Originally Posted by ferg View Post
I just don't understand this method of training. It makes absolutely no sense to me or my wife.
Crating is like putting a dog or child in a playpen with a lid. Didn't you say you had a playpen/crib for your dog when he was really little as well as baby gates? I, for one, have an open house. My kitchen, living room, and dining room are one room. During parts of the year I work in that room too, other times in an office. Upstairs is a loft bedroom with no door. We have two guest bedrooms (one is the real office). One is locked off as it has a train layout on 3 of the 4 walls. One is open and the office. I also have THREE cats, who jump, high. I have NO yard at all except for a gravel area for business. Dogs cannot be allowed to wander alone around that yard or any part of outside due to snakes and scorpions and tarantulas and skunks and black widows and tarantula hawks and vultures and bobcats and mountain lions and coyotes.
The last puppy was crated in the office while I worked until I knew he was fully potty trained (5 months) and then we were babygated in until I knew he could make good decisions (that all being 6 months). No crates since for 3 years. This pup was crated the first few weeks and then laid on the couch while I worked (which is up to 15 hours a day). Now, he has free roam of the big open downstairs. He is crated at night only. This is because Melli is SO jealous about anyone being on the bed but her that she might hurt him and he does not understand that. Shay sleeps on a futon. When the pup is fully potty trained, won't just walk off, and can understand he can sleep anyplace but the bed, we won't need the crate. Incidentally, I have the 42" long by 28" wide crate. It's big.
The crate is helpful in teaching bladder control because they won't soil where they are laying, it helps give them a place to be safe when they can't be watched until they can make their own decisions, and the fact at bedtime I say Kennel Up and the dog runs to the crate from downstairs and lays down tells that he does not hate it but views it as "his" place. You may have the impression that we just lock them in cages all the time when that is not at all the case. There are times until those times are no longer needed as the dog matures and can make decisions. In a multi-pet household there is very little way around it. A pen would be great except for the other animals jumping in or pushing it over.
Crating is not bad if used wisely and changes with time and need.
In Lacey's case there is a very short term situation happening -- there is a young child in the house with a problem during mealtime, mom has no voice, and she is in a rebellious phase. During a meal, until the child moves and mom has voice confining the pup is certainly not a bad thing. THEN mom can work on training when some of the situation has improved (the child is moving, the voice will return, Lacey will be starting school).
Name me a parent who never put their child in a crib or a playpen or a swing or a high chair or a bumbo seat EVER? Same thing. Just because it has a roof, it's not evil.
