To Kennel or Not to Kennel - Page 1

I guess I started this thread because I was thinking by others that having a great working dog has to stay in kennel and  only
to get out to work.
And I felt somewhat quilty. I thought I was spoiling my dog too much.
I try to keep her out as much as possible. Then at night she comes in to guard me and sleep upstairs on the floor.
So, I didn't know if kenneling is going to increase drives or it depends on the dog.
My dog is sport dog and I try to train her as much as I can without overdoing it.
And that's a very second,  good question how much training is too much.  I train on track right now, about 2 days off and 4 on. I do obedience in short session about 15 min or so about same number of days.. end on good note wanting more.
Then bitework once a week. Does that sound normal.

Mathew, There is already a thread on this very issue. Scroll down.

Kenneling is a must with any dog..gsd or not..those who don't wonder why they have behavioral problems...No not all the time.but if a dog is in training he needs to be in his kennel before and after training to think thru the things he just did...Kool off the dog in his kennel after training.    Dog get into to many bad habits let out and to do as they please..After dog is 3 yrs old and has his head on straight with a good bit of his training in him/her and a good pack leader, then the gsd can lay by the fireside or sleep in the bed upstairs

Many vets and boarders of your gsd will attest to the horrible crying, biting, tearing up the kennels , when dog is boarded or has to spend a day or so in when you have an emergency...DO you know how stressful it is to watch a dog who has not known kenneling is when he could be snoozing in the kennel on his back with his feet in the air and not a care in the world in a kennel, if his owner had just done him/her the favor of kenneling the dog a big portion of time when dog was in treining and in the receptive time of its life.????

Dogs love a kennel as their safe abode..They feel secure and happy when in them.. But not if you wait till they are two years old or even 1  yrs old and you need to take a trip and Oh  how do we travel with ZOZO?? Dangerous for any dog to be loose in a car or truck...Take a safety course and you will see what a dog flying thru a car toward the driver or front seat passenger can do..????

right that's why I keep her in crate in truck.
I keep her loose inside at night cause sometimes I am alone and she is there for my safety.
I train her and let her cool down/whine down, and think about training.
But, I just don't think I could keep her outside all the time. I think they should train, have play time, have time to
build bond  with owner.
I rotate her being outside , training, and being a dog.:)
I don't see the benefit of only getting dog out to work. But ,wanted all good advise and opinions on it :)
My dog loves to be outside all day. But, for her safety I put her in when gone. And she was trained in puppy hood.
She was outside alot then too. To play , dig holes, play in kiddie pool. run with smaller dogs
 I think everyone uses the method that works for them.
My dog is very happy and very outgoing.
Yes, my dog enjoys her crate she just doesn't spend all night in it. Only occassionally if she is going to be up early and

out tracking:)

thank you for all the help

YR
Proper Job as we say in the UK good post, It is not up to anyone to try and change other peoples habits with there dogs, just the one thar suits them best
 Out door living suits my Guys, as i said they are happy enough, or were when i had two, But the one left is fine on his own, When the new Pup comes he will give her the cold shoulder for a month or so then come round again,
One thing i will say for the loner now, he has had two Pals and both gone the last time was beyond my control, i hope it will be third time lucky come middle of July for Goran to live with a new Pal next door to him
Steve

thanks Steve.
The last post got kind of wild and I got lost in what was happening.
But, I think I am doing better with training and crating when she needs it.
I have a rotation that I think is keeping her happier.
Some dogs I think are better off outside more than others. When people come over I put my dog out
because I don't want people to bother her and for her to get in the way. Just winter is so long that I
feel quilty leaving her out.
Went tracking today. It is snowing like crazy. The ground was wet and just right. We had fun she did real
good.
My dog prefers to be out in the elements. But, she also paces alot and that worries me at times.
She never rests only when she comes in at night.
Tomorrow I go out to do obedience and to do 2 ball games.

I never leave any of mine loose when I am gone , either..Too dangerous. And all of mine have inside kennels in a big barn when weather gets bad.

Mine stands a post when I'm gone, thats her job.
One stays in a kennel because she loves to wander.
The young one stays in the house or the kennel until he learns his job.
When I am gone.
I couldn't have three without kennel space and a couple of crates, they can be very useful.
Used correctly.

 

I guess it gets down to what you want in a dog, and how you perceive what his role is supposed to be.  Since I am not concerned with points, but am concerned with the over all mental health and well being of the dog, I have more interaction with mine than most.  Since I do not see dogs as human, and am very much opposed to this type of reasoning, (this type of thinking is what we are being flooded with today) I do, nonetheless, want to get the most out of them, mostly for my benifet.   I must confess, I really do enjoy seeing them enjoy themselves also.   I spend a large part of my day with my dogs.  Both of them together, but more individually.   I want them focused on me more than each other.  Nothing worse than a doggy dog.  

 Since I want them to meet my expectations, behave the way I want, do what is important to me, I want them to know me.  For me, it is all about reality, not titles, awards or anything else.  Titles only sweeten the pie, but they would never be first priority for me.  If for example they do not defend for real, than titles mean little to me.  Mine know more about me than I do sometimes.  I may start to do something, forget what it was, but they do not.  Depending on what I am doing, they usually have it figured out before I get too far along.  When I think about the GSD from Max' day, they lived with the family, (maybe not in the house, but nearby) so as to help in all that was asked of them.  They guarded the sheep against preditors, thieves, and in general earned their keep.  It was a relationship of dependence on each other.  I am sure when the children were outside playing, the dog knew exactly where and what they were doing.  Man cared for the dogs needs, and the dog returned the favor by caring for the families needs.  As far as I am concerned, this was the idea relationship.  The two having respect for one another.  Too many times to recount, my dogs have kept track of my children when they wondered off while camping for example.

I detest the idea that they should be treated as human children, or that we should think of them as human, because they are not.   But at the same time I do believe they are happiest with a consistant amount of time spent with the family, especially when they are working for them.  I raise my dogs for work, not sport, so I cannot comment of the kennel issue as far as points goes, but I am very happy with the working relationship I have with mine, and the respect they show me.  I talk to them throughout the day, whether they understand everything is not the issue, but I know they really want to know what I am saying and their understanding of what I say to them grows in the process.

To each his own.