Out of the Cage!

Locking dogs in crates/cages is not good for them. Views of dogs locked in cages in shelters produces visceral, instinctive feeling of sadness as no animal is meant to be caged, yet somehow this does not translate to dogs locked in cages in our own homes. In the recent past, if I said I locked my dog in a cage for any length of time in my home many people would be horrified and notifying the authorities. Strangely, the idea of crates/cages crating dogs has somehow become not only acceptable but commonplace. This is true despite that fact that laws have now been enacted protecting dogs from prolonged tethering in many states and counties, in NYC dogs cannot longer be tied up for longer than 3 hours, one reason cited in passing the bill “tethered dogs do not have much of a life” The Humane society states among other deleterious effects, tethered dogs become lonely, bored, and anxious. One slogan used to promote anti tethering is “Friends Don’t Chain Friends”.  But locking them in cages is ok? I am not speaking about unlocked cages/crates where dogs can freely come and go into.

Crating/caging is often instituted on a daily basis and can include a time period of 3, 5 and even (horrifically)10 hours a day while clients are out of the home working. Dogs can then be caged again at night for an additional 7-8 hours. Crates/cages have become extremely misused to the serious detriment of our dog’s basic needs, expression of normal behavior, access to needed and pleasurable activity and thwart our dogs’ happiness and essential nature.

Dogs are animals that need to be provided with simple physical mobility and mental stimulation. A need for free movement is true for each and every dog. Depriving dogs of the minimum ability to walk around an apartment or home is unnatural and deleterious, it does not meet any dog's need for simple movement ability as an animal. Further, consider the immobilizing effect on dogs that have been bred or mixed with breeds to perform hard physical work each day for hours such as working, hunting, sporting, herding and hounds breeds as well as high energy breeds and mixes, by no means all of which are large dogs – consider the Jack Russell Terrier.

Caged/crated dogs are denied of the ability to actively play, another normal and essential dog behavior. Playing provides exercise, produces positive emotions and associations and keeps a dog occupied and busy. This is in clear contrast to being immobilized and bored in a cage/crate, which also serves to highlight and sharpen the focus on your absence. Caging a dog when you are not home creates a negative association with your absences, it further leaves your dog with nothing else to do but focus on your absence, a conduit for creating and exacerbating Separation Anxiety.

Dogs need to be mentally stimulated. They are animals designed to explore, investigate, and constantly encounter novel stimulation - think of how dogs behave in parks, yards and on walks. Locking them in a cage with possibly one or two toys (often the same toys over and over) is a great disservice to your dog’s needs and aptitude.

Reasons cited for caging/crating dogs:

• Housetraining

• Restricting puppies when unsupervised

• Safe place

• Preventing destructiveness

Better Solutions

Housetraining & Restricting Unsupervised Puppies

Creating a den area is a very valid way to housetrain a dog. In the wild, the smell of feces can attract predators. Therefore, the mother dog will consume solid waste material (coprophagia) deposited in the den to keep it as odor free as possible. Puppies in the litter learn from their mother not to soil the nest in which they sleep and therefore dogs are born with a natural disinclination not to eliminate in their den or bed area. Properly used cages/crates can be used as the defined den area, but fail to consistenly train an elimination area for young puppies. Puppies can need to eliminate very frequently (every two hours) and if the owner's timing is off in bringing the puppy to their yard or, instead, if they have to wait for a busy elevator in an apartment accidents are likely to happen.  Also, if they are not provided access to an elimination area when needed by being locked within the cage they will eliminate in it and it loses its value as a den. 

Instead, there are many ways to create a den area and elimination area that are more effective for housetraining and critically, for meeting the mental and physical needs of a developing puppy. A very easy way is simply to use a pen. The den area is created by a dog bed, the elimination area is provided by surrounding it with whatever substrate you wish to use - wee wee pads, newspaper, dog litter boxes or dog potties which are essentially boxes covered with artificial grass are some possibilities.

The advantage is that your puppy is able to play, move, investigate and use the many toys on the market to help develop and improve their mental acuity and dexterity. The ability to move and play creates positive associations with your absence and will naturally tire your pup out, all of which can help prevent the development of separation anxiety.

Safe Place

A dog bed provides a safe, secure den for your dog. Within your apartment or house your dog will also be able to pick other safe areas suited to his/her particular preferences- next to or on a sofa where you usually spend time, the quietest area in your apartment or house, etc.

For pups, moving dangerous items out of puppy's way or initially "puppy proofing" your home is of course a necessity. Puppies and dogs can and should be taught when you are home to avoid items by training the "leave it" command.

Preventing Hyperactivity, Destructiveness and Separation Anxiety

In order for your dog not to be destructive, you need to teach your dog not to be destructive when you are home as well as when you are not home, which is actually an easy process. Locking your dog out of its environment by caging it is avoiding the problem, there is no way your dog will know not to be destructive unless it is taught. Clients have often gotten caught in the trap of crating their dogs for too long without having trained them not to be destructive and also by creating hyperativity in their dog due to caging. Once the dog is let out of the cage if it does damage something owners often immediately give up and again cage the dog, creating a vicious cycle.

To help teach your dog not to be destructive in the home while creating the best environment possible and "give your dog a life"  provide a wide variety of toys starting with 20, have 15 out and rotate 5 in and out each week. There are many stuffed puzzle toys including the Hide a Bee, food dispensing puzzle toys that exercise your dog mentally and physically are a great way to feed your dog, calming licking food puzzle toys include the original Kong and Lick mats (thickly line with peanut butter, liver paste or anything sticky and freeze), for hunting can use a Snuffle Mat, mentally challenging include Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Puzzle Toys. There are many balls that really engage dogs to play with on their own, including Dog Squeaker balls (Squeak and Light Up) and toys that play with your dog like the Neilden Interactive plush squeaky giggle ball toy plush, motorized, auto shakes and makes sounds. There is also, in fact, a market for extra durable toys for dogs with the strongest bite strength that also guarantee toy "survival" and have been time tested and proven durable by my clients. Toys can give your dog not only one job, but several jobs to perform successfully each and every day, in harmony with their true nature. Toys also are extremely helpful in providing positive associations with your absence and keep your dog calm, busy and tire him out, all of which work to prevent and treat separation anxiety.

The huge benefits provided by being uncaged/uncrated create quite a different life for your dog as opposed to one spent living in solitary confinement, even if that confinement is for a hour or two each day of their lives.

In summary, if used properly cages/crates can be one way to housetrain a dog with the use of a pen or gated area. They can be useful in transporting a dog. The problem is when cages/crates are used to house a dog. Dogs are not meant to live in cages/crates, which is the heartbreak of shelter dogs. Dogs are meant to live in and share our homes, have their innate needs met and live the most natural, fulfilling and happiest dogs' life possible!

Christina Shusterich © 1/2010