For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 05, 2024

April realizes the freedom from the crib that kept her imprisoned all those years.

Our dog likes her kennel.

Our dog likes his bed in the bedroom.

How do you know Elly? Clearly Connie had a kennel for the puppies so Edgar is used to it but really? All dogs like the kennel? None of my dogs ever did. One even destroyed the cage and busted out. She accepts staying in the laundry room with a gate at the doorway. She could see us and look out the window. She’s content there. We moved to another state and laundry room is upstairs so I put her in the mud room with the gate. She’s happy there. That is only for overnights and when we are not home. I always think a cage is cruel. A friend leaves the door open and puts the dogs bedding and toys there. I think I’d be ok with a cage without a door of the dog is ok with it. Mine absolutely refuses to go in a small and closed space even with the door open. Her mother dog’s human mom said she was kept in a cage with her mom and thought she’d gotten used and would continue to stay in the cage. Nope. She’s mistaken. I can relate. I’d hate to be kept in a cage too.

When our new puppy (chocolate lab) was brought home, I was able to take care of it whilst in between jobs. Once I got a job close by, I had to occasionally take a lunch break to run home, let her out and be there for a bit, before putting her back in the kennel. I’d get a bit of guilt for the short visit then leaving her all alone. Years later, I still feel some of that guilt. I made a promise that when I’m in my own house and have a pet dog, I’ll always spend its puppy years with me not in a kennel. I’ll sleep right next to the pup and keep it company.

I hope that laundry room is warm enough.

How cute. April had to put on white socks on her bare feet to make the puppy feel at home. But shouldn’t she sleep with her feet towards the bars to be within reach?

Cage Free, please!

I don’t see the point of having a dog if it can’t even sleep with you.

Nothing and noone should be in a cage.

Awww….

Yup. Our pack and clowder have their sleeping places but sometimes it gets cold they gravitate to a bed. It was a 2 dog 4 cat night last night.

Dogs will dislike a crate ( pen, cage) if it is used as punishment. If they do wrong do NOT put them in a crate that they sleep in. Over time, they will associate the crate with punishment, and if put there at night to sleep, they will think they did something wrong. Training them to do right should NOT include crate punishment. I train dogs using positive reinforcement. If they do what I am training them to do, they get a treat. If they don’ treat. They come to learn that doing as you want them to is a good thing and they get a treat, otherwise they don’t. NEVER physically admonish them. That leads to fear of doing wrong, fear of YOU, and fear of getting punished, and sometimes leads to aggression…and you blame THEM for that. I leave the crate door open all day, and my dogs see it as a sanctuary, some where they can go to be alone, somewhere safe. I close it at night when they sleep.

He’ll be ok, April – he’ll outgrow it like you did!

Your dog sleeps in your bed AFTER toilet training, never before

We inherited a dog that had always slept in a crate. After a few nights, we decided to leave the door open so she could leave the crate if she wished. The first night, she came out into the dining room, dragging her blanket, telling us, “You forgot to tuck me in.” We followed her back to the crate and closed the door but didn’t latch it. It took her about a week to figure out she could sleep wherever she wished. She was a big, boisterous dog, so when we had toddlers or elderly guests, we’d have to tell her to “go to her room”, which she did promptly. After a bit, we’d let her out again, and she’d find a place to stay nearby.

Agreed about the crate, cruel and unfair to the dog. So many people say their dogs “love being kept in a crate”, but please tell me how do they know? Very sad.

Similarities, most definitely. However, both of you outgrow the need with age and experience…..

No, Honey. Edgar should be housebroken before he’s allowed to sleep outside of the laundry room.

Clearly, April is smarter than Liz ever was. Like Michael, April can see right through Elly’s litany of crap!

We always had more dogs than children and more children than bedrooms so my brother and I slept in the garage. We were required to cage and feed the dogs every evening but once we retired we let them out, jumped in bed, and then let all the dogs get in bed with us. We were considerably warmer than those in the house.

Given the option of a cage or bed, no dog we ever owned, and there were hundreds of them over time, ever chose the cage over the bed. Some chose under the covers or on top of the covers and one even chose by the bed on the floor, but none said, oh I prefer the cage thank you.

DON’T let your dog run free. He’ll be hit by a car OR stolen OR eat something BAD FOR HIM OR get snake bit OR anything else you don’t want to think about.

Don’t do it April!