Thinking about crating.. Is it cruel?!

alyssahope

New member
Jul 23, 2013
126
3
Birmingham, AL
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Queen Margaret May
Maggie has eaten all of my socks. All of them. They've all either come up or passed in her poo but I'm worried shell eat something that won't pass so easily. A friend of mine has a cage that he's getting rid if and I'm thinking about crating her while I'm at work and school. Is it cruel?? She's so well behaved when I'm home. But apparently when I'm gone it's all free game. I just feel like an evil dictator...
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
It is not cruel and once they get used to it they actually like them. It's their little home. Ours will even go in their crates sometimes on their own when they want some peace and quiet. We crate ours when we are not home. It is actually safer for them to be crated. It keeps them from getting into things they should not and even keeps them from chewing an electrical card. The wire crates are better for bullies, as they have better air circulation then the plastic crates so they will not get hot in them.
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
Hi, just wanted to say to you, I also have a sock eater, so I totally understand, he also ate a dish cloth, and who knows what else? No it's not cruel to crate our babies during the night, or when we go out. It is for their safety, and our piece of mind. We crate trained both Dozer and Blossom right from the day we brought them home, and they actually don't mind going in there they feel safe, it's their place to go to chill out, and nap. We place them in the crate at the end of the night when we go to bed, usually around 11 pm, and they are taken out at 6 am for their morning potty, then they are fed, and we leave the crate doors open all day, they are usually lying by our feet, or on the living room rug. We also crate them when we go out, otherwise they would eat everything In sight.
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
First if all... It's NOT a cage! If done correctly, your Bully will think of it as a safe place. A den. And will even sleep in it with the door open!
Cruel would be emergency surgery and the trauma to his physical and emotional well being. Or worse!!
You will learn to love the "crate"..so will your Bully!!
 

Rachelle

New member
May 12, 2013
56
0
CA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Kirby
Crating is great! Kirby is 6 months now and has never had a problem with it. He was crated right from the beginning at 11 weeks. He never complained and will randomly go in on his own for quiet time, or automatically at bed time. I can't even imagine leaving him home running free lol, my husband did once and I had surprises waiting for me. It really helps with potty training, he sleeps in his crate most nights and never potties in it, but once in a while when he gets left out at night he will have an accident.
 

RiiSi

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Sep 30, 2011
5,014
535
Sysmä
Country
Finland
Bulldog(s) Names
Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
In my opinion if she ends up spending more time in the crate than out of it its cruel. If you crate her for the night...8 hours...crate her for the day when you're at work or at school...another 8 hours or more...then on some days when you go out with friends, even more...
Dogs and bullys get use to lot of things, they even get use to spending all their time in the crate and don't even want to come out.
 

Libra926

Pistol Packing Bullyagrapher
Staff member
May 5, 2010
7,482
734
Washington
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Vegas and Orion
Google how many hours during the day that a typical dog sleeps. 18 to 22 hours a day are spent slumbering away. We kennel during the day and I keep an internet camera on them while I'm working. The camera also records any movement longer than 5 seconds. Guess what? Very rarely does Vegas sit in his kennel doing nothing. He sleeps the whole entire day away. There are several people on here that can attest to that. They have viewed him for hours on end and they hardly ever get to see him do anything other than get up and turn around.

Bulldogs can be destructive when bored. If Maggie ends up eating a sock and she is unable to pass it...emergency surgery will be extremely risky for her. I read on FB about a bulldog that tore a couch apart and ingested a spring....and could not be saved. What if the sock never makes it to the tummy and gets stuck in the throat and she chokes? There could be so many harmful things laying around the house that can cause harm. Keeping that in mind....make sure if you decide to crate her, she doesn't get bored and start chewing and shredding her bedding. Good luck!
 

ModernFemme

Arts'y bulldog farts'y
Community Veteran
Oct 5, 2012
882
61
Delaware
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Remington (Remi)
It is not cruel and once they get used to it they actually like them. It's their little home. Ours will even go in their crates sometimes on their own when they want some peace and quiet. We crate ours when we are not home. It is actually safer for them to be crated. It keeps them from getting into things they should not and even keeps them from chewing an electrical card. The wire crates are better for bullies, as they have better air circulation then the plastic crates so they will not get hot in them.

