Did you know that it’s not common in Europe to have crates in your home for dogs? It’s even illegal in Finland and Sweden to crate your dogs except for transportation. So why is it such a widespread practice in North America? It’s been proven over and over that it’s more for the owner than the dog. We are told it is safer for the dog…..but is there other choices easier and just as safe for them? We believe so! We believe your dog’s safe place is close to you, in your loving home, with a bed/spot for him/her to go when and if they choose. Not somewhere that they are ‘taught’ or ‘forced’ to learn as their safe place. Please realize that selling crates has become a huge industry and a money maker for pet stores as well as ‘trainers’ that add ‘crate training’ to their lesson plans.
We realize that puppies can chew things that are dangerous or they may not be housetrained so you don’t want to deal with that, but toddlers (children we are referring to) also get into stuff they shouldn’t. Will we become a society that locks our children up in an enclosure to keep them safe so they don’t put into their mouths something harmful that may result in an emergency room visit? We believe there are alternatives that many don’t seem to think of or are not told of. If you feel you need to section off an area for a new pup/dog consider an xpen (fencing enclosure) bought on line or at any pet store. Or baby gates work great to section off rooms you rather keep them out of. It is proven that crates deprive dogs of the opportunity to fulfill some of their most basic needs, such as the freedom to walk around, the opportunity to relieve themselves, and the ability to stretch out and relax. It also prevents them from interacting with their environment and learning how to behave in a human setting. PLEASE look at this in a different light. Not as something that is convenient for you, but what is the best you can provide for your pet.
We always say training your pet to be friendly, not food aggressive, well socialized with other dogs, knowing their basic command well so you have control of them is the best solution over using a crate to deal with a difficult situation. Dogs, specially pups deserve a chance, deserve someone to put the work in so that they don’t fail and are confident, loving pets.
If you disagree that’s fine, we have done this far too long with thousands of dogs and will not change our minds on the overuse of crates in this country.
