# Article on PETA trying to get Kennels/Crates Banned



## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

Why do people keep falling for their CRAP??? 

The Politics of Pet Dogs and Kennel Crates | Psychology Today


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I have Grimm in a crate right now...


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

their crate is left open.

why then when i don't put them in there, they go in by themselves....malia mostly to get away from pugalard.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

I don't like people that use a crate to hold the dog 24/7. But my dogs love their cage and its the only way to keep them safe while I'm not home. If I had to take it away from them they would think that was abuse, that is THEIR safe place and they love to be in it (I leave the door open unless I'm gone for a while)


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## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

Same with mine, although they "graduate" out of the crate at some point. Layla is still crated at night, or if we're going to be out for a while in the evening. That's when I know she'll be prone to chew on shoes or have a accident........


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I am not a big fan of crates. I've never owned one and I won't ever put Snorkels or Rebel in one. 

Snorkels was on death row in a cage, and she had obviously lived much of her life either in a crate or restricted to a small space when she was surrendered. She gets extremely stressed when in one. When she had the endoscopy, it just broke my heart to see her desperately trying to crawl out of that cage on two legs because her back ones weren't working.

Rebel just goes berserk in a crate and I don't know why.

My dogs have little corners and hidden spots with beds in them they can go if they want to get away from it all. They rarely do. They want to lay right where I am.

I also believe many people DO use crates as a storage container for their dogs so they won't be an inconvenience. Crates can be cruel or useful, just like any tool. Most people who come here are, in my opinion, better than the average dog owner. But average dog owners also feed their dogs crap, never walk them, and leave them in a crate too long.

But I don't advocate banning of them. That's kind of crazy. PETA does want no companion animals. That is their goal. They would probably ban leashes, collars, and backyard fences if they could.


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## 7766 (Sep 20, 2011)

All of mine still have their crates even though they aren't locked up in them. They get fed in them (I feed Kibble), they take naps in them etc, it's their safe place. I always reccomend getting a crate when people bring a new dog into their house. It keeps the dog safe from geting into things they haven't learned are off limits yet and it protects those of limit items.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

This is Rocky's opinion of his crate (and yes, the door is open):


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

chowder said:


> This is Rocky's opinion of his crate (and yes, the door is open):


If I got a crate, I'd get one like that, where they could see outside.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

xellil said:


> If I got a crate, I'd get one like that, where they could see outside.


All of mine are like that. In fact, they have a door in front, and a double door on the side so actually most of the crate is open at all times. Rocky loves his crate. It has his water bed and his bunny rabbit in it and he sleeps in it all night. BUT... he has never actually been locked inside of it. Even as a puppy, we left the door open and he had run of the kitchen and we used baby gates to confine him. Chelsy had a wire crate for travel and it was the only thing that finally kept her from puking in the car. The enclosed plastic ones made her violently car sick. 

Shade was the first dog we actually had to confine in a crate so we got the biggest one they make and he had a ton of room. He certainly didn't care for it too much since we didn't start him in it until he was already 4 years old. But, he was too destructive when we first got him and ate bizarre things like socks and sheetrock and door moldings. It was a happy day for all when he graduated out of his crate and it went out to the garage.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Gunner loves his crate. I thought Mikey would freak out in one but he goes in voluntarily and sleeps whenever.

Sprocket is the one that freaks out and cries. 

None of them are using a crate right now because we have limited room.


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## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

> I am not a big fan of crates. I've never owned one and I won't ever put Snorkels or Rebel in one.
> 
> Snorkels was on death row in a cage, and she had obviously lived much of her life either in a crate or restricted to a small space when she was surrendered. She gets extremely stressed when in one. When she had the endoscopy, it just broke my heart to see her desperately trying to crawl out of that cage on two legs because her back ones weren't working.


Poor Snorkles! Of course it would be cruel to put her in one, given the circumstances. I wouldn't put a dog that had a horrible experience in a cage either. All of mine were introduced properly, and go in willingly. Ari actually loves his pop-up soft crate when we are away from home.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Sprocket said:


> None of them are using a crate right now because we have limited room.


