Americans love to put their dogs in crates. But in Europe and Australia, it’s a big no-no. In Finland, it’s even illegal.
Mention crates in a dog park and watch the pro- and anti-crates crowd’s ire flare up.
Crate training involves keeping a puppy inside and letting it out to relieve itself. Dogs won’t urinate where they are sleeping, so they’ll hold out until you let them go outside. Many people keep their dog in a crate well into adulthood to prevent destructive behaviors or because they think it makes the dog feel safe.
Crate training supporters cite experts arguing that such dogs thrive. The enclosure is referred to as “Dogschwitz-Barkenau” by a Jewish friend who is opposed.
I recently moved to the US from Australia with my two small dogs and discovered right away that many Americans are pro-crate here, unlike back home.
Practice manager Nina Torres informed me that the Village Veterinarian in New York City, where we went to meet our new veterinarian, advised crate training. This enables dog owners to establish boundaries, which makes for less anxious dogs, in Torres’ opinion. “You confuse them if you allow them everywhere,” she says. Approximately 80% of the clinic’s canine patients, according to Torres, spend their days in crates while their owners are at work.
When I asked John Parncutt of John the Vet, our previous clinic, in Australia how many of his patients use crates, he responded that it’s a minority and that the dogs are crated overnight rather than during the day. “I probably hear from someone once every few months or so saying they’re going to be housetraining their new puppy in a crate. ”.
Sheryl, an American living in Melbourne, was the only person I knew in Australia who had successfully crate-trained a dog. In New York, Sheryl says, “everyone did it”. In Australia, she made the decision to crate train her puppy. She locked Dizzy the schnoodle in the crate at night (waking her up every three hours to go potty) and while she was at work, when a dog walker would visit. That amounts to roughly 16 hours per day spent in a crate.
Sheryl was shocked by the reaction Australians had to it. It was the biggest argument I’ve ever had with my mother-in-law, claims Sheryl. She believed it to be cruel, like the dog was in a circus. ”.
Sheryl’s coworkers at work sent her photoshopped images of Dizzy dressed in prison garb. However, Dizzy was trained to use the restroom in the crate in just three months. “After a year, we stopped locking her in,” Sheryl says. Now that Dizzy’s crate is open, she chooses to enter it every night.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other organizations, a dog is drawn to a crate because it is a safe place. Crates should only be used “as a relatively short-term management tool, not as a lifetime pattern of housing,” according to the ASPCA. This is where opinions divide. According to Nina Torres, most adult dogs can spend up to nine hours in their crates during the day (with a break for a walk in the middle) and eight hours at night, unless they are senior citizens or large dogs that need to stretch their joints.
I can watch my dogs’ behavior during the day because I work from home. Although they do spend the majority of their time sleeping (as they would in a closed crate), they do have preferences. Sonia frequently drags her blanket, mat, and toy into a spot of sunshine. Natasha typically sleeps deeply in her crate, covered by a blanket, and occasionally yips while she dreams.
Natasha was content during an experiment in which I locked the crates, but Sonia whimpered and clawed at the latch before eventually opening it to flee (like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park). Would Sonia be able to love her crate with the right training, or is it just not something that suits her personality?
Peta, an organization that advocates for the ethical treatment of animals, has strongly opposed this, claiming that wolves, dogs, and other canids in the wild spend their first eight weeks in a den before leaving it. There is also no true scientific comparison between crates and dens because dens don’t have a locked door, according to Peta’s website.
However, crates have gained popularity in the US, thanks to endorsements from professionals like The Monks of New Skate and celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan.
A dog trainer in Helsinki named Liisa Tikka finds the pattern unsettling. “We find it problematic that some dog training books published in the US advocate crate training.” People are unaware that it is illegal and not regarded as an ethical solution in this country. ”.
According to Finnish law, an animal may only be in a crate “during transportation, during illness, or for any other temporary and acceptable reason.” The ASPCA in the US requires that a crate be big enough “so that your dog can lie down comfortably, stand up without having to crouch, and easily turn around in a circle” if you want to keep your dog in an enclosed space while you’re at work. For example, a Labrador would need an enclosure that is about 37 square feet.
You can probably infer Emma and Ray Lincoln’s position on the issue from their book Dogs Hate Crates. Despite being so unprepared to provide dogs with the attention, exercise, socialization, and purpose in life they require, Emma tells me that Americans have never been more in love with the idea of owning dogs.
