Thursday 2 August 2012

Dog Cages

Dog Cages Biography
Many of us have heard the term crate and cage but are they interchangeable?  When looking up the definition of a dog crate, the following came up:

A dog crate is a metal, wire, plastic, or fabric enclosure with a door in which a dog may be kept for security or transportation. For best results in using crates, crate training is recommended. – wikipedia

Not surprisingly the word dog cage did NOT come up but the definition of a cage is as follows:

A cage (enclosure) is a structure made of mesh, bars or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something. – wikipedia

The difference between a cage and a crate is the intention in which it will be used.  Even the definition of a cage sounds cold and hard “bars and wires, used to confine” while a crate is referred to as an “enclosure.”

If a dog crate is recommended for training, the crate should be considered a very temporary tool.  This tool will hopefully allow the dog’s owner to follow a specific training regime designed by a knowledgeable and experienced dog trainer.  The crate should become one of many tools in the process of training the dog and used only as directed by the trainer.  Dog crates are most often recommended for puppies just learning to be away from their mothers or adult dogs that are new to a home.  When a dog is unfamiliar with its surroundings or not yet housebroken, giving the dog a sense of security in a dog crate can help.  The duration in a crate should be limited to evenings when the family is sleeping and cannot control the dog’s movements. It can also be used as a place of “time out” if the dog has performed act that warrants a brief separation from the family (ie, chewed off the arm of the couch).  This separation will be one of anxiousness for your dog whose primary goal in life will be to gain your praise. That is why this type of training should be used no more than 5 minutes at a time.

That being said, we now need to look at the idea of a cage.  Cages are used for extended periods of confinement and are no better than a human jail.  Too often dogs are left in a cage while the family is at work for the day.  When the dogs are released from the cage, often they are so excited they will be very hard to control and may wet the floor.  The dog will have waited for extended periods just to be with the people it loves only to be put back in the cage a short time later.

There are many behaviors that can be corrected with the right training techniques.  Housebreaking, chewing, overexcitement, barking and many more are reasons people feel the need to cage their dogs.  This is absolutely the wrong type of response to the dog’s behavior and the dog will never understand the reason for being confined.  Only proper training techniques combined with positive interaction with your dog can correct unwanted behaviors.

Not all dogs need crate training and I highly recommend working with a trainer or reading about how to housebreak and obedience train your dog without one.
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Dog Cages
Trapped In A Dog Cage
Couple Accused Of Locking Kid In Dog Cage, Forcing To Jump Off Roof

1 comment:

  1. I’ll probably be returning to read through more,thanks for this design !!
    dog crate with wooden cover

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