Isolating a dog

[PupDaddy]

I got this comment off of another list:
... abandonment is the worst form of punishment for a dog - it's what they use for seriously aggressive dogs in the ABOTC anti-aggression program and even they only consider abandoning for 20 minutes max. Making a dog sleep by itself without a human or canine companion, is a recipe for psychosis. It's no different than making a child live in a closet or the garage. Dogs are pack animals and that is just another word for "affectionate" or family.

Who agrees with this and who thinks it's an overstatement?

[Anky]

I agree that abandonment is the worst form of punishment to SOME dogs.  Independant dogs most likely have a different trigger.  True abandonment isunforgivable .  But to say 20 minutes?  That means you can never leave your dog alone unless you have another dog?  And I'm sorry, but two of my dogs have been by themselves overnight with no other canine compnions and they're not psychotic.  As much as I love my babies and as much as they're my surrogate children there IS a difference.  Puppies are walking at a few weeks while it takes a child over a year.  Children need to be nurtured as a matter of nessecity and socialization if they are to function as adults. 

While I believe that the poster had good intentions, their comment is, in my opinion, totally unfounded.

PS.  I'm doing this before I leave for work so if it's garbled and makes no sense I'm sorry I'll fix it when i get home.

[patrick]

Way Overstated but with some truth. I think it is a matter of degree.   Dogs are pack animals and to isolate from the human family or 'pack' can be exceedingly cruel.  Dogs chained outside is an example.  Another is the example of a puppy being confined to a crate in a room by itself for 20 hours a day.  Another is a person I actually knew who locked an 8 week old puppy in the laundry room for 5 days by itself while she went on a trip.  Physically the dogs may be taken care of but emotionally they can be devastated.  Time outs are very effective discipline for this reason

[Senghe]

Slight overreaction and unfair sweeping statement. It all depends on the individual dog.

Flynn CHOSE to sleep on his own, downstairs in his crate at about 3 months of age. He's extremely well adjusted. Phoebe, the most neurotic dog I ever owned slept on the bed with me every night. She came to live with me at 5 months old with a whole bunch of emotional baggage.

The weird thing is Flynn howls his head off when at my friend's kennels, but Phoebe would quite happily spend a few days there if I went away.