Dogs kenneled or crated for long periods of time.. - Page 4

Jon-- I started to read this thread a couple of hours ago and tried to stay away--after all, what can someone like me have to contribute, but outright indignation and a sense of helplessness. Your post finally pushed my buttons, so here goes: Realizing you're only quoting what has been said to you, and that you're not implying that you agree with them, you might pose this question to the several vets. "Would you guys like being locked up in a plastic or wire crate--where all you could do was possibly stand up and turn around for hours at a time, day after day, year after year---EVEN with time out for adequate exercise?" Somehow, I think we all know what their answer would be. As I see it, the most abused addition to the animal world has been the introduction of the crate, and how easily it caught on by the uncaring and ignorant. Popularized as a training tool, too many took it a step further and made it a device for torture. Every time someone says the crate has it's place, the idiots that misuse it feel approval has been given to them. Locked in a box---what a life. (As I stated before--I hate crates).

Well said on your opinion. But everyone has their opinion. Some people do it and other doesn’t. I do put my dog in a crate but only at night. He is out in the day. My other ones stay in kennels. But I was just saying what i have heard. I do but dogs in crate from time to time but not for the rest of his life. I have to goto work, so may be we will talk again.

JON, I don't think anyone is saying that crating a dog during the night is a bad thing. We are talking about GSD's that spend the majority of their day inside a crate.

VomFelsenHof-- Your original question strayed as per usual. But, yes---how could there not be a correlation to curtailed or restricted movement causing muscle deterioration. How much damage is done is questionable, but probably enough to make some type of unfavorable outcome. We all know how stiff we become when sitting for too long in one position. In earlier posts, dogs were confined in crates and then let out to work hard on a schutzhund field. Aren't these dogs more prone to injury, without some warmup time? Very confusing? Jon-- I realized you were quoting--have fun at work. Blitzin....I have to be truthful--- Yes, my post was in response to all the other posts that were referring to constant crate abusers, but I can't deny the fact that I hate the d-mn things. A larger, gated area would be much more feasible to me, but, as inferred by Jon---everyone's entitled to their opinion. He saw through me, perfectly.

This is why I feel it is SO important to ask to see where ALL the dogs are kept when visiting a breeder. I have seen personally people come to look at litters and while waiting, they were kept in the backyard only and were not allowed to visit the rest of the kennel. Could they not hear the mass amounts of barking going on and wonder to themselves, where on earth are all those dogs? I have heard of trainers refusing to work with certain large kennels because they were disgusted by how the dogs were kept. And these are respected, ''top'' breeders. Give your head a shake people and stop supporting them! Go visit them and see for yourselves how the poor dogs are kept. I am busy enough with my 2 dogs, I cannot imagine being able to provide enough time and stimulation to keep more than 2 happy myself.

Workings dogs do not need crated in order to work. Any dog crated for a long period of time will have a "burst" of energy when first released out of a crate or a small kennel. This excess energy is shortlived and does not change the actual working drive/energy of the dog to perform tasks. It is a shame that people will have so many dogs that they are forced to live in isolation. As for police K9 most of the teams I know spend alot of time every week working and training together and usually are strongly bonded.