That's one reason we removed Shade's crate. He got used to it and went in every night with just a cookie, but the thing is huge and filled up my laundry / office. I still have his bed in the same spot and he spends all day there with me while I do my work so it's the exact same spot the crate was in, just no actual crate surrounding him.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I am actually thinking of trying a crate on Parker. Just too see if it might help his separation anxiety a little bit. His reaction to our leaving him alone is to pull off all the bed and couch pillows and pee on them.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

chowder said:


> This is Rocky's opinion of his crate (and yes, the door is open):


That is the crate we have. It is oversized and both dogs can fit. They are only in its he we are not home. That is the only reason we use it. They use it at their discretion.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I wish I'd be allowed to crate train Mol as a pup, just so that she's comfortable when she goes to the vet. She screams the place down now so they have to give her a sedative (and charge me for it). She once went in to get groomed and I got a call 1/2 hour later asking if I could come back. In the background I could hear this almighty screaming and howling, and yep, it was her. 
Luckily, if I ever have to go back to NZ, I will have 6 months to get her trained to use one.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i JUST bought Cesar a new crate about a month ago otherwise he has his own "room" in my room
its a large walk in closet in the basement (i live in the basement also the closet/room is right next to my bed)
when we first move in i loved that little room i was going to put my bed in there and move some of the shelves out then i decided i was going to use it as an avaiary for my buttons but then i got Cesar and thought waht a great room for him! hes got his bed in there and i carpeted it it has a window and its own heat sorce also he love it in there whenever he gets sleepy he will go down there to sleep when he has his kong he will take it in there to chew and lick. when i say "bed time" he runs ahead to go lie down and sleep. i do shut the door so he isnt up and down all night but i have a set of doggy doorbells on the door so when he needs to go potty he rings them i get up and let him out.

i didnt want to use a crate for Cesar due to the women who had him a month before me,first i got Cesar at 4 months old from the breeder i was worried he was too hyper to be around kira the toy poodle and took him back to the breeder then when Cesar hit 6 months the breeders contacted me to tell me they had sold him a month before to a women who had kept cesar crated day and night becuase her pitbull petey was trying to kill him i said yes i would take him back and see how things worked out. well they worked out great obviously becuase ive had Cesar now an entire year.

i see nothing wrong with crates so long as the dog is getting adequate excersize and is not left in on day and night. alot of bull terrier people told me to use a crate to train a bully puppy (if they are bad lock them in the crate,when they are too hyper lock them in the crate,after they eat lock them in the crate..)
no offense to them but i dont like that i want my dogs crate to be somthing good if i lock my puppy in its crate everytime its "bad" as punishment its gonna learn to HATE its crate and whats wrong with taking your puppy out to go potty every 15 minutes till it goes potty after a meal? when my puppy is hyper it means i need to start doing more activitys with him/her during the day so they are not overly hyper IMO.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

xellil said:


> I am actually thinking of trying a crate on Parker. Just too see if it might help his separation anxiety a little bit. His reaction to our leaving him alone is to pull off all the bed and couch pillows and pee on them.


It might be what he needs. Shade has all the classic signs of separation anxiety and he did much better once we got him used to his crate. When my son tried keeping him in the apartment without a crate, Shade destroyed the walls, door frames, ripped clothes, etc. Once I got him used to the crate, he calmed down considerably. We kept him in there about a year whenever we'd leave the house, then started letting him loose for short periods of time (15-20 minutes) while we were gone. Now he has free roam of the house and the crate is gone. He usually sleeps on a bed in the hallway by Rocky, or on his bed in the family room when we are gone now.


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## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

Emma gets crated when we leave usually, lately she has been able to stay shut in the bedroom free with no problems. 

I will crate train all my dogs for just in case purposes.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Mateo has 2 huge crates: one in the front room, and one tucked under my loft bed in the back. The doors are always left open. 

I only shut the door on one crate (with him inside) once, when he was a puppy and going through house-breaking. On the advice of a friend and trainer, I partitioned off a section of his crate, stuck him inside for the night, and shut the door. I hated to do it. He cried, just a little.

But. Miracle of miracles... it took just that one time, confined in a crate for him to "get it." No more accidents in the apartment again. Weird...

But he loves his big, cushy "Man Caves", and goes inside often for a nap, or just to have some alone time. It works for him, and me...


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I keep one crate in our master bedroom, the dogs choose to sleep in there when they want, its open... but I still have to use it when someone is in heat.


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## StdPooDad (Mar 16, 2012)

Both of my dogs are standard poodles. 
Seamus was my first dog. He always slept in his crate. He had surgery when he was about 2, I was running an IV on him for a few week at home so obviously he couldn't sleep in his crate. He slept on a pile of blankets.
The day that I took the IV tube out;when i it was bedtime I went into my bedroom, he followed. I pointed to his bed and told him to go to bed. He just stood there staring at the spot until I put his crate back, then we went in and slept. 
When Seamus was about 3, I got Teaghan. She, being a puppy, slept in her crate and Seamus slept in his crate just because he loves it. When she was about 9 months old I just started letting both of them sleep on the couches in the living room. They are super good there. 
I travel a lot in the summer for dog agility. Seamus has always slept in a pop up tent in the motel room. When I got Teaghan, I figured I'd let Seamus sleep on the bed so Teaghan (since she was younger) could sleep in the tent. Seamus was having none of it! Practically before I had the tent all set up, Seamus crawled into it to snooze. I've never let them sleep on the bed at home.
During the day when I'm at work they're both in their crates, they love it! If I leave them with the run of the house, they feed off each other and wreck things. I have to call Teaghan to go her crate in the morning, but I leave the door open to Seamus' crate. When I start making my tea, he just trots right into the crate and lies down, waiting for his treat.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Unfortunately, both of mine hate crates. We only have one. Neither will go in it voluntarily. Both sleep loose in our bedroom anyways and I prefer it that way so no worries there. 

