Buddy at the dog park claimed crate training is cruel, and he said it with his puppy chewing through my leash
He went on for 10 minutes about how crates "break a dog's spirit" while his 5 month old lab mix ate my $30 leather leash and peed on the bench. I've been grooming dogs for 9 years and every calm, well adjusted pup I see naps in a crate, so where is this idea even coming from?
I used to buy into that "crates are jail" thing too, until I actually watched how dogs act in one. A crate is basically a den to them, and the ones who get taught right just chill in there on their own. That guy's puppy eating your leash and peeing on a bench kinda proves the point better than any speech could.