People lock their dogs in their crates for all kinds of reasons, often to keep them out of trouble when they are not home. We are not fans of that strategy. In the main, a dog should be kept in her crate only when she is being “toilet” trained and you are right there in the house with her. If she doesn’t do her “business” when you take her outside, you can put her in a comfy crate outfitted with soft crib bumpers, a fluffy blanket, and a couple of toys for 15 minutes or so until she builds up the urge to go and you try again. That way, she will learn to eliminate outdoors.
There are rare instances in which a dog might have to be forcibly crated when you leave the house — for instance, if she has pica and you don’t want her to eat something that will harm her. But that’s the exception rather than the rule. Locking a dog up will not teach her how you want her to act and will only make her miserable.
