Crate Training is Cruel

Lately, I have heard this comment from several people.  I want to ask…to whom?  If you abandon a dog to a crate in some remote place in the home where it isn’t around its new family, perhaps that could be considered cruel.  I sense an element of pride when someone assures me their puppy doesn’t need a crate.  OK.

I may never hear the sequel to that story, but I can almost guarantee that confinement of some sort is necessary in order to provide a safe place for a puppy while house training, teaching house manners, and letting them move beyond the time of mass destruction commonly referred to as “teething.”

Do I insist on crate training?  No.  Do I want to do all I can to assist in a newly adopted dog staying in its new home with the least amount of stress and confusion?  Yes.  It doesn’t matter to me – it’s what works for you and your pup.  But, a puppy given too much room, is very difficult to house train.  I know some people have the time to take their dog out every hour or so for a potty break, so the need for confinement doesn’t seem necessary.   However, this pup will not learn to hold it and to let you know when it needs to go out, and it will also be difficult to get it on a schedule so you can leave the dog when necessary.

Crate training a dog is neither cruel nor the only way to go.  From the work I do, I can tell you it has saved many a relationship with man’s best friend.

If you need assistance with house training and/or crate training, get a copy of my ebook “The Truth About Housebreaking” and get a free copy of my crate training ebook.