How much time does your dog spend in a crate?

[hunterprincez]

We have a wonderful new puppy in our house who is almost 12 weeks old. We are also in the process of moving That being said there are just times when I can’t 100% devote my full attention to her and she needs to spend some time in her crate where I know she won’t be getting into trouble. How much time do you feel is ok for a puppy/dog to spend in a crate?

Currently she has pretty much the following schedule:
6am - Wake up and go outside to go potty/eat breakfast/play- Loose in house with supervision
7am-5pm - She goes to work with me. Sleeps/plays in my office. We go on 2-3 15 min walks outside plus potty breaks every hour or more if needed.
5pm-7pm - Home and playing/eating- Loose in house under supervision
7pm - 9pm- Sometimes in crate so I can make dinner, run errands etc where I can’t watch her.
9pm- 11pm- Loose in house with supervision.
11pm - Last potty break before bed
11pm-6am in crate for bedtime. Usually wakes up around 3-4 for a potty break and then right back into crate. The time she gets up is getting later and later so we are hopefully well on our way to sleeping through the night!

I have never really been in the situation where I have crated my dog so every minute she spends in there I feel bad for her. She does not seem to mind. Never whines or cries. How long do your dogs/puppies spend in a crate on a typical work day? On weekends she gets to go to the barn and once she has all of her shots she will be able to go pretty much anywhere that will allow her.

[D_BaldStockings]

it is HER crate! I don’t doubt she likes being in her own space, secure, comfy and happy with the routine.

I’m afraid it is you as human thinking of it as a horrid cage.

Mine often sleep in their open crates or retreat to them for a snack: and realize that ours also get lap time on the couch which is pretty high value in their eyes and dog beds in most of the rooms. They like having their own crate/den.

[Minxitbabe]

My dogs have always been crated until trustworthy outside of it. My current pup is coming on 6 months. I got him when I was in my slow time so at 3 months he was only crated for max of 4 hours. Business is getting into the busy season and the little guy has had to go up to 10 hrs in the crate. Never had a single accident. He has toys and plenty of space so he just chills. Gets to run like mad with older dogs when we get home and doesn’t sleep in the crate but roams the house and sleeps on​ the bed with us if he chooses. Not ideal for such a young one but he has been a trooper and has the making of a very nice dog. As long as yours isn’t having accidents and crying for hours I wouldn’t worry.

[Pep_n_Ann]

My current young adult dog is crated for about 7.5 hours a day. He gets time outside in a large fenced yard in the AM before work, then crated for work and out in the yard or in the house with us after work.

[beowulf]

when I was in SC I routinely picked up strays and fosters. They spent at minimum, 8 hrs in the crate while I was at work - they’re safer in the crate than out – and the way I see it, chilling in a crate sure beats starving on the side of the road. They all enjoyed their crate time - only one was awful “crate breaking” her - she would cry and cry for the first few weeks but now at 6 years old, routinely retreats to her crate if it gets too noisy.

When we moved, our dogs were crated if we were at work – even as adults – if we were just going to the store, or somewhere quick, they went to their “doggy room” which was a room that had their crates, a futon, and some toys… more often than not when I came home they were sleeping in their crates even if they weren’t locked in them.

I personally think it’s important to crate train dogs, even if you aren’t going to use it often in their adult life. It’s invaluable to the dog to have a “safe place” or their own “space” to retreat to, and it’s also very important down the line if you, god forbid, have to move or have unexpected changes of plans - lots of dog sitters prefer dogs that crate over those that don’t… and keeping a dog crated or in a small room is safer than letting it roam, get into trash, chew appliances, etc.