I totally agree with David. You can also buy a really nice bed for like $30 at walmart that is 6" thick of memory foam for their extra comfort. (Might want to make sure your bully can handle bedding first before splurging on something nicer though)

I think it's crueler to let them roam free knowing all the dangers.

Read all the threads about crate training.

Remi (our bully) just walks right into his crate at bed time. I can tell he's like, "Okay. Let's go. I'm tired."
 

RaRett

Oogle Me on Google
Community Veteran
Apr 15, 2012
1,475
194
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Missi -- With Gizmo and Hershey never far from my heart
When you crate train a pup, you protect the house from the pup, and MORE important you protect the pup from the house.

Electrical Cord *CHOMP* Gizmo got a little zap, lucky we were here when it happened, and we saw the cord start to spark after she yipped. If we wouldnt of been here, it COULD of been a Fire, and she would of had no where to run.

Hershey has an Xpen area - about 10 foot long in the kitchen, and 3 foot wide, and his crate is in there, when we arent home, that is where he is. Gizmo has free roaming of the house, cause she hasnt had an accident in a long time, Hershey, still gets it in his head 'I must pee on doggy beds'
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
Yes. Crating is terribly cruel. As an example, I would never let my daughter have her own room, with her own blankets and toys in her room either. I don't want her to have a safe place to go that's all hers when the house is busy, or stressful or she wants time by herself. NO way. That would be cruel.
 

cali baker

Worlds Greatest Chef
Feb 25, 2011
8,925
851
The Crown City (Pasadena)
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Tate Rory & Finn Paddington
Yes. Crating is terribly cruel. As an example, I would never let my daughter have her own room, with her own blankets and toys in her room either. I don't want her to have a safe place to go that's all hers when the house is busy, or stressful or she wants time by herself. NO way. That would be cruel.

Such a mean mommy you are, Vicki!!

@alyssahope, i agree with the other posters here...the crate is a dog's safe haven and can be a place of comfort and security for them. I was not into crates at the beginning of my bully parenthood career and would let them loose in a couple rooms of my house while away. But what did they end up doing? A LOT of no good! Worth mentioning again here to bring the point home---Tate almost died at 10wks old b/c he chewed an electrical cord and got electrocuted. He was in doggy ICU for two nights and those were the worst two nights of my life. I crate the boys from 7:30 til I get home at 5pm b/c I love them and don't want them to harm themselves. Plus, like Cheryl stated, they sleep for a good chunk of their day while in their crates.
 

Marine91

The New Casper
Staff member
May 15, 2013
8,698
556
Blips and Chitz
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Harlea 5/4/13 - 8/25/22
I agree with the what those above have stated. It is not cruel. Harlea loves her crate as she has a bed, a few toys and a water bottle in hers.. She plays, sleeps and eats in hers. The only times the door is ever closed is when she is eating to give her peace, when we leave to run errands, the occasional time out and at night when we go to bed. All other times the door is open and she will go in it from time to time during the day on her own to play or take a nap. Harlea is the first one we have ever crate trained because I thought it was cruel as well and if I had known then what I know now I would have crate trained all of the dogs I have ever had.
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
All other times the door is open and she will go in it from time to time during the day on her own to play or take a nap. Harlea is the first one we have ever crate trained because I thought it was cruel as well and if I had known then what I know now I would have crate trained all of the dogs I have ever had.

Me too. Bea was my first "crate train". I feel like an idiot for not doing it sooner. They LOVE their crates!
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
All other times the door is open and she will go in it from time to time during the day on her own to play or take a nap. Harlea is the first one we have ever crate trained because I thought it was cruel as well and if I had known then what I know now I would have crate trained all of the dogs I have ever had.

Me too. Bea was my first "crate train". I feel like an idiot for not doing it sooner. They LOVE their crates!
 

Attachments

  • P8100002.jpg
    P8100002.jpg
    95.3 KB · Views: 128

RiiSi

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Sep 30, 2011
5,014
535
Sysmä
Country
Finland
Bulldog(s) Names
Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
I can detect some of you got offended. Sorry, not my intention.
My other pup is also a chewer and can't have free roam of the house like the other. When he was just a small pup he had his crate and X-pen around it. He stil can't be trusted, so when we're not home he stays in one room, where there's nothing he can hurt himself on and his toys are there, water and bones to chew on.
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

Top