European Confused By Americans Crate Training Their Dogs, American Redittors Shed Some Light

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kalila courban
Feb 19, 2022 3:00 PM EST

Dog ownership and culture are very different around the world and it is important to be aware of cultural differences! There are many many factors that contribute towards this difference in the culture surrounding doggos and dog training. Fortunately, there is one all-encompassing internet destination where people from all different backgrounds and cultures with similar interests can discuss just about ANYTHING. You guessed it, it's Reddit.

One dog-loving Reddit user hailing from Germany posed an interesting question for all the American dog owners in the group- what is up with Americans and their crates? It did not take long for the Americans amongst the bunch to chime in and add their own two cents to the discussion. It is always very enlightening learning about other cultures, and there's no better place to do it than Reddit (probably).

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  • 01
    Product - Posted by u/Deckard112 1 day ago 2 3 What is it with Americans and their crates?
    via Deckard112
  • 02
    Font - This is not meant in a mean or bad way or anything. But whenever I read about dogs or dog training on American resources, almost all the time crate training is mentioned.
    via Deckard112

    "This is not meant in a mean or bad way or anything. But whenever I read about dogs or dog training on American resources, almost all the time crate training is mentioned."

    An interesting question indeed. We as Americans wonder- is there a European crate training equivalent? What are the different ways in which dogs in Europe are trained…we'd love to see a more thoughtful analysis of this! Learning about different cultures is endlessly fascinating if you ask us!

  • 03
    Font - Dog has XY of a problem? "Have you tried putting him into his crate / what if you put him into his crate / a crate would be a good option in your situation".
    via Deckard112
  • 04
    Font - For me as a german I've never ever seen anybody actually crate training their dog. Like. Seriously. I grew up in a family that had at minimum 2 dogs in the household all the time (we had 4 dogs when I was a teen), and never - not once - had we a crate.
    via Deckard112

    "For me as a german I've never ever seen anybody actually crate training their dog. Like. Seriously. I grew up in a family that had at minimum 2 dogs in the household all the time (we had 4 dogs when I was a teen), and never - not once - had we a crate."

    For us as Americans- we've never seen anybody NOT crate train their dogs! 

  • 05
    Font - I also have a ton of friends and family members who own a dog. Off the top of my head I know around 10-15 other dogs. Most of them I've seen at home at some point and if not I see their owners on a regular basis. None of them own a crate or have ever talked about using one.
    via Deckard112
  • 06
    Font - Half of my family is from Croatia, and there I have also NEVER seen anybody owning a crate for their dog. Like I said it's not meant in a mean or bad way or anything but... What is up with crates and why are they so popular in the US?
    via Deckard112
  • 07
    Font - Edit: I understand it's useful for puppies until they're potty trained of course. (Because someone mentioned that in the comments) 1.3k Comments 9 people here •..
    via Deckard112
  • 08
    Font - PM-me-Shibas · 23 hr. ago rude Shiba Inu Also, as a dual citizen (USA/europe): I don't think a lot of foreigners have any idea how large some American houses are, and American houses were obsessed with "open spaces" for DECADES where houses just didn't have walls built in main living areas, or the walls were actively taken out. It can be large and intimidating for dogs and they have nowhere to go and want a "cave" -- crate's are great for that.
    via PM--Shibas
  • 09
    Font - KitchenCommittee1827 · 1 day ago People do it for puppies. Some puppies grow into dogs who like their crates and think of it as their "safe space" where they can decompress from human attention if they want. So the dog is free to come and go from their crate. Most people don't crate adult dogs unless they are destructive or can't get along with a sibling dog or cat without supervision.
    via KitchenCommittee1827
  • 10
    Font - Zone9bproblems · 1 day ago My dog needed his crate as a destructive wild 9 month old newly rescued former outdoor hunting dog who had no clue how to live in a house. He literally did not relax or rest outside it at all for 3 months while he was adjusting to our home. He's 18 months old now and never uses it during the day but he still chooses to put himself to bed there every night including pulling all of his blankets into it to make himself a cocoon. It's his safe space den and he loves
    via Zone9bproblems
  • 11
    Font - Sage--Fox · 1 day ago Thought of another reason.... I used to live in an apartment and my dog had to be crated whenever maintenance came over when I wasn't home per the apartment policy. So having her used to and comfortable with the crate was necessary.
    via Sage--Fox
  • 12
    Font - Mystery_meat3000 · 1 day ago Exactly this. We only crate our dog at night. It's large enough that he can stand up and move around, and it has a memory foam mattress with a very soft blanket. He will go in there when he's feeling sick, which is a very helpful tell that he needs to go to the vet. He'll also crate himself when he's feeling overwhelmed; it's his bedroom.
    via Mystery_meat3000
  • 13
    Font - PolymorphMT · 1 day ago We recently adopted our pup from my mum, who had her in her crate overnight since day 1 (along with her littermate). Setting up her crate by our bed when she moved in really helped her settle in, and she appreciates her safe space. She also spent a lot of time in there when she was poorly, so I think she's very much the same there.
    via PolymorphMT
  • 14
    Font - Mystery_meat3000 · 1 day ago I've read a lot about dogs being den animals which is why a lot of them take so well to sleeping in crates. We tried to have ours in our bed initially but he insisted on laying on top of my legs all night which just doesn't work with a 60lb bully breed. It's also very helpful on Fourth of July (I'm in the USA) and New Years when everyone is setting off fireworks.
    via Mystery_meat3000

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dogs thread americana crate interesting dog owner discussion pop culture doggos doggo training reddit thread Reddit crate-training
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