Crating throughout the work day (8-10 hours)

[vacation1]

Just curious about the general opinion on this. I was secretly a bit shocked when a coworker mentioned casually that her JRT was crated all day while she was at work. I could see confining a dog to one room if they’re young or super destructive, but crated daily for 8-10 hours (including commute time) for life, basically?

What’s the longest you should crate a dog? Do you think it’s generally not good but are willing to make an exception for special cases (say, unusually difficult housebreaking cases, or anxious dogs who destroy the house)? Or is a crate just an acceptable tool for making life easier for dog owners, and dogs don’t mind being confined for long stretches on a daily basis?

[ElisLove]

I don’t think there’s anything really wrong with it as long as the dog can lie flat out on it’s side and fully stand up. It’s hard on dogs’ joints to have them torqued in the same position for long periods of time (which is why you only ask a dog to hold a sit for less than 3 mins at a time). However other than that as long as the dog gets plenty of time and attention outside his crate in the evenings and weekends and seems to be fairly happy and healthy I don’t have a problem with it. Most dogs spend their entire days asleep anyways. My dog/family’s dogs come with me to work as I am a groomer and they just lie around virtually the whole day. THen my dog comes with me to the barn where he might walk around a bit as I ride. Come home, I might toss his toy for him a few times then he lies down and sleeps till it’s time for me to go to bed, then he sleeps the whole night and rinse and repeat.
Dogs in my family usually spend their first year or 2 in a crate when home alone/nights, then once they can be fully trusted in the home not to destroy anything and are house trained and such they stay out.

[Simkie]

I prefer not to.

When I have puppies, they are crated with a break at lunch (must have when they’re babies, whenever possible when they’re a bit older, sometimes you just can’t get away) until they are reliably housebroken.

After that, my dogs spend their time alone in a large x-pen.

I wish I had dogs that could reliably be out in the house, but every time I have tried, they get into really BIG trouble eventually. The x-pen given them plenty of room, gives them a friend to snuggle with and saves my house from destruction!

I used to crate my adult dogs during the day, until we had one with arthritis. She really suffered in the crate, but the x-pen was a very good solution. I just feel like it’s kinder to them.

[threedogpack]

Not all dogs can be left out reliably. Right now I have an injured dog so he’s crated except for hand walks to potty. That’s 24/7 for the next week. He crates well, and the crate offers him several options for support or lying flat out if he chooses.

[TBPONY]

My dogs are very high energy working dogs and a 30 minute walk in the morning would do nothing to even take the edge off. Crating ensures the dog is safe throughout the day and cannot get into trouble. X-pens are great if you have smaller dogs but mine will jump a 5 ft fence from a standstill so something like that isn’t an option. They LOVE their crates and go in them even when we are home because I leave the doors open for them. Most dogs sleep on their dog bed or on the couch when home alone so what’s the difference between that and a cozy crate? Obviously if the crate is not big enough that the dog cannot stand up and turn around in then it’s incorrectly sized, especially for a long day at work.

[OneGrayPony]

Mine are like TBPony’s. I tried an ex-pen which was jumped over promptly and only served to block my entrance into the room. I tried just a room, but they clawed through to the subfloor and ripped the molding off the door. For their safety, they are now crated when I am gone. They don’t seem to mind, and get lots of exercise when I am home!

[Bluey]

There are also indoor kennels and tops for X-pens, for those that may get out.

Crating all day is fine when necessary, for training or rehab.
For a lifetime, I would look for alternatives.

On the other hand, I think that leaving dogs alone for long with the run of all/most/some of the house is not very sensible either, as they are dogs and, sooner or later, may do what dogs do and that may be something humans don’t want, like eating a couch, windowsill or wall.:eek:

[paulaedwina]

I wouldn’t do it. I’m all about crating, but to me that’s excessive. I mean look at a typical daily schedule -sleep for 8 hours, crate for 8 to ten hours, the dog gets liberated for some of the 6 hours left in the day?