Dude was not introduced to a crate until he was 7 years old. I never had use for one since he was not allowed in the house and we never took him anywhere. That's why he wasn't even housebroken until I moved up to Washington and away from my mom. He did take to it better than I thought since he had to live in one for a month while we were staying with some friends while awaiting our apartment. He did get to be out quite a bit during the day but, because it wasn't our apartment and because they had a malamute puppy they didn't bother training, he slept in it and spent long periods of time in it in the evening just to protect him from the untrained puppy. SHE was crated ALL day, hence the hyper puppy for about 1-3 hours in the evening when they would FINALLY let her out. Now, though, he stays in it while we are gone since I can't trust him in the dog room. He is perfectly housebroken but something about the dog room makes him immediately want to pee in there.

Buck yanked out baby teeth trying to break out of the crate. From day one he has absolutely hated the crate. He will howl and make the most Godawful noises when in it. He throws himself against the sides and is big enough to actually rock it hard enough to lift one side up of the ground so that it looks like it is going to tip over. He will hunch down on his back legs, put his front paws against the top of the crate and use all of the power in his back legs, back, and shoulders to try and shove the top of the crate away from the rest of it. He thrashes around and just sounds legitimately angry. We have to use heavy duty zip ties (although we are going to get some carabiners for it instead). When he is in the crate he has to be muzzled or he will use his teeth to try to break out along with everything else. 

Because of the way he behaves in a crate he is left loose in the "dog room" (our dog proofed room with a tarp on the floor for easy cleanup should someone have an accident and no access to the door or windows so they stay damage free) and he is totally fine. I just don't feel comfortable crating him without being in the house. We have begun the long slow process of letting his temper tantrums run their course (while we are home) and letting him out once he has settled down. If we knew we weren't going to be needing the crate in his future we probably wouldn't bother but he could very well need to be put on a plane to go overseas within the next year when we move. I don't think we will be leaving the US mainland but I want him to be able to ride in a crate should we be going elsewhere. As it is right now there is no way I would put him in a crate for a plane ride. I don't think it would be safe to. 

We are actually looking at getting a solid metal crate so that there are fewer bars for him to hurt himself on and would be escape proof. It will cost us a pretty penny but I think it will be safer for him in the long run.

As for PETA itself... Well, I am pretty sure members here know how I feel about PETA by now. They are nothing but a bunch of nutters who think domestic dogs would be happier running wild and rooting through our garbage and peeing wherever they want. 

We ask no more of children than we do of dogs. MY dogs go to the bathroom whenever they want to. It's called teaching them how to let you know they need to go out. MY dogs dictate their bathroom schedule unless I am gone. Even I don't get to go to the bathroom whenever I want. That is dictated by teachers if I am in class, our trainer if I am with Buck in his class and others. As a child, I didn't get to eat whenever I wanted to. We had breakfast lunch and dinner. That was when we ate. A lot of people free feed their dogs anyway so their food control goes out the window. My dogs ALWAYS have fresh water out. There goes their water control argument. 

We don't control these dogs' lives nearly as much as they control ours.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

chowder said:


> This is Rocky's opinion of his crate (and yes, the door is open):


I LOVE the pic! Louis has the same crate (and same fan, LOL) too. We crate him when we are at work for our peace of mind, but above all, for his safety. The few times we tried leaving him uncrated he did bad things like eat chocolate, steal sandwiches, and rumaging for granola bars. He is let out the moment we come home. If our outings are short enough and the weather is cool enough, we always bring him instead of crate him. I know someone who crates her dogs all day, even after she gets home from work. What's the point of having a dog if you are just going to do that? It's so sad...

Louis doesn't LOVE his crate, but he goes in there voluntarily to get some personal space (like when he's tired of me sneaking in brushing when he sleeps next to me on the couch!). This weekend we went to NYC and left him with my brother...who told me he went to the crate all by himself at night to sleep. So cute..because he never sleeps in his crate at night, he sleeps in our bed...but the crate is still his cozy safe little space.

ETA: Ok, how did you guys make that picture in your quote into thumbnail sizes?


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