I recently got into a discussion on another board. A person was looking for a crate large enough for two "pit bulls". I posted urging them to buy two crates, as putting two dogs into one crate is just asking for trouble. I figured, most, if not all of the other people on the board would support me and agree that two dogs in one cage was ridiculous, especially a breed that has been bred for dog aggression. Shockingly, I think one person agreed with me. Everyone else thought I was the biggest idiot to walk the face of the earth. Although I still think I'm right, are there really any instances where crating two dogs for any extended length of time is acceptable?

I kenneled my dogs together when boarding, and after reading a lot of what's on this site, I think that was a really boneheaded move. I'm actually very glad nothing happened. The kennel did tell me that at the first signs of trouble, they would separate the two dogs and that the dogs would be fed separately, but told me that there was a chance that the dogs would fight due to stress, confinement, etc.

I guess I'd also like to see a crate that would accommodate two medium-large size dogs. Most of the ones I've ever seen are only large enough for one dog, anyway, unless that dog was very small.

That's just asinine!

ranks up there with one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard of.....NEVER!

At the last Flinks seminar he told us how he has one large crate/cage that fits in the back of his vehicle. All his dogs are in the same crate/cage.

These are EXTREMELY high drive dominant dogs.

I would never recommend this method to anyone because the chance that that person has the pack leader ship skills to safely do this is slim to none. But it is possible to do if you have the pack leadership skills.

In the car it would be ok depending on the dogs - I will put my dog and bitch in the same cage but when I have the two males they go in seperate compartments.

In the house there is no reason to do so and I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

Most of the people who defended the "two dogs in one crate" nonsense had small/toy breed dogs. The defense went something like, "Well, my Yorkies LOVE to be in the crate together. They wouldn't have it any other way!". When I state that "pit bulls" aren't Yorkies (or Italian Greyhounds or Boston Terriers to name a few of the multiple dogs-one crate owners), I was accused of not liking bully breed dogs and being stereotypical. Two of my three dogs are pit mixes and I would NEVER leave any them unsupervised alone with one another.

I guess I need to consider the source, but I thought it was pretty shocking. A couple people even chastised me for perpetuating the stereotype of bully breed dogs as originally being bred for bloodsports and fighting. Hmmmm...that's the truth.

I don't like the idea of any dog being crated with another for an extended period of time, but I think to do it with two dogs that could snap off at each other at any time is especially dumb. As every rescue organization for "pit bull" type dogs that I've run across says, "Never trust your dog not to fight."

I personally think the person was just being cheap and trying to get away with one crate instead of buying two. That, in my opinion, is not worth taking the chance that you come home to find your dog(s) dead or injured.

 Quote: Angela Martin

I was accused of not liking bully breed dogs and being stereotypical.

This discussion has much less to do with the breed of dog involved and everything to do with individual temperament and surrounding circumstances. I don't have a bully breed but my dog wouldn't put up with sharing a crate with another dog for a second - and even if we had 2 dogs that got along famously, I still wouldn't trust Oscar in a crate with the other one, in the event that a stressor might trigger him into an outburst. IMO, putting 2 dogs in one crate is just ASKING for trouble - some people might be lucky if they never have a problem, but they set a dangerous example - ESPECIALLY when they broadcast their behavior on the internet and refuse to acknowledge it's risks. Yikes.

Angela, you obviously have support on THIS forum.

~Natalya

Two of mine would be happy to crated or kenneled together, But I would not do it for any length of time. If there is a problem there is just nowhere for them to get away from each other.

When I have to board them they are together during the day in the large run, but at night were next to each other instead of both in the same smaller kennel.

Yote would never tolerate being kenneled or crated with another dog, he loves Nico but still wants his own space.

 Quote: angela martin

Most of the people who defended the "two dogs in one crate" nonsense had small/toy breed dogs. The defense went something like, "Well, my Yorkies LOVE to be in the crate together. They wouldn't have it any other way!".

Exactly.

Aggression is far from the only undesirable result possible. "My Yorkies wouldn't have it any other way" is one of the others.