Crates are the Lincolns’ go-to “quick fix” for undesirable behavior. According to Ray Lincoln, “people realized this is the simple way to deal with any behavior with a dog.” When you confine a dog who is chewing, urinating, or acting hyperactively, “the behavior stops because the dog can’t do anything, so he shuts down,”
The Lincolns contend that excessive confinement can be harmful, and they claim that some people confine their dogs to cramped crates for up to 18 to 22 hours each day. They claim that dogs who are overcrated can develop issues like “cage rage,” anxiety, fear, and depression.
“I think crates are a good place to teach the dog to relax in a difficult stressful environment, like dog shows or competitions,” says Tikka, who teaches a Canine Good Citizens course as part of her Helsinki school. I do not approve of its use in the house. “The Finns are very pragmatic, and they do understand that a puppy is a puppy – and it will pee on carpets and chew the furniture and that’s life,” she continues. ”.
Wolves travel hundreds of miles and hunt prey in packs. In New York City, where I live, my dogs hunt for pizza crusts on the sidewalks. Their way of life has greatly changed since their ancestors’ I exercise them by taking them for walks, giving them treats in their Kongs, and showing them videos of horses, which make them dance on two legs and howl like maniacs. And I’ve decided to keep their crates open. Although I occasionally wish they were better behaved (like when they steal yogurt containers from the recycling), I feel like we’re all generally content with our living conditions despite the fact that they are animals living in an apartment.
Leaving Your Dog In Their Crate While You’re At Work
Usually, the answer is no. Can you leave your dog in their crate while you’re gone all day at work? Though, it is possible depending on your work schedule.
The maximum amount of time an adult dog can be left in their crate is 8 hours, and that only applies when they’re sleeping overnight, as we’ll go over in more detail later. Your dog will want to be at least somewhat active during the day, and more importantly, while you’re at work, you won’t be there to hear if your dog needs assistance.
Therefore, you’re probably fine if you have a fairly flexible workday and can check on your dog at least once every couple of hours. Your dog’s temperament will determine exactly how long you can leave them in there, but the maximum is probably between two and four hours during the day (less for puppies). In light of this, leaving a puppy in a crate for more than a few hours or leaving the house generally isn’t a good idea.
How Long Can A Dog Stay In A Crate?
A dog can stay in a crate for up to 8 hours at night if that dog is a fully-grown adult. During the day time, the maximum will be somewhere between 2-4 hours for full-grown dogs. You’ll have to learn what works for your dog, and keep in mind that puppies need to get out of the crate more frequently. Many dog owners do not realize that there are growing pains they must go through as they try to get their dog crate trained. You cannot adopt a puppy and expect to crate train them over the weekend before going back to work. Plus, your dog has to be trained to do a lot of things around the crate. You will need to help your dog feel comfortable with being in a crate every day, and some dog experts advise starting with as little as 10 minutes in the crate at a time.
The answer to the question, “Is it cruel to crate a dog while at work?” is rather complicated.
Before you can advance with crate training, your dog must first complete basic sleep training. Some people prefer to sleep train their dog to remain in the crate, while others prefer to train their dog to take naps in the crate. You must schedule your dog in both scenarios. Every day, your dog walks outside at the same time, and they go to bed at the same time.
If they exhibit some anxiety, you could place their crate in your room. You could then move the crate ever-further away until they are in the location in the house where you want them to be. Your dog will become accustomed to going to bed and waking up at the same times each day once you have established a routine. Your dog will become accustomed to going outside in the morning to relieve themselves, and they can return inside prepared to take a short nap.
You must know how long your dog can stay inside, when you will return home, and what your overall plan is for their activity before you leave for work. You can start training your dog to unwind during the day by crate-training him at night. This gives you the peace of mind you need to proceed to the next stage.
Crate Dog While At Work
When your dog is able to spend 30 minutes in the crate without showing any signs of fear or anxiety, it’s time to start leaving them there when you have to leave the house briefly. Keep your departures and arrivals understated and emotion-free for this step. Instead of putting your dog in the crate as you head out the door, it’s a good idea to start crating them at least a few minutes beforehand.
FAQ
Is it okay to crate dog while at work?
While it is not advised to crate a dog while at work, no more than 8 hours should be attempted if this is unavoidable. If you can’t crate a puppy while you’re at work, dog-proof the space you’re keeping it in so it can’t hurt itself while you’re gone.
Is it cruel to crate dog all day?
Don’t leave your dog in the crate too long. Because they don’t get enough exercise or human interaction, dogs kept in crates all day and night may develop depression or anxiety.
Is it OK to crate a dog for 12 hours?
The short answer is no, a dog shouldn’t be crated for 12 hours a day, even though he can sleep through the night in one. This is way too much time spent in isolation.
How much crate time is too much for a dog?
“Dogs shouldn’t be crated all day. Four hours is a rough maximum for how long a dog should be left in a crate, although there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule,” says Zazie.