So I purchased a crate for my dad knowing soon thunder will be entering his bratty teenage phase...MY FATHER IS SENDING IT BACK..He said "I am not one of those people who is going to crate his dog"...Granted my dad is retired, But still he will need to go out from time to time and needs to have Thunder secure and safe..If I still lived at home this would not be happening...UGHH

Tell him Thunder needs to be crate trained for things later in life. Like if he ever has to stay overnight at the vet's office. You don't want him stressing out the whole time just because he's never been crated before. Or in emergencies like around here if we have to evacuate due to a hurricane. Shelters won't let the dogs just roam free, they need to be calm in a crate.

Also tell him it is for Thunder's safety for when no one is home. Like what if you all were gone out to dinner and Thunder started chewing on power cords, cause he's a crazy teenager. He could shock himself and kill himself. Or swallow something that will get blocked up in his stomach. Better to be safe than sorry.

My dad actually calls people to "Babysit" him if he has to go out for even 20 min, i told him there may come a time u have to go out and no one is there, Ill talk to him more in person though, I do not think he is comprehending it.

Ah yeah I had the same problem when I still lived with my dad. Every time I crated Cloud to go to the store or something I'd come back and Cloud was out of his cage. It made it super frustrating because I'd come home to some kind of mess and if my dad would've just left him in the crate for 20 minutes there wouldn't have been one to begin with XD And he complained to me the whole night about it too

My dad was the same way for a long time, then he witnesses first hand what can happen when Kale wasn't confined/leashed/crated. Now he utilizes the crate more than anyone in the house lol

Thats just it, My dad got a small taste of "separation anxiety Thunder" Like I said my dad is home pretty much 24/7 and ALWAYS with the dog,and it is His dog(Yet he wants me to train him lmao) BUT there are times he needs to do things, He will literately call me and ask me to babysit the dog, which 90% of the time I can do but if its b4 3 I can;t because I have to make sure I can pick my kid up from school.

Crate training can be so rewarding after its done. My dogs love to go sleep in their crates, it is like having their own bedroom to get away. Steve is cuddled up on his blanket right now, and regularly, my dogs will pull the door open, go in and pull the door closed behind them, all three do that.

Best of luck trying to educate that crate training is good.

Well you tried/are trying. I have a family member who doesn't listen at all to any good advice about dogs, I just had to stop caring otherwise I'd be frustrated and upset all the time. It is irritating when they want you to help on their terms but completely ignore good advice that they don't particularly prefer.

My dad doesn't listen to anything I say because I'm the youngest, but I have learned over the years that if more than one person tells him the same thing/idea, he'll start to open up his mind a little. It can't be in lecture form though, as no older person likes to get lectured by even their peers. A casual talk that suddenly brings up your topic is a good start. Also, it has to come from someone he trusts, so you can't just bring in your own friends to talk to him. Most likely, he won't listen to his wife either, if he's anything like my old man. It may sound bad when I say this, but it's like training a dog... You have to be consistent and persistent. If you don't give up, eventually, he'll soften up on the idea. Just don't get into a fight with him while you're at it, because it won't do YOU any good. Lol. Then when the time is right, you can demonstrate how great and humane it is to crate-train a dog while he's away.

It doesn't matter how many facts there are (ie. crate training is safe and responsible). Some people feel very strongly about what they believe in, EVEN US! Lol. It takes some form of ingenuity to make people see things the way we see them.

Very well put Jen. +1

Yay, I got a +1!

My husband doesn't want to put our dogs in crates when we go out.. But they do understand the crates like when we took them to Iowa to see family we took the crates and they slept in them in the hotel room. with our any problem.

On the other hand...

We leave our two five year old huskies with the run of the house every time we leave. Sometimes we're gone all day skiing. Yet we have never had a problem with them.

Used to have crates, but then we took the doors off. Then the crates were just plain underfoot. Now they are somewhere in the basement.

My conclusion after five years: You may have to keep a husky on a leash, sure. But they aren't 'prisoners'