Well, I am getting a pup in about a week and I hear crate training “works wonders” but I feel bad leaving the pup in a cage for hours while I’m at work. I would come home at lunch to take it out but I’d still feel bad. Any feedback?

Comments

  1. jbeann

    Well i have to puppies right now and understand your proplem. What we did is the sell fences that you can but her bed pee pad food/water + toys. This is better cause it gives them room insead of small space! =D

  2. charles b

    Well crate training is great but i,m not so sure about that many hours in a crate..Maybe this crate at night out in the morning to pee and back int the kennel till lunch. then out on a leash till i get off work. I hatewd leaving them in the kennel thjat long..I mean crate training is generally for at night and for two to three hour trips to town for an untrained pup..Once I got my dogs crate trained at night and for short trips they were well on ther way to being house broke..It worked like this kennel up at night out to pee in the morning..Also I have had dogs for thirty years and don,t agree with the experts on the size off the kennell I have found that a bigger then reccomended kennel a few toys some rawhide and a nice soft blanket combined with a walk every single day rain or shine equals some very happy adjusted dogs

  3. Amrou

    Crate training can be cruel OR nurturing depending on how you do it. Depending on how you “crate train” the dog will think of the crate as either a prison or as his own private bedroom.
    The best way to crate train a pup is to have the crate available to the dog at all times with the door open. Leave old towels or a dog bed in the crate with few toys NEVER force the dog into the crate. If you need the dog to go into his crate then you should bargain with him. Throw a dog bone inside and shut the door when he enters. Dog toys shouldn’t use toys to bargain or get the dog to enter as they’ll think your starting a game of fetch with them and will feel resentment for being tricked. Lastly, puppies need LOTS of attention and shouldn’t be locked up for long times especially if they’re alone.
    The worse thing you can do, and sadly the most common, is to force your dog in the crate and leave him there all alone for hours on end. The dog will think of his crate as a punishment and will resent every second of being inside it.
    You mentioned house train your dog so he’ll behave while your at work. This won’t be easy as puppies have small bladders and need to go out often. If you lock the dog up while at work the dog will be forced to relieve themselves in the crate and will associate crate with bathroom. I’d suggest you section off a small part of your house/apartment where the dog can play safe while your at work. Lay down some newspaper and try to train him to use the papers as a bathroom. When the dog is old enough to go a whole day with out going needing to go to the bathroom then you should remove stop laying down news paper. The idea is for you and the dog have an area you both agree upon as bathroom.

  4. Jess

    No crate training is not cruel as long as it’s used properly. Many vets will recommend it. I have crate trained my puppy per my vets advice (I was against it at first as well). I didn’t use it for potty problems or anything of that sort. I merely used it at night while I was sleeping for her protection as my puppy would get into everything. She would go in the bathroom and climb into the tub and chew apart razors and get into soaps and shampoo’s. She would get into housplants that could have been harmful if ingested. She would chew apart tiny things and I was afraid of them being lodged in her throat. Once she got out of her “puppy” habits I have kept her crate and it is never kept shut. She often goes into it on her own to nap as she feels it is a sense of her own space. It beats keeping them cooped up outdoors in the weather and bugs. It’s no different than parents using a playpen or a crib.

  5. Runs with Scissors

    Crate training is a must, I believe, for any dog. Yes, you MUST come home at lunch to let the dog out- as your puppy should only be left at home his age= hours. (4 months old- 4 hours) So, just shoving a dog in a crate is not an answer- your dog should learn to love his crate.
    Also- what do you think yoru dog does while you’re at work? SLEEPS! If sleeping in a crate- you don’t have to worry about your dog eating something s/he shouldn’t- something which could also end up killing him/her.
    Also- a dog will not potty in his “bed” as long as let out in time. If you let your dog out regularly- s/he will not potty in his/her crate. Therefor- if you crate train, and do due diligence- your dog WILL be housetrained quicker.

