Cage - Is it cruel to keep a dog in a cage?

Is it cruel to keep a dog in a cage?

I went to see a friend Friday night. They have a "mutt".they let it outside for a few minutes. Then they put the dog in it's cage. They barely let outside the cage. So what the point of having a dog? The dog is somewhat hyper.

Public Comments

Yes, very!!
Yeah I think it's cruel. Dogs want to run around and be free not put in a little cage. My friend puts her dog in a cage, I feel so sorry for it. It just wants to play and have fun :(
The dog is Hyper cuz it stays loced up all the time,do they keep it in the cage everyday and let it out a FEW minutes,if thats the case,yes it is cruel,is the cage in a safe enviorment like a house?or is it in the woods?Is the dog being fed and waterd?Are thebowls actualy clean?If not you should cll animal service.Hope I helped!
the whole idea for a cage / kennel / crate , is for the dog / puppys safety, it is there very own "safe place" and should ideally only be used when they have company over (if they dont like dogs , or the dogs not sociable) or if the dog is in danger of chewing wires and other items of danger. NO dog should be caged for long period's of time , it is not fair for the animal. and to be honest its a shame on the dog to be cooped away .
maybe they dont want the dog tearin up furniture or destroyin the house?
yes
Dogs are social animals. They like to be with their people. If the dog is kept in the cage (crate/kennel) the majority of the time the people are home, I would think that is unfair. If they keep him in the crate because he is "hyper" and they don't want to take the time to train it properly, I would say that is wrong as well. Perhaps this is not the right type of dog for them. Could it be that the dog was kept in the crate because they had company? If so, it would be fair to the dog to be trained to behave well when visitors come.
I'm sorry but friend or not I would make an anonymous call to an animal welfare organization because what you describe is absolute cruelty, what a miserable existence this poor dog has. Some people do it out of ignorance and need to be educated and sadly some just don't care. Think about the well-being of this poor creature before its rehabilitation becomes too difficult to perform. I truly wonder why some people have pets.
sounds like he needs to go with you
My friend keeps her dog in a cage because she is so hyper and crazy that if she was left around the house she would probably destroy a couple of hundred pound's worth of furniture in one sitting. :) I have two dogs and they are calm and mellow, so they don't need a cage. They used to chew things but now that they don't they're fine. We have never considered a cage because it was never needed. A cage should either be a place of safety and happiness, or it should be a punishment. For very naughty dogs, a punishment cage may be a good idea, it may not be. It all depends on the dog, really. For my dogs it would be a punishment, but for my friend's dog it's fine. She thinks it's just like a basket, the only difference is that she can't get out and to be honest she doesn't care. Keeping a dog in a cage for too long is a bad thing, you should try and get your friend's family to let the dog out for longer or take it for more walks. That is bordering on cruelty, however much they love the dog. A hyper dog just needs patience, if they don't have that they shouldn't have a dog. Hope that helps :)
They should let the dog out all the time but if they go somewhere then they should put it in the cage so the dog doesn't make a mess
Yes it's cruel. He needs to be let out to socialise with the rest of the 'family'. And he needs lots of exercise to stop him being hyper. They sound too lazy to own a dog and should give it to a shelter.
i have a cage but it's big i let mine out 20 minutes a day their happy as happy can get.