I think it’s ironic that some people are up in arms about how anything more than a few hours is excessive… meanwhile, their horse spends 12+ hours in a stall. It’s the same thing, but possibly worse as I think dogs have at least been more domesticated and suited for it…

[hunterprincez]

Thanks for the replies. I would be so afraid of the chaos she could create if left in the house unsupervised. I have yet to see her go into the crate on her own. Crazy pants does not sit still long enough. LOL

[S1969]

You are fine. Your dog is hardly in a crate except overnight when it is sleeping; and many dogs choose their crate over other places to sleep. My dogs have all been raised slightly differently depending on their personality, but one of mine slept in a crate overnight most of his first 3 years. He slept like a rock and never cried, so I’m not sure he cared one way or another where he was at night. My youngest dog is loose in my bedroom at night but spends half the night in his crate anyway.

There really isn’t much difference between a dog bed and a crate. Certainly not to a dog.

[Foxtrot_s]

My dog had a crate - she never minded it and often chose to snuggle in there when the door was open. I have given it away to a neighbour with a young puppy as she does not need it now she’s older and trustworthy. It was big and didn’t do a thing for my interior decor!

[D_BaldStockings]

A chewy, a bit of dry kibble treat and a fun toy make a crate the place to be.

Some dogs do better in a crate partially draped with a towel or sheet so it is more private.

[rockonxox]

Zeus - adopted as a puppy from a hoarding home. He has NEVER gotten over pooping in the house. He won’t ever pee in the house. However, he is more of a nervous personality (even though I’ve had him since he was 10 weeks old). I can’t trust him to be alone out of his crate for more than an hour and I must have watched him take a poo immediately before I leave. He is kenneled while I am at work. He goes out at 7:15am to potty and then I get home from work usually around 5:30-6:00. Once in a wild blue moon will he go poop in his kennel… he has never peed in his kennel. The kennel is his “safe place” though. He goes into it on his own and just chills there with the door open even when I am home.

Ace - only in a kennel if he starts having “issues”. Usually he is really good about waiting to go potty and sometimes he has a mental block and will forget for a few days. He had a mini potty accident yesterday (very very little and did it on the hardwood and not carpet) but today he is out again. He knows he shouldn’t go inside but he is a very derpy dog and sometimes just does his own thing.

Lola - recently had to put her down. She was never kenneled. She was my smarty pants girl

[Brookes]

hunterprincez, I looked your schedule over and it is a wonderful day your pup is having. You are doing it right believe me. My youngest is 17 months and sleeps in a crate all night. She is crated during the day if I need to get something done that doesn’t involve her attempting to assist me in every unhelpful way possible!

She doesn’t care for her crate. All my other dogs have loved their crates treating them like their little doggy caves. Not this girl, she just wants to go go go all the time. So I always take an old solid bone and stuff some peanut butter in it and throw it in. Well lookee there! In she goes and is quiet. However when we are at dog shows, she jumps right into her crate no problem and is sound asleep in 3 minutes flat. It’s just a home thing for her.

When she was young like yours, she took her naps in her crate. I wanted her to know it was her safe place. Now that she is older it’s always play time. I’m like good God please take a damn nap! Mom needs one too!

[fourfillies]

OP, I had the same concern with my now 2yo Corgi as I had never crated a puppy. Got similar reassurance from COTH folks. Turns out he still sleeps in his crate most nights, with the door open! Sounds like your pup has a great situation. Take LOTS of pictures. They grow up so fast.

[Laurierace]

My Pom sleeps in his crate with the door open every night. Pisses me off because I want him to sleep with me! I think what you are doing sounds fine.

[fordtraktor]

My Chi cross is snoring in his crate right now, door open. Any time I can’t sit or play with him, he goes into his crate to wait until I can. ha! I keep it right next to where I work so he isn’t isolated, and he has a super comfy bed in there (and toys).

he sleeps on a dog bed on the ground right next to me at night. Works well except that time I spilled a glass of water on him by accident as I reached over half-asleep and thirsty. Poor dog!

[shakeytails]

Mine are all crate trained and crated when unsupervised until they can be trusted not to chew something up, which is usually around a year old or so. While my house hounds generally prefer to nap on people furniture, they occasionally go in the open