JMO of course, but then again I’m a field board on purpose kind of person with my horse so that’s where my mind goes.

Paula

[trubandloki]

@Bluey;7175786

There are also indoor kennels and tops for X-pens, for those that may get out.

Crating all day is fine when necessary, for training or rehab.
For a lifetime, I would look for alternatives.

Why is an indoor kennel or X-pen with a top some how so different in your eyes than a properly sized crate?

The only difference I see is the name.

[QUOTE=paulaedwina;7175787]I wouldn’t do it. I’m all about crating, but to me that’s excessive. I mean look at a typical daily schedule -sleep for 8 hours, crate for 8 to ten hours, the dog gets liberated for some of the 6 hours left in the day?
[/QUOTE]

How many hours of the day are you ‘liberated’?

All I know is my dogs sleep all day in their crates and gladly run into them when we tell them to crate up.

My dog that has severe separation anxiety seems to enjoy her alone time in her crate. With out the crate she is so anxious she destroys anything and everything. I think it would be more cruel to leave her loose in the house than crated.

[cnvh]

When they were younger, our dogs were crated during our workday; we’re away from home for 10 hours/day including commute time. Both dogs did this starting about age 5 months; one transitioned out by 9 months, the other (more destructive) one took a little while longer.

Our dog crate is great-dane-sized though, and our dogs certainly are NOT; there’s more than enough room in there for them to stand up, lie down, etc. (Heck, I could probably go in there and sleep if I had to!)

Was it super-ideal? No… I’d have loved to be able to come home on a lunch break and let them out, but we live 40 minutes from work. Our dogs survived and are no worse for the wear…

[paulaedwina]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7175841]
Why is an indoor kennel or X-pen with a top some how so different in your eyes than a properly sized crate?

The only difference I see is the name.

How many hours of the day are you ‘liberated’?

All I know is my dogs sleep all day in their crates and gladly run into them when we tell them to crate up.

My dog that has severe separation anxiety seems to enjoy her alone time in her crate. With out the crate she is so anxious she destroys anything and everything. I think it would be more cruel to leave her loose in the house than crated.[/QUOTE]

I just gave my opinion. I crate train all my dogs but I find 8-10 hours very long. I don’t think anyone is recommending you turn your destructive/anxious dog loose in the house as an alternative. And in fact I was responding to the OP about a general question.

RE: Our dog crate is great-dane-sized though, and our dogs certainly are NOT; there’s more than enough room in there for them to stand up, lie down, etc. (Heck, I could probably go in there and sleep if I had to!)

Indeed. Right now I have a massive great dane sized crate/furniture piece that I used to introduce my most recent cat into the household. Much room to play, eat, sleep, move around. And indeed -the difference between that and an exercise pen is name. Now if I put my recently-passed giant ridgeback in there for 8-10 it would be a different story.

Paula

[saje]

If the crate is reasonably roomy, the dog isn’t a puppy, there are chew toys/bones to work on, and when the people get home the dogs to go out for a real blow-off-steam outing and spends the rest of his time w/ his people, I don’t see a problem. My mature dogs spend a LOT of time sleeping, or lazily gnawing on something.

The key is that the time OUT of the crate when people are home needs to be mentally and physically stimulating. No fair just kicking him out in the back yard or going on a 10 min potty walk.

[paulaedwina]

I think that’s it for me too, Saje. It’s one thing IMO if he gets crated and then gets run the heck out of (or otherwise exercised), and fully another if he gets crated and then you come home, let him out, go about your business and put him back in that night or the next day. Unfortunately I do see much of the latter. I am sure people do the former though.

Paula

[LauraKY]

I had to crate my collie for 6 years of her life, for her own protection, for about 8 to 9 hours a day. She could get into anything…even after we put locks and kid locks on everything. She loved that crate. She would sleep in it with an open door at night.

My dogs go into hibernation mode when I’m not home anyway.

[arabhorse2]

My Collie pup is crated when I’m at work because he’s a destructive little shit when I’m not home. The ancient Great Dane has the run of the house since she grew out of the Destructo Dog mode many years ago.

