Is crate training a dog abusive?

[Tobin]

and you are avoiding the question..

 

would you like it to be caged in a tiny place for 8 hours everyday?

 

My apologies.

 

My answer would be, no I would not like being caged in a tiny place for 8 hours every day.

 

Now if you don't mind answering a question for me.

 

Would you like it if you ate cat feces?

 

Because my dog likes to eat cat feces. She likes it so much we have to block off the room where we keep the cat's litter box.

[TaraMaiden2]

That's called coprophagia, is very common in dogs and is considered normal behaviour.

Nobody is quite sure why dogs do it, but many do.

 

The dog probably gets stressed however, because YOU show signs of disgust and the dog picks up on your discomfort, making it fearful of your reaction.

 

Just thought I'd point that out. You CAN stop a dog from doing it, but it takes time; it's a challenge, but it can be done.

 

I'm a dog behaviourist, it's something I help distressed owners deal with a lot.

[lollipopspot]

Maybe slightly off topic but I admire people who think about the responsibilities of owning a dog before they go down that road. For me, after being a single mom for many years, I don't want the responsibility of having a dog. They require a lot of work and can distract from your freedom. I totally love them but know that having one isn't for me right now. If someone feels that they work too much or don't have a home environment that's conducive to owning a dog, I say good for them. Too many people dive into getting a dog without thinking it through.

 

As far as crating is concerned, I think it's cruel to cage an animal for hours. How many wolves in the wild do you see relegated to caves all day long? Being caged up goes contrary to any living thing's nature.

 

Yes. Many people want to "own" a living creature for whatever reason, but they don't want to actually be bothered with giving that living creature what they need to thrive...because you know, too much inconvenience and work. They ought to just get a pet rock that they can't screw up.