FROM THE U.K WEB SITE
www.animalsinmind.org.uk

Crating can't solve problems...
Background
Puppy crates were originally intended to be used rather like playpens for children, somewhere that the puppies could play safely.

The general idea of crating is that you introduce your dog to the crate, which they should come to regard as their den. The theory follows that you then lock them in their ‘den’ when you are out so that they can’t do any damage and feel secure while they are alone.

This may sound like an excellent theory until you examine it in greater detail. Firstly, when the door is locked, the status of the crate is changed from a den to a very small prison. The second serious problem with crates is that many behaviour problems will be made far worse.

Vicious circles
The trouble with making the behaviour worse is that a vicious circle will be generated that is very difficult to get out of. As the problem gets worse the crate is used more often leading to a worsening of the problem and more use of the crate, and so the circle is never broken. The crate is used as a matter of course and the dog continues to suffer.

Recently crates have developed into an instant crutch for owners. Using the crate means that there is no need for owners to understand their dogs, they simply lock the dog away when they can?t cope with their behaviour.

Unfortunately this doesn’t do anything for the dog, it doesn’t teach them anything other than when they are alone they must also be confined. Once resigned to their fate dogs can become depressed and lethargic, leading the owners to believe that the crate has quietened their dog down.

Alternatives
There are many more decent and effective ways to solve problems other than crating. The big advantage of other methods is that they tackle the cause of the problem rather than the effect of it. This means that once the problem is gone, it is gone for good and you won’t make the problem worse or risk subjecting your dog to depression through confinement, in the process.

Most behaviour problems that crates are used for can be solved with some very simple behaviour therapy that usually involves getting the dog used to stressful situations in a gentler and kinder way.

AAS
Many people think that because their dog has accepted crating, that that makes crating okay. Of course a dog can be made to accept being crated, any creature can be forced to accept any treatment from those more powerful than they, but putting a dog in a tiny cell and locking the door, to make life easier for oneself, is not acceptable to us. It "fixes" your problem, but at the expense of the dog's right to loving, respectful training.

Crating is acceptable only for recovery from surgery, and then only if there is no other way to keep the dog immobilized. It is required for air travel and sometimes is desirable for car travel.