Advice On Dog Breeders?

[baggieal]

Excellent advice, but I think you are wrong about crate training. All my dogs, over the years, have always had their own safe space to go to when they feel the need. A young pup has been taken from it's pack, and needs to know it can escape from all the attention that will undoubtedly come it's way. I've never closed the cage door or used it as a punishment. It's the dogs special place (and we all need one of those), and a dog has no conception of what our definition of cruelty is, so I never anthropomorphise. A dog is a wolf in disguise, so just be a kind Alpha.

Titchfield - you have said you keep the door open and if it works for you then great!

I went to a young couples house on business and they had a gorgeous spaniel and he was in the crate with the door closed. They said to me when they are working from home the dog is in the crate with the door closed apart from when they take it for walks. The poor f uckin thing could hardly move as there was no room and was limping - I had a good mind to report them!! If the cage is open and a dog goes in there of their own free will then that’s great otherwise for me it’s cruel with the door locked. This couple simply did not want to be disturbed when working from home so the easiest thing was to shove the poor thing in the cage. They could have left the dog in the kitchen with the door closed but oh no!

The advice I gave my daughter was - if you are working in an office and can’t walk the dog 2 or 3 times a day - don’t get one as it’s cruel!

Our dog loves her large dog mat and she’s happy to settle down from 7pm to 7am because she’s shattered from long lengthy walks. Dogs as you know need lots of exercise.

The only time you have to be cruel in a nice way is not to over feed as fat or podgy dogs will have health issues. I am the worst when our golden retriever looks at me with those big eyes and dribbling!

But dogs are the best and most loyal friends in the world! We love ours!