I've flip-flopped on my views on crates over the years.
Growing up, I believed they were cruel. Our dogs were never crated although they were confined to a puppy-proofed room as puppies.
When George came into my life, I'd read a lot about crate training and was of the view that it would be a valuable tool and is a safe space for dogs.
"Dogs love it!" "It's a den" etc etc. So I started off with the crate training.
George did pretty well actually if I was in the house, apart from overnight. I should have kept him closer to me as a puppy.
After some terrible mistakes, I started learning more about how to effectively address separation anxiety. I discovered that dogs with separation anxiety often struggle with confinement anxiety as well.
That's not to say the crate doesn't work for all SA dogs. Some do find it comforting. But for the majority, it makes it worse.
I heard a really good analogy the other day at a webinar with Ness Jones. The presenter said they are afraid of cockroaches. Would putting them in a smaller space where they can't get out with the cockroaches make them less afraid?
For SA dogs, being alone is the cockroaches. So being confined is likely to make it worse.
It's really tough because obviously you need to keep them safe. But I've found that George does a lot better with a little free roaming, even if it is just a gated off room.
The same applies for him sleeping at night. He never slept well in the crate. Now he mostly sleeps through and we can lie-in on weekends. A far cry from the early days!
I still think it's a useful skill for all dogs to have. There are times dogs may need to be crated - in emergencies, at the vets etc - and if they are accustomed to it beforehand it will be a lot less stressful. But for every day use, it's not for us.
I've still got the crate out. It's still his space to go in if he chooses. But he very rarely does.