JulieM
Boxer Insane
"however I am of the mind and always have been that if you purchase a puppy you need to take responsibility that goes with it. I have no qualms about penning a pup/dog at nite time for sleep but I do have a major problem with those people who crate their animals for 8 or 9 solid hours."
OK, I agree that if you purchase a puppy you need to take responsibility for it. However, how long do you sleep? Most people I know get (or at least try for) 8 hours - so what's the difference if it's daytime or nighttime? I think it's more cruel to crate the pup 8 hours while you're home than 8 hours while you're gone.
"Accidents can happen regardless but that is a part of life."
True - and we prevent them as best we can. My house is puppy-proofed, too, but my pups have still eaten electrical cords, shoulder pads, etc.
"A pup can choke to death just as easily in a crate as it can outside a crate."
I don't agree with this (let me say here that you should NEVER leave a collar on a dog when it is in a crate - or when you're not there to supervise it when its not). While a pup (and let's say "dog" because as I've said, puppies are different matters) could choke to death on a toy or blanket just as easily, it could not choke on the rug, underwear, towels, etc. because it would not have access to them. Percentagewise, the less access they have to potential choking items the less their likelihood of choking.
"Puppies have lots of energy and my feeling is if it is crated for a good part of the day he/she will react, ie: become destructive, hyper,and generally become out of control."
This has not been my experience with the 5 Boxers I have.
"No matter what is said in this forum, pet owners are going to do whatever they choose; I felt it was my duty as a pet owner/Boxer worshiper to share my concerns regarding 8-9 hour crating. I am also quite sure that these pet owners who choose to crate their pups for that amount of time, do love their pets; i am just providing some "food for thought" in hopes of maybe looking into alternative ways of keeping their pup safe etc."
Voicing concern is a good thing; it gives people a chance to consider viewpoints they may not have known about. Name calling is something else entirely and telling someone they are being cruel will most likely close their minds to your opinion.
"I have a very difficult time imagining these beautiful animals in a crate all day, pawing at each other through wire. THat's a sad visual."
LOL. Maybe you'll have a better time imagining these beautiful animals in a crate all day, lying on their backs snoring to beat the band! I will admit, when I got my first Boxer I was concerned about leaving him in a crate for long stretches. However, a while later I had the opportunity to stay home with them when I would normally have been at work (by this time we had two). Do you know what they did during the time I was normally gone? They slept. And that has been the pattern for the last three years - if I'm home when they're normally crated, they sleep. Sometimes they even go into their crates to sleep. For 8-9 hours. If I'm doing something really interesting (like cooking), they wake up for a while - and some of them don't even do that. I don't worry about leaving them crated for long stretches anymore
Julie
OK, I agree that if you purchase a puppy you need to take responsibility for it. However, how long do you sleep? Most people I know get (or at least try for) 8 hours - so what's the difference if it's daytime or nighttime? I think it's more cruel to crate the pup 8 hours while you're home than 8 hours while you're gone.
"Accidents can happen regardless but that is a part of life."
True - and we prevent them as best we can. My house is puppy-proofed, too, but my pups have still eaten electrical cords, shoulder pads, etc.
"A pup can choke to death just as easily in a crate as it can outside a crate."
I don't agree with this (let me say here that you should NEVER leave a collar on a dog when it is in a crate - or when you're not there to supervise it when its not). While a pup (and let's say "dog" because as I've said, puppies are different matters) could choke to death on a toy or blanket just as easily, it could not choke on the rug, underwear, towels, etc. because it would not have access to them. Percentagewise, the less access they have to potential choking items the less their likelihood of choking.
"Puppies have lots of energy and my feeling is if it is crated for a good part of the day he/she will react, ie: become destructive, hyper,and generally become out of control."
This has not been my experience with the 5 Boxers I have.
"No matter what is said in this forum, pet owners are going to do whatever they choose; I felt it was my duty as a pet owner/Boxer worshiper to share my concerns regarding 8-9 hour crating. I am also quite sure that these pet owners who choose to crate their pups for that amount of time, do love their pets; i am just providing some "food for thought" in hopes of maybe looking into alternative ways of keeping their pup safe etc."
Voicing concern is a good thing; it gives people a chance to consider viewpoints they may not have known about. Name calling is something else entirely and telling someone they are being cruel will most likely close their minds to your opinion.
"I have a very difficult time imagining these beautiful animals in a crate all day, pawing at each other through wire. THat's a sad visual."
LOL. Maybe you'll have a better time imagining these beautiful animals in a crate all day, lying on their backs snoring to beat the band! I will admit, when I got my first Boxer I was concerned about leaving him in a crate for long stretches. However, a while later I had the opportunity to stay home with them when I would normally have been at work (by this time we had two). Do you know what they did during the time I was normally gone? They slept. And that has been the pattern for the last three years - if I'm home when they're normally crated, they sleep. Sometimes they even go into their crates to sleep. For 8-9 hours. If I'm doing something really interesting (like cooking), they wake up for a while - and some of them don't even do that. I don't worry about leaving them crated for long stretches anymore
Julie
but no furniture, carpet, or other serious damage. I have taught them the word "NO" from a very early age and they seem to get it very quickly...persistence is the key...Anyway, I apologize for my tone again...as far as Julie's comment regarding choking in a crate, I know of many people who not only crate their pets but have collars, chew toys, blankets, etc inside the crate...choking is definitely a possibility...Just yesterday i visited my husband at the fire station and found a choc lab pup inside a crate with a collar on and no supervision. I immediately found the owner and told her of the danger. She was very grateful for the advice and took off the collar. Anyway, everyone take care!!!! and keep lovin' your Boxers! They are NUMBER ONE!
I did not say choking was not a possibility in a crate - only that there are less things to choke on, and so less of a chance that it will happen. Also, if the crate is positioned properly, there is no chance of electrocution (from chewing on cords), poisioning (either plants or chemicals, cleaners, etc.), or breaking through the window to get at the mailman (none of mine have done this, but my uncle's did. Several times.). It's a personal decision, based on comfort level. I'm more comfortable knowing that if my dogs are crated while I'm gone, they're less likely to get into something potentially fatal.