Cage - Would putting my dog in a cage make him mean?

Would putting my dog in a cage make him mean?

I have a 5-6 year un-neutered male pitbull. He's a friendly dog but after the next door neighbors brought another pitbull into their home, and my dog started tearing up my house when I'm gone. I have a cage I would like to put him into for when I'm gone, but I'm worried because he has never been in cage before. Will doing this make him mean?

Public Comments

nope i put mine in a cage when at work, there still big babies...
First get your pitbull neutered its not that expensive and you can find plenty of places that will do it for free, it is the best thing you can do for your pet. Second, as long as you go about kennel training the right way you should not have a problem with your dog disliking the kennel (becomming mean because of a kennel is something i have never heard of). Research it and be patient and work with your dog and introducing a kennel but most importantly get your dog neutered.
No, but it will have to be done correctly. A dog should always be familiar with a crate, ever if you do not use it on a daily basis. Regardless, he is older and has not been confined to one, so introduce the crate slowly. Use positive methods to make him ok with being inside of the crate for long periods of time (i.e while you are at work). Confining a dog to a crate is NOT mean and it is for his safety. If he is destroying things like that, he could possibly injure himself, and leave you with a hefty vet bill!
every dog needs its space. Putting it in a cage would be fine. If you can afford it a fence would be better so it would have room to run and play. but if you do put your dog in a cage be sure to give it attention and only keep it in there when you have to. It should make Him/her a mean dog.
In my opinion and with past experience with pits and dogs in general, if he has never showed any signs of aggression, I think he would be fine. Considering he's never been caged before, maybe you could start out just doing it for short periods of time so he can get use to the idea. Generally, caging a dog alone won't make it mean unless it isn't socialized and well taken care of. This is just my opinion. Hope it helps.
First and foremost, I agree with the suggestion of getting him neutered. It is probably the best thing you can ever do for him. Secondly... well, I just wanted to reply to support getting him neutered. It is worth every cent.
Here's what I suggest. When you put your dog in the cage, put him in there when he is in a good state, preferrably calm submissive. It will do no good to put him in there when he is in an agitated or violent state. You want to leave the house when he is in the desired state. Nuetering him will not automatically solve the problem. Since this problem occured after the neighbor got their dog, it does not neccessarily mean that it is a dominance or territorial issue. Pit Bulls are a powerful breed that require alot of control from the owner. It's best that this dog recieves exercise like walks, not throwing balls. You need to practice your leadership by taking the dog on walks to stay consistent in your role as a pack leader. A tip when you put him the cage. Do not act nervous, he will pick up on it and act nervous as well. Act calmly, make it a positive experience. Do not just force him in there completely, it may take time for him to get in there. Use scent of food or something to cox him into the cage. Do not rush it, take your time. Once the dog is in the cage, do not close the door automatically, leave it open. If he stays in on his own, if he doesn't bolt out, then he is in a good state to leave him in the cage, then you can close it. If he bolts out or tries to escape while the door is open, start over. Good luck