The Lincolns—Spreading the Word About the Cruelty of Crating and Caging Dogs

The Lincolns—Spreading the Word About the Cruelty of Crating and Caging Dogs

For Immediate Release:
November 12, 2012

Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382

Longtime dog trainers and behavior specialists Ray and Emma Lincoln could no longer ignore the fact that they were spending much of their training time trying to undo behavioral problems caused by crating—an increasingly common trend in the U.S. The Lincolns—who have been educated in psychology and biology—had written two books on dog behavior and training before publishing their most controversial work, Dogs Hate Crates: How Abusive Crate Training Hurts Dogs, Families & Society. Now, the Lincolns have just released their latest book, Dog in a Box, which is a riveting hour-by-hour account of a day in the life of two versions of a fictitious dog, Free Champ and Crated Champ.

Based on the authors' extensive experience working with family dogs who are relegated to small wire cages for 18 to 23 hours per day and those who have free run of the house, the book paints a stark contrast between the two animals: Free Champ's day is marked by joy, playfulness, problem solving, physical activity, and love, while Crated Champ's is one of deprivation, boredom, trauma, pain, and loneliness. The following are examples of how stress can take a terrible toll on a crated dog:

• Intense fear—especially of anything new—because the dog was never introduced to the world in a normal manner
• Lack of self-control because there's a total lack of free will inside the dog's tiny, barren world
• Excessive barking, licking, and even self-mutilation because of the frustration of being denied everything that's natural to these highly intelligent animals

For more information, please visit PETA.org.