Re: crates - unnatural? Agreed.

I agree. I hate crates. I could go on about this subject forever.

I've always housebroken my pups within a few days and have done all the training myself. I've never had any of the problems I read about today like dogs tearing apart the house and chewing furniture. I frequent quite a few pet boards and most of the people WITH these problems are craters. It takes them more than a couple weeks to housebreak and everything else. I've never had a problem with a dog tearing apart the house when I leave. My dogs sleep or play with eachother while I'm gone. The punishment craters are the worst.

I think its also unnatural because a dog can't walk around and stretch his legs if he wants. So what he can turn around, stand up and roll over in his cage. He can't go for a walk and stretch his legs at all. Most crated dogs are stuck in that position all night and all day while the owner is at work and then a few more hours while the owner is running errands. That is completely unnatural. I think it also has to do with some joint and muscle problems old dogs have. The dogs live most of their life in a cage, an hour walk a day doesn't matter. It's too long. Not enough excercise. A person who sits on their ass all day is going to have more problems with weight, back aches, shoulder aches and everything else then a person who is constantly active even if its just back and forth walking around cleaning the house.

The thing about dens is such %¤#&!§-. Wild animals have dens because they need shelter from the weather and their enemies. In the wild, dogs have to watch out for coyotees and foxes. If you were homeless, you'd find somewhere to make your own "den" too. It's called survival. Hell, look at Osama Bin Laden. He dug himself a hole in the ground to survive and save his own life.
My home is my dog's home. They can sleep wherever they want and go where they want. My dogs have their own bed and the furniture to sleep on if they want. They have a choice, unlike crated dogs who only have their cage to sleep in because that's where they think they're supposed to. They never learned they have freedom. And if a dog isn't allowed on the furniture (which is understandable, not everyone has small dogs that don't shed) then usually the only other comfortable place to sleep is the bed in their cage and that's why owners think they love it so much.
And then if a den is so natural for the dog, why must the puppy be taught it? And why don't noncrated dogs go find themselves a den in the house or yard? Shouldn't it just be instinct? A herding dog has the instinct to herd when he sees something like a bird..So why doesn't he have the instinct to go make himself a den? Hmm. Even a pregnant dog will just plop down on your kitchen floor and have her puppies. In the wild, she would go seek herself out a den to protect her puppies and keep them warm and safe from being coyotee food.

I also think its weird that people have dogs that feel the need to get away and have their space. I think it has more to do with the owners personality or moods. My dogs are always up my ass all day long. They follow me room to room. They usually sleep wherever I am. They leave me alone and wander around the house and go outside and do their own thing and be dogs, but its more when I'm being boring and they go about entertaining themselves. Not to "get away". They could if they want to, but I've never had a dog do that. The most they'll do is stay in an air conditioned room instead of the rest of the hot house.. but thats also different. A dog shouldn't need their own place to feel self and secure, they should already get that feeling around you and your house. I don't need to isolate myself in a room to feel safe and secure in life..

Then you have people who crate train to get them used to cages incase they go to vets. LOL! Dogs are stressed at the vets regardless. And howcome nobody cratetrains cats to get them used to it for that *justincase* moment? Maybe us humans should tie ourselves up to a bed one day a week to prepare incase we ever have to be hospitalized. It will be less stressful on us! (sarcasm in case you couldn't tell)

Comparing cages to a baby's crib is also ridiculous. Babies need cribs because they can get hurt very easily. They can't stand up, they can't crawl, they could roll themselves off something or into a wall, they need lots of soft things around them otherwise they'll smash their head on something..etc. Puppies don't have that problem. I prefer to puppy proof my house rather than lock a dog in a cage to prevent him from getting into something. Would you leave something like nails on your floor when you have a toddler? Or do you baby proof your house?