Why do i feel so mean ?

[ColinJ]

I didn't agree with dogs being put in crates until I got a Labrador puppy a couple of years ago, all the advice said crate him, took the dog a while to be happy again when I replaced the crate with a proper dog bed. I have now lent the crate to a friend of my son's whose dog was wetting itself everytime it was left alone (due to previous owner and abuse). I suggested putting it in a crate, slowly at first, the dog is a lot happier now it has it's own safe place.

I must admit, the pup seems happy enough in there! He sometimes wanders off and gets in for a snooze if a cushion next to a warm human isn't available ...

 

[TheDoctor]

I think dogs like having somewhere enclosed to sleep. Ours always slept in the cupboard under the stairs, unless she could kip on the end of my bed.

 

[DRHysted]

I must admit, the pup seems happy enough in there! He sometimes wanders off and gets in for a snooze if a cushion next to a warm human isn't available ...

Yep the trick is making the crate a safe place for them. When we have a new dog in we always crate train them, after getting all of ours to get out of the crate first of course.

Regarding outside dogs, we have homed to a person who keeps her dogs outside all year round, they have their own kennel and full run of the farm yard, and absolutley love it. Their coat thickens up through winter (and she gives them extra bedding), the same as it would do in the wild.