  6. E. E

    Crate training dogs helps prevent them from developing seperation anxiety disorder and helps with house training. I have four dogs, and crate training is not cruel. It has helped all four in being house trained and have stable minds when no one is home. They like to go in there too when they know we are going to be gone, because we will leave a bone or some sort of treat in there to keep them occupied and happy. Just leave the radio on, and they will be fine.

  7. fourdogs

    I felt the same way, but finally thought it through and realized that if they were able to run free through the house while I was gone, I might come home to a dead puppy. You are actually looking out for their safety by crating them.
    Without someone there to keep an eye on puppies every second, they could really hurt themselves. They chew on stuff like wires (electrocution), clothing, carpeting & furniture (intestinal obstruction) and could get into who knows what else–poisons, plants, etc.
    They would protest for awhile, but after some time they accepted it. They are all older now and don’t need to be crated while we’re gone, but we still have 2 crates available with the doors open and surprisingly, when they want some “alone time” they just go in a crate and take a nap. They love it.
    A word of warning though–ALWAYS remove any collars from your dog before crating them. They could get hooked up on the cage and strangle them.

  8. BeBe

    No it is not cruel. The box is their home. They may not be very opened to it in the begining, about a week, but if done properly they will go in the box on thier own when they want to sleep or to chew on a bone. They will feel comfort when in the box. Just make sure it is plenty big. tall enough for them to stand and turn around in. If there is any doubt, get one size bigger. They have a decorative one in sky mall magazine. Also, what is more cruel, putting them in a rather large box for a while, or letting them get scaled for peeing and chewing on things or eating something that is hazardous to them.

  9. K1mMy Kat

    Crates can give a dog a sense of security. espcially if it’s new because the new suroundings may freak it out a little. I think it would be good for your pup (also depending on the breed- if it’s a bouncy breed it won’ t really like being cooped up that long) If it starts to whine and maybe even shew the bars that’s the time to get rid of the cage (it may cause the pup to stress which is even worse at a young age) gud luck…

  10. JRome3

    I don’t personally believe in crate training because I wouldn’t want to be locked in a cage all day. Btw, that’s what it is a cage. The pet community calls it a crate because it doesn’t have the negative connotations of the word cage. Dogs should never be confined to a tiny cage. An outdoor playpen cage with a dog house is bad enough but to keep it confined in a tiny cage indoors is just wrong in my opinion. Why not section off a room like your kitchen or even a bathroom…use a kiddie gate. You can still use the “crate” as a place for the pup to sleep but just keep the door open. The puppy bad habits go away after a couple of years…just have to contend with it. But it’s a small price to pay for many years of pure love once they grow out of chewing on furniture, etc.. My dog is my child and also the love of my life. I could never put him in a cage. Just my opinion, though. I’ve been castrated before for expressing it here. lol

  11. yarmiah

    Different folks have different opinions about crates and crate training.
    First of all, crates are not to be used as punishment. Nor are they to be used as an alternative “room”- a place you just “put the dog”.
    A crate is a tool, and when used properly, is a very effective tool. The idea behind using a crate when training, is that it is viewed by the dog as his kennel, HIS spot to feel safe and comfortable. That being said, a dog dosn’t not like to soil his sleeping area.
    When used in conjuction with proper, patient and consistent methods, a crate is a great help.
    I used the crate for my puppy a few hours a time, when I was home, and when I was not. It contributed greatly to the success of my dog being trained to go outside. My dog sees his crate now, at 3yrs old, as a place to rest and sleep and is free to go in and out at his own leisure- and he does.
    Good Luck with whatever method you use.

  12. curiousd

    Crate training is good but depending on the age of the puppy, can’t guarantee that it won’t pee in the crate. When my dog was a puppy, I left her in the crate for 4 hrs (from 9-1), came home for lunch and let her out, then put her back in at 2 when i had to go back to work so she was in there again from 2-6. Then let her out. So I don’t think its a bad thing but really young puppies can’t hold it for a long time. It does get better though. Eventually they learn to hold it and wait till your lunch hour and after work to come back. Also crating them at night when you sleep is good too.
    I normally wouldn’t crate a dog for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time unless its sleeping time. My dog was 4 months old when she got used to holding her pee until someone came home. So I think once she gets the hang of it, it will be fine.
    Good luck!

