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Posted by Noofies on August 28, 2009, 2:49 am, in reply to "noofs and jmm-"
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And if people show up at my obedience classes with their dogs on flexis - despite the "no retractable leads, please" in the course description, I hand 'em a 6-foot lead and insist they put the dog on that instead. Not only are they dangerous for the dogs and the owners and provide absolutely NO control over the dog, but they actually *teach* dogs to pull.
I suppose it really depends on the dog, but no, I wouldn't be comfortable with a "no cage" environment for a lot of my dogs, either, and not just the tinies. A supervised romp with a small number of congenial dogs in an exercise yard a couple of times a day is OK, but not 24/7. IMO most dogs are more comfortable in a strange environment if they've got a "den" to retreat to. But then, everydog who lives here or passes through here gets crate-trained and comes to love their little private den. (OK, not EVERY dog - got one PM rescue who doesn't get crated because she considers a crate to be a torture chamber and not a den, and one senior beagle who doesn't get crated either (but sleeps in a closed room with other dogs that ARE crated). Also have one personal dog that will scream bloody murder if *I* shut the crate door on her, but who will go into any available empty crate and pull the door closed behind her when she wants to nap in privacy.)
If I was to board my dogs, I'd rather see them get supervised yard time, a training session, and private accommodations (or kenneling with dogs who are roommates at home) for naps and overnight. I did, indeed, board a couple of dogs once, in a "traditional" kennel. They LOVED it there - they each got daily exercise in a large yard (and they were allowed to be together during this time), and they were "worked" (individually) for 20-30 minutes by the kennel owner every day. Keeping boarders happy isn't so much a result of the type of housing as it is the interaction with staff and the attention they receive. IME, most dogs would prefer a half-hour of one-on-one attention from a human (brushing, snuggling, working) to 3-4 hours of play with other dogs.
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