Are Shelters too judgemental?

I do realise that crates can be useful and in the right hands also create a safe space but sadly I've seen them abused far too often. When I was working as a home carer there was one family who kept the dogs in crates all day except when the went to the garden.. I took to going in early so I could walk the dogs at least then I knew they had two good walks each week..

Here there seems to be little or no control over their use. 

Yikes!  @theonewiththethumbs  Those two play rough!

I'm a crater too.  My two eat in their crates and stay there when we are away.  We've no doubt the terror they can create on their own without adult supervision.  We have plenty of evidence from just a few minutes alone.  Fortunately we are both semi-retired, so they never spend much time in the crates during the day. 

I didn't like the idea of crating at all at first, however, our obedience trainer explained that most dogs need a lot of sleep - up to 20 hours a day!  They feel safe in their "dens".  They relax and willingly go there when we are at home.  Probably not for every dog, but ours seem okay with it.

I guess all total mine get about 7-8 hours a day.  Breakfast at 5:30 for 30 minutes. Then out to pee and trip me while i'm running late for work.  7am-1pm.  I let them out on my lunch hour and they are free in the house until dinner time at ~7pm for another 30 minutes.  "I" don't think it's too bad, but i've had people tell me that I don't deserve dogs if i'm just going to crate them.  

Right... well...  i happen to think a crate is better than them having no home at all, or one of them getting BADLY injured by the other over a toy squabble.  When i first started leaving them in the house in the afternoon i put up a nanny cam.  Brick spends the entire time I'm gone on the front room couch snoozing.  Maybe goes from window to window keeping watch.  Every so often she will pester Brick - it's cute (tho a little sad) to see how hard she tries to get him to play with her.  He won't budge.  

But if Maybe wants to be left alone (nail time or Brick's being obnoxious) she will go chill in her crate.  I treat their crates like a private sanctuary.  I won't drag them out for something unpleasant - and they are not supposed to be in each others' space.  When i have Brick's travel crate set up in the house he spends ALL his time in there.  He loves his tent!

@griff-mom i hated the idea when i first got Maybe and i was determined that - by the time she was one - she would be trained and the crate would be crammed in some garage corner....  😆 😆 😆  Then i got to know her! 

I use a crate for Pompey when I have to leave the house.  He's fine with Keezy if I'm outside, down at the barn or in the woods, but if I have to drive off I put him in there.  He can scare her a bit when he wants to play because he gets thundering around like a rhinoceros.  😉 

I know its jumping the gun a bit but we cant help it. I dont want to wait until the last minute and get caught out so we have been preparing for this new dog already.

Food bowls, a lead, a car seat belt all arranged, today I had the sewing machine out and made slip covers for his bed cushions in a pretty cotton  fabric and OH has been into the loft to bring down and freshen up Bennys house.

From what you have all said you use your crates in the same way that we designed this house for Benny. It was place of safety for him when things got too hectic. I cant believe it was 17 years ago already!

So here it is with its new cushion and I hope the new dog likes it..If not it will return to the loft and wait until someone needs it.

So Sweeeet!  Can't wait to see this new pup!  You get two thumbs up from me.  I have a really good feeling that the shelter folks will do the same!!!!!  🤗 🤗 🤗 👍 👍 

That's really cute!

UPDATE;

Slightly sad one.  After my first mail went astray I phoned and they said I would be on the list ..Then they sent an email with details of the meeting we would have to attend if we wanted to be considered for the next stage which is a home visit. They asked if we were going to attend would we please email back with our details.

So we mailed back and said we would be coming left our details again but guess what? When we arrived for the introduction meeting no one knew who we were and our name was hastily added to the list.

After an almost 4 hour talk during which time we were all lectured on how they thought we should raise a beagle we were all asked to mail them if we still wanted to be on the list  for the next stage.

I apprproached the speaker and asked what email address I could send my mail to explaining that my last two mails had got  'lost'.. she asked my name and then looked at the list giving me a quick, sharp answer that I should use the standard info@ address.

We got home and I wrote that same evening saying that we felt ready to commit to a dog and would like to have an appointment... But nothing , no answer, no acknowledgement at all, and I know my mail hasnt bounced ..

I wonder is it my name? Clearly an English name among all those Dutch ones?? Did I say something they didnt like??  Did my face just not fit in?

Whatever the reason it seems we are not fit (in their eyes) to have one of the ex-lab beagles.

So now we have decided to go a different route and we have an appointment on Thursday to see George who is 18months old and whos owners have been forced to move and cannot take him with them.  Its a 200 mile round trip but if it helps George then its ok.

Im really sad its turned out this way because in the long run the dogs are the real losers but if a rescue is going to be so offhand and rude with people who are clearly interested in giving a dog a new home what do they expect?

I will keep you all updated on George..

That's too bad.  

Well we drove down yesterday and were introduced we chatted with George's lady owner just about him and dogs in general.  The suddenly she said. Im going to pack his things for you.

It was always the agreement that George would only be adopted if there was a feeling of trust and that the person wanting to adopt had his best will at heart so Im really pleased that she felt she could trust us.

It was an emotional goodbye with lots of hugs and some tears but I told her to be friends via facebook so that she could see all of George and Murphys adventures together and she had done that by the time I arrived home.

George has had his lepto booster (very important round here) and has been checked over by our vet who says he is great.

Murphy and George played tag until about 10 pm last night running up and down like crazy people.

I was worried that George might be homesick but he plonked himself down on the foot of our bed and dreamed happy doggy dreams all night.

This morning weve been off to the woods and George has been seeing deer and cows for the first time..

Meanwhile ''

the beagle rescue just posted that on April 16th they received 11 new beagles from labs and need homes , theyre asking people to email if they can offer homes to a beagle. 🤨 

@mad-murphy    That is so weird that the rescue acted that way.  Unfortunately, like you said, the dogs are the ones that lose out when the rescue organizations mess up.  Clearly they did MESS UP!!!

However, so happy that it worked out for George.  Some things are just meant to be.

@griff-mom  Its sad that the rescue have been this way. But luckily for us not everyone is like that and the introduction to George was good for both parties, this is an organisation who work like a dating agency the dog stays with its old owner until a new home is found the old owner gets to have a say in where the dog goes and on what time scale.

Its great for older people who might be going into residential care or as in Georges case the owner was forced to move and couldt take him with her. The owners get to meet the new people and get some peace of mind.

Ive spoken to Georges lady this morning shes seen the photos of their walks yesterday and shes really happy , (crying happy tears) which is exactly how it should be.