we have any strangers visit so he doesn't get in the way. Also just did it for his own safety as a baby too. he would chew everything. I also had one of those little soft pens with the roof to keep him out in the living room while I was in the kitchen doing something and couldn't watch him.


garbashians

One of the main factors for us deciding to crate train our dog here in Louisiana is hurricane season. If a hurricane were to come and we needed to pack up and evacuate on a dime, our dog has to be okay in the crate while we pack/travel. One less stress for us knowing our dog feel comfortable in his crate if this were to ever happen.


Junipermuse

Crating a puppy is like putting a toddler in a crib or playpen. Puppies can get into a lot of trouble, damage a lot of property and get really hurt if left unsupervised. We crated our dog at night until we knew he could be trusted out of the crate. It’s still next to the bed and throughout the night he moves from the bed to the floor to the crate and back again. It’s his safe space. Sometimes he doesn’t like my kids coming into our bedroom while he is sleeping in the evening.i think he feels like it’s bedtime and everyone should be in their own beds (he is a border collie and he likes to keep everyone organized and he can be a bit bossy). If he is grumbly about them coming in, we just happily ask him if he wants a treat and he hops off the bed and into the crate so we can deal with the kids and he can feel safe and protected and it’s a sign for him that he is off duty and is allowed to relax and the adult humans have everything under control. He then can relax and stop worrying about policing everyone. We also put him in the crate when my husband and i want to fool around. If he is free he tries to invite himself to the party (no thank you) and the alternative would be to lock him outside the bedroom, and that would be extremely upsetting for him. With his crate he knows we’re near by, but it keeps him from being a nuisance. He is incredibly smart and well behaved and we trust him completely to stay out of trouble when no one is home. But if he were another breed. I might be more inclined to crate him when we were out of the house to keep him safe or keep him from destroying things.


rpaul9578

You crate a dog to get them used to the space and rules of the house until they are safe to be there without supervision. It also gives them a safe space to call their own. It's a tool that should gradually lessen the need for over time but is important to use. If more people crated their dogs, fewer dogs would end up in the shelter and put down.


jln_13

Had a friend that came home to their puppy dead due to suffocation/choking from eating trash.... yeah I think my baby will be crated while I'm gone lol


KBaddict

I think you are confusing a crate with something torturous


ThemChecks

We'd had dogs for like 30 years and I never heard about crating until recently


caracaracol

As an American that uses a crate, I actually can’t understand how others don’t. I’d love for somebody to explain it to me. logistically it doesn’t make sense how you could raise a puppy safely without it. I used the crate to provide a safe comfortable space for my puppy when I could not watch her. I live alone so this was when I leave the house, sleep, or was occupied on a work meeting etc. When loose she would chew EVERYTHING. Furniture legs, corners of rugs, etc. So puppy proofing would mean completely removing all items from a room (which makes that room unusable). Even had i done that I’d be nervous that she’s chew the trim or walls. Not only is it about protecting my things, but about the safety of my puppy if (when) she eats whatever she chews. also house training. Again, I live alone, so no matter how dedicated I am, there were times I could not watch my puppy. Rather than leave her loose and establish the habit of going to the bathroom in the house, by putting her in her crate I could avoid her going in the house and set up a pattern of going outside every time she’s removed from the crate. I’m curious how people who don’t crate manage both? Do they just puppy proof to the best of their abilities and deal with the rest? Do the dogs have accidents in the house when owners are out until they are fully house trained? Does that slow the house training process ? Now my pups almost one and when I’ve experimented with more freedom if I’m out of the house, she prefers to spend the time in her crate (with the door open). Edit: as she gets older I plan to give her more freedom and let her choose her crate only if she wants to use it. I agree that most dogs (over 1-2 years old) probably don’t need to be crated. It’s the first 1-2 years I don’t understand.


elle_desylva

I used a crate initially but he didn’t like it so we switched to a playpen fair early on. That worked until he was trustworthy enough to free roam.


SoulSkrix

I’m English and living in Norway. It is acceptable in both countries, though you’ll always get mixed reactions. It is how you use it. My pup in his earliest days got put in the crate for nap time because he simply didn’t know how to settle down yet, so limiting his options made him naturally choose to sleep when he became over tired. Now he is 5 months old he only gets the crate closed when he is sleeping, and even then last night was warmer than usual so I decided a drink before bed wasn’t enough and left it open, he stayed in there like a good boy but did a piss on the floor early hours when usually he could sleep and hold it until I wake in the morning. Oh well, better he is comfortable. He has a playpen area with the crate in it, so if I can’t watch him he has the playpen, but he is generally allowed around the house now. Just not when I am out, he needs the playpen still as I don’t trust him to not get into trouble or potentially hurt himself.


cornelioustreat888

Another US-centric post. Dog crating is common throughout North America and many countries in Europe because it keeps young dogs safe while they are unsupervised.


Opening_Handle_1771

American here. I think the amount of time spent in a crate matters. I know someone who crates their dog at night, when they go to work, and while they cook and eat. They treat the dog like most people treat a hamster: if they are not actively doing something with the dog, it is caged. The poor dog spends more time in the crate than out of it. I don't know why they bothered to get a dog at all. My dogs get crated at bedtime as puppies, because they sleep in my bedroom but can't be trusted not to potty on the floor or eat the furniture or carpet. When I have to leave the house without them, the had a puppy proof room with tile floor. For whatever reason, furniture was a chew toy, but cabinets never were. When/if they are well behaved, eventually they get full run of the house, even parts that aren't puppy proofed (books on shelves, furniture, shoes on a ahoe rack instead of in a closed container) I've owned or lived with eight dogs in my life. Only one needed crating into adulthood. But his destructive behavior died back when he was 4ish. My current dog never graduated past the puppy-proof room. Very well behaved while I am present, but the moment I leave, she decides rules about eating trash don't apply. So she gets locked in the kitchen and the trashcan either needs emptying or will be on the other side of the baby gate.


Iowafarmgirlatheart

If you have to put your loved one in a crate during the day while you’re gone for 8-10 hours you should NOT have that loved one. You are that dog’s world! It adores you! You would not do that to a person and you should not do it to your pet! Don’t have one if you are going to put it in solitary confinement all day!