  13. WP Robot

    Instead of feeling bad you should feel great. You are doing what is best for your puppy. A house has many dangers that a puppy/dog could get into. Crate training has no equal. If I was to ever raise another puppy I wouldn’t let it out till it was a year old or older. If you get a puppy and you love it, then use the crate. It won’t have anyone around to play with and it is only natural that it tear, chews and pees on everything. The crate will make house training a breeze. It almost done the training for us. It was hard to leave her in there but we did. If we wasn’t playing with her or if we didn’t have her outside at her spot in the yard she was in the crate. My wife went on and on until I put the crate in the garage. I was right the dog should have stayed in there longer. They have to mature before you can trust them in the house by themselves. You are putting them at risk to let them alone and in the house. The crate is humane. You can leave a toy or a rubber doll or something in there for her. I wouldn’t come home at lunch time for her benefit. You will do her more good teaching her that she is going to be alone during the day. After two weeks she will know the routine.

  14. Luvsdard

    I’ve had dogs my whole life and I’m old. This is the only dog I’ve ever crate trained. It’s great thing to do and is not cruel as long as you don’t keep the dog in there ALL DAY and ALLNITE. You or someone has to get the dog out during the day to play for an hour or so. It keeps them out of trouble and they don’t chew up your house and they won’t pee or poop in their crates or at least they shouldn’t.

  15. Katie V

    I think that crate training is cruel. Who in their right mind would like to be locked in a crate all day? And only let out to go to the bathroom? My puppy is 9 weeks and he does just fine using puppy pads if its an emergency, and going outside any other time of the day. He’s picked it up and its only been a week and a half! It CAN be done without crate training!!!

  16. Reverend Black Grape

    My dogs liked their crates. They slept in them and ran to them when there was thunder. It was their “den” and it made them feel safe. Sometimes on a lazy day I’d look around the house for them only to find them in their crates sleeping or playing with a toy. One even learned how to close the door. It was funny to see him go into his crate, turn around and pull the door closed behind him.

  17. Zeena

    IN MY OPINION(for all you people who will give me a thumbs down)
    I do believe so.
    Dogs don’t like to be locked up just like people don’t like to be locked up.
    When my pups were little I let them roam freely in my room if I left OR in the back yard OR in the bathroom.
    When I was home and I didn’t want them getting into things if I was chillin I tied their leashes to my bed.They still had enough room to stretch their legs yet they were controlled.
    My dogs were quick to potty train and they seemed happier than when I crate trained my first pup.
    There are benefits in crate training but I just don’t agree with them.
    Do what you feel best.
    good luck with your new pup!

  18. Laurella

    every pup needs a sense of security, dogs as a pack always used a den to hide out…so starting as puppies is perfect, it will know where her den is, and it will learn to pee and poo on que…my dog feels the safest in his crate. as long as you let it out every couple of hours its not cruel.

  19. TKS

    It is not cruel and should never be used as a punishment. It allows the owner a place to keep the dog when they aren’t able to watch it and keep it out of trouble. My dogs go in their crate on their own to sleep.

  20. i â„“ove you

    I would recommend just leaving her in a room (that she can’t destruct) with a gate. That way she will have more room but she will be in a closed and safe place and won’t run all over the house or ruin anything.
    Good luck with the new puppy 🙂

  21. Amber R

    Most vets will tell you that crate training is the best way to keep your pet safe. I have always crate trained my dogs. As a puppy you would need to make pit stops at home to let them out. Better for them better for you!

  22. Emrah K

    I think that it is kinda cruel but you can try taking it out and every time it uses the bathroom the you reward it buy giving it a treat and saying good boy or girl

  23. erin m

    my dog is 1 years old and crate trained. we only put he in there to calm her down when she gets wild.

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