Once the pup is past the destructive stage he’ll have the run of the mud room, then eventually progress to being allowed access to the whole house while I’m gone.

He happily goes in his crate when I leave for work, and he’s not required to be in it overnight. He also gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation in the evenings and on the weekends, so I have absolutely zero guilt about him having to be crated during the week while I’m at work.

[cowboymom]

I’ve never crate trained a dog… I have five but one is always outside in his pen with his goats (the GP). In our prior house, two years ago, the dogs were locked onto a back porch with beds/water while we were gone or in an outdoor kennel. This house doesn’t have the enclosed porch so they have the run of the house.

The only destruction I see is if the garbage is too tempting to the garbage gut. Easily solved by putting her out with the GP while we’re gone. Most times she just sleeps though, they do go into hibernation mode and I don’t have any trouble with them being in the house.

I had an Aussie years ago that would try to tunnel out through the wall of the house to go with us; he made it all the way to the siding once, from the inside! He was the worst we ever had for destruction and he ended up with a good outdoor kennel.

Lots of dogs live in crates but I know for me I’m good with them cruising around the house or yard while we’re gone. My gut response is that 8-10 hours in a crate is too long but I’m just basing that on my experience and opinion. Can’t refute that!

[Hulk]

I am not against crates. I think it varies upon each individual. We once had a client’s dog that was so self destructive it had to be crated to preserve its life. The last straw was, it neutered itself jumping through the living room window it shattered. So if the owner is gone for 8 hours because they have to work …ehh well at least they can arrive home to a dog thats alive and an undestructed house. 8 hours not ideal, but sometimes needed.

[S1969]

When my dh & I both worked full time our dogs were crated 8-9 hours a day. Not ideal, but we made it work. It was critically important to be able to keep a schedule - and to provide hard exercise both morning and night – off leash RUNS, not walks twice a day of at least 30 minutes. Then, out of the crate all day and night - my dogs were not crated overnight and slept in our room with us. So the dogs got worked hard, had 5 or so hours of “liberty” time at night before bed, and then could stretch out and sleep overnight any way they wanted.

The key to success is exercise and keeping that schedule tight - so that they have enough time in the a.m. to pee, poop, eat, run, pee & poop again before that long crating time…and someone to get home and let them out at the same time after work.

[HorsefaceDee]

I never crate my dogs. And have never crated any dog. I think it is cruel to leave a healthy dog in a crate/cage all day. I understand if they are sick or injured and need to be confined to prevent further injury. If a dog is destructive it needs more exercise. Not to be crated. JMHO

[spotteddrafter]

I have 2 dogs - a 4yo SP/GR (doodle) and a 2yo GR. During the day, they have free rein of about 2/3 of the house. I block the hallway to the bedrooms with a baby gate set high enough for the kitties to get back and forth under. This is to keep them from all of my DS’s super fun toys…and to keep the GR’s fur out of my bedroom. I am technically allergic to dogs, and while the 4yo doesn’t shed, the GR sheds like a banshee. And so because of this, my 4yo doodle gets to sleep with me at night, while the GR is crated. I can’t in good conscience lock her out of the bedrooms and expect her to behave herself all night long, and she actually really likes her crate.

However, when the GR first came to live with me, she was used to being crated all night and all day during work hours. It’s not ideal, and we quickly transitioned out of it, but it’s really the quality of interaction and exercise in those “free” hours that make a difference. When she was crated during the day, she got about 45-60 minute fast-paced walk every morning, plus about another hour romping in the backyard with my other dog. Then in the evening she got another walk and more romp time, plus lots of play. The key was to tire her the heck out so she would just sleep away the time in her crate. I also made sure she was in the great dane sized crate, with plenty of padding and toys/bones/etc to keep her company. The crate was kept in the living room by the window (a room with a view!), as my other dog slept away the day on the nearby couch. It worked for us, and I would go back to that situation again if needed.