Hilarious Moment Pet Owners Accidentally Lock Themselves in Dog Crates

The hilarious moment that pet owners found out what it's actually like inside their dogs' crates has gone viral on social media.

Stephanie Ferrari posted a video on her TikTok page, @stephanieiferrari, showing how she gets her Cane Corso and Malinois to calmly get into their respective crates, before Ferrari and her partner each climb into a crate also.

Unfortunately, once the crate doors shut there's no way of opening them from the inside, which is great for the dogs but not so great for the two humans who found themselves trapped inside.

As the realization dawns on the duo that they need to help each other out, one of the crates begins moving forwards as it shuffles along the floor. The two people couldn't get themselves out individually, however they could help one another out, if only the crates were closer together.

Many owners make use of crates in the house to give the dog a space of their own where they feel safe, or to make sure the dog is secure when left alone. The American Kennel Club (AKC) refers to crate training as "vitally important" for dogs of all ages, and says that it "gives dogs a sense of security and safety and helps give owners a greater piece of mind".

The AKC insists that owners who make use of crates should make it a positive experience for the dog, not a punishment. Their tips on how to do this include feeding the dog inside the crate and not leaving them in there for too long at once.

Consulting holistic dog trainer at Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Sarah-Anne Reed echoes these tips for the best ways of crate training dogs. Reed told Newsweek: "The key is never to use the crate as a punishment, only as a safe space and only for a limited time. Once your dog learns this, they will be content to go in the crate.

"The crate should be big enough for the dog to stretch out completely and get up to turn around without hitting its head. Dogs like their space to be clean, so crating is a great tool to housetrain."

While Reed accepts that using crates can be beneficial for numerous reasons, she does also note that there are certain situations when dog owners should reconsider: "Avoid crating a dog who is experiencing anxiety, whether caused by confinement itself, separation or environmental factors such as thunder. If kept in a crate when they are stressed, a dog can hurt themselves trying to break free, contributing to their anxiety about the crate.

"Most dogs learn to love crates as they are a safe place to retreat if they're feeling overwhelmed."

The viral video, which was shared on January 11 and has gathered over 11.2 million views on TikTok, was posted along with the caption: "Putting our last name to work" in a nod to her surname, Ferrari.

As well as over 800,000 likes, the video has generated more than 5,000 comments in just a matter of days. Plenty of TikTok users found the video comical, with comments including: "I'm wheezing! Seeing the crate scooting around is hilarious."

Other people felt this video made a great advertisement for the dog crates if even people can't get out of them: "This should be an Impact Crate commercial" one person wrote, while another user put: "These kennels are awesome and now they just levelled up because of this video!"

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