[Dailydrool] Crating vs. Outdoors

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

> Crate training . I cannot stress enough how important it is in my  
> opinion.
> I think that it gives a dog security and a "safe" place to go when  
> things
> get too crazy in a household.

Crates also give dogs a safe place to be in the event of burglaries.  
My inner-city neighborhood has been experiencing a rash of  
burglaries. Sometimes the dogs scare the burglars off. But from what  
I'm hearing from the neighborhood watch people and the police reports  
(don't ask me about all the city crime listservs I'm on!) is that  
usually the burglars progress despite the dogs. They just open the  
door and let the dog outside to run free.

Not all of the dogs make it back home again. There was one Australian  
shepherd who was so traumatized by the experience that she was gone  
for months despite dedicated search parties. Someone found her body  
several weeks ago. Our friend Jennifer's house was burgled last year.  
The burglar let all three of her dogs out the back door so he could  
get in to take out her new big-screen tv unimpeded. Thank dog he  
thought to close the back gate behind him, or we never would have  
seen our basset friend Owen again. Owen's theme song is "Don't Fence  
Me In," and he's one of those bassets who has to be caught by a party  
he doesn't perceive as trying to get a leash on him to get him back  
home. Jennifer can replace that tv, but Owen can never be replaced.  
Jennifer said that when she came home, all three dogs behaved as if  
they'd been traumatized, so there's no telling exactly how the  
burglar got them out of the house.

Dogs who are in crates aren't perceived as a threat to the burglars.  
I've heard of no reports of crated dogs being shot either. The  
burglars have about three minutes to grab and go, and stopping to  
shoot a dog, even a barking dog, takes too much time. The police say  
that the personality profile of a burglar is that he tends to want to  
avoid having to engage with anyone or shoot anything. Robbers out on  
the street are just fine about doing that, but house burglars really  
don't want violence. They just want to leave with your stuff and  
without any conflict.

The things I'm learning from having moved to a city......

Elizabeth