Page 36 - Online Spring 2022 Newsletter

of shutting your two and a half year will not adapt to crating and instead
old child into a similar sized space; become mentally ill. They enter an
it’s the stuff of nightmares so how is emotional shutdown with the trauma
it okay to do it to your dog who has and frustration of not being able
the same level of intellect and feeling to exhibit their normal behaviour
but no power or insight over how or patterns along with the repeated
when he can get out? and unsuccessful attempts to try to
deal with the problem. It leads to
Sure, you can train him. Dogs are
conditioned to want to please us so if impaired brain function and often
you persevere most will eventually self mutilation, over grooming and
give up their freedom and initial stereotypic behaviours just like the
complaining and accept their fate in sad head-weaving and pacing we
the crate. But just because he used to see in caged big cats,
eventually goes in and falls asleep till thankfully now outlawed. Another
you let him out does not make it right symptom is repeated and severe cage
or fair. Realistically, what else can biting, anything to break out even if
he do after realising the fuss he made it means hurting themselves by
the first few times he was locked in ripping out their own teeth trying to
force the bars apart to escape. The
didn’t help him to get out and only
made you cross? Interestingly this dogs can become reactive and
compliant behaviour has come to snappy, abnormally destructive and
be known as Canine Stockholm disliking touch. Well, wouldn’t you?
Syndrome and is where forcing the It’s barbaric how some owners can
use of a crate as a cage can watch their dogs suffering in this way
eventually cause a dog to become - by their own hand - and just allow
artificially over-dependent on it, the cruelty to continue, doing nothing
messing with his human-animal to stop it and help them.
bond and actually worsening
separation anxiety and owner- What does
directed aggression.
this say
Crates were initially designed to be about us?
training aids and safe restraints
for cars and after vet procedures but
more recently they are being mis-
sold to restrain dogs for owner’s It’s horrible for me to have to recall
convenience, as a substitute for repeatedly witnessing the shocking
proper house training and we are over-crating of a Keeshond on a show
being told by manufacturers that it’s camp site and seeing at first hand the
okay to do it. Dogs are being forced symptoms of this illness in the poor
to endure hours of their lives shut in animal. I’ve also reliably heard of
these small cages and it’s creating other cases of it going on in people’s
new illnesses directly linked to this homes; in our breed; our own gentle,
form of usage. trusting Keeshonden. We know
stress shortens dog’s lives and sadly
One of the most serious has been I happen to know that both the dogs
named Caged Dog Syndrome, Crate I knew of died before their tenth
State or Kennelosis - a canine mental birthdays. Coincidence?
illness brought about by excessive
restraint in dog crates. Some dogs All manor of excuses are given as to
why some adult dogs need crating
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