I hope to expand this page soon by including more categories like prongs and chaining. But right now this is what I got. Feel free to give me suggestions on what you want next.
What do the Swedish
law say about crates?
This is a translation on what the law says about crates. Please note that this is not an official translation, but one I've made myself.
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-"14§ Dogs and cats are not allowed to be stored in crates except for the following situations:
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Dogs and cats can be stored in crates during shows, competitions and trials and also when training for competitions. The crate should be covered on at least two sides and dogs should by let out at least every other hour.
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During transport to and from competitions and training for competitions, dogs can stay in the transportation vehicle over night. Both on the competition sight and on their way to or from the competition.
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Hunting dogs can stay in a crate up to 8 hours a day during hunts. If they are let out at least every 3 hours.
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Dogs and cats can be stored in crates during transportation. They are however not allowed to be stored in the crate for more than 3 hours when the vehicle stands still" - Statens jordbruksverks föreskrifter och allmänna råd om hållande av hund och katt (2019-01-25)
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When using a crate according to the above exceptions there may be other laws that are relevant to your situation as well. There are for exemple more laws that goes with transporting live animals.
What is a crate according to the law?
"Crate: Storage area that does not meet the minimum size requirements for an indoor enclosure"
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You see the size requirements for an indoor enclosure here to the right. This is what determines the floor space. The ceiling height always has to be "normal ceiling height" which is at least 1,8 meters according to the law, much lower than standard ceiling height.
(charts with other units coming soon)
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The way this chart works if you have more than two dogs is:
1. The tallest and smallest dog counts as the two first dogs. (Meaning that the smallest dog should count as being the same height as the largest dog)
2. For every other dog you should add space depending on it's size (see bottom row on the chart).
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The minimum size requirements for outdoor enclosures are larger. More on that another time.
This is what is said about this law by the official authority who regulates it, in the document "Motives for the regulations of dog and cat keeping". It's a long text so I will do a shorter summary of it:
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The law used to allow temporary storing of cats and dogs in crates in all situations for about an hour or so. However, it became difficult for inspectors to determine if the storing was truly temporary or if the animals where there most of the time. So more regulation was added for under what circumstances crating would be allowed.
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Dogs should have the ability to move freely and the ability to regulate body temperature by changing sleeping spots. They should also have the ability to perform natural behavior. This is not possible when storing an animal in a crate. There's been studies showing that dogs stored in crates get abnormal behaviors. (Suzanne Hetts et. al. 1991, Robert C. Hubrecht et al 1992; Bonnie Beerda et al 1999). It has also been shown that dogs who sit in a transportation crate that would take up half of the trunk area in an average car have higher heart rate than what's normal (Agneta Ljungqvist, 2006). This indicates that dogs feel some stress when they have limited space.
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The dog or cat have very limited ability to control their situation when in such a small space as a crate. Many scientists have argued for control being important in the welfare of the animals (e.g. Friend 1991; O’Neill 1989). Some scientists consider that if the animal has control of at least a few aspects of their environment, so it's an important factor that promotes the psychological welfare of animals in captivity (Bloomsmith et al 2000; Markowitz 1979; Novak och Drewson 1989; Snowdon och Savage 1989). One aspect can be being able to get away from thing that stress the animal ex. people or other pets.
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(this part only mentions cats)In a crate it's also not possible to hide. Being able to hide is a necessity for cats when they're exposed to stress. (e.g. McCune 1994; Smith et al 1994; Rochlitz 2000).
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You still have the ability to separate rooms into smaller sections as long as the area fits the minimum requirements for indoor enclosures.
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That's about it for the main law regulating crates. Now to some of the frequently asked questions and assumptions. Most of these are taken from actual discussions in online forums
Are vets and groomers allowed to use crates for costumers pets?
Yes. You can get dispensation from the law if you need crates at a workplace.
Are Swedish dogs crate trained?
Most Swedish dogs do well in crates when they have to be in one. One explanation to that may be that most dogs in Sweden are being crated during transportation since the law require the dog to be secure during travel. A seatbelt for dogs is also an ok way to secure the dog but a crate is the norm. Swedish dogs generally travel quite often and most owners have a crate in the car.
Do stores have any restrictions when it comes to selling crates?
No. You can buy a crate in any size at any pet store. But they are usually marketed in a way that fits the law.
How did people adapt to this law when it came?
Not much adapting was needed since most people did not use crates at the time.
Can I chain my dog instead of using a crate or enclosure?
Not really. It is legal, but only for two hours a day if it can be done in a safe way. Pups younger than 6 months are only allowed to be chained shorter periods at a time. (This does not include working sled dogs). There's an explanation for this that I will try to include on the site soon.
There's no way professional dog people follow this law.
This law is actually very respected. Even by those who have a lot of high energy or otherwise "difficult" dogs. But there are always people who won't obey the law, even when it comes to crates.
Are there less puppymills and dog homelessness because of this law?
When a typical puppy mill is discovered in Sweden they usually don't last long since they rarely can follow our laws on dog caring. That includes more laws than just the restriction of crates. There are however breeders that some would think fall under the puppy mill category but they're not nearly half as bad as those found in other countries as they have to keep up to swedish law in order to operate here.
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The dog rescues and shelters in Sweden (that don't import their dogs) can be counted on one hand, depending on which ones should count as such. That's not only because it's a small country. For example: The US has about 32 times the population of Sweden but has approximately 1000 times more shelters and rescues than Sweden
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This is not only because of the crate restrictions.
Can you have a crate indoors at all?
Yes, you can. The legal issue is putting a dog in a crate without it being able to get out
Do you need to remove the door?
This is a common myth. The Swedish kennel club states on their website that you have to remove the door on a crate in other to have it. This is however never mentioned in the actual law. So no, you don't have to remove the door.
Am I allowed to crate if my vet tells me to?
Not without seeking dispensation. But you are usually allowed dispensation from the law for medical reasons.
How do you do leave destructive dogs home alone without crates?
There are options to crates. A larger enclosure can be an alternative for many. Since we have these laws we have a lot of top quality fencing for dog enclosures, so there's something that works for everyone. You may need a concrete bottom and a sturdy roof to contain an escape artist in an outdoor enclosure.
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A lot of people also use dog day cares. Which is a growing concept in Sweden.
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There has to be a lot of dogs who injure or kill themselves because they can't be crated
Of course it happens. But you'd be surprised about how few it is. I don't have any statistics. But you really don't hear about these sort of things very often at all. People are generally good at dog proofing the part of the house they leave their dog in or protecting their dog in other ways.
What happens if I use a crate anyway?
Like when breaking other laws, nothing happens if you don't get caught. But if someone reports you for it, you may also be charged for it. Simple as that.
Sweden would benefit from removing this law.
Maybe. Some things would certainly become easier. But most dog owners in Sweden are doing fine as it is right now. There would be both negative and positives outcomes from removing the law.
How does a typical Swede react to crates being used like they are in other countries?
Many swedes haven't even heard of how crates are used in other countries. So this can be quite chocking for many at first and they may not see or understand the reason for it at first. In general there are lots of varied opinions about this from Swedes. But to say "All Swedes hate crates" is obviously a very false statement.
Swedish dogs are genetically more well adapted to not needing crates since that's how its been done for generations.
Maybe there's some truth to this. However most Swedish dogs are purebreds(about two thirds of the population), many of which have a lot of close ancestors from other countries. There hasn't been any research on this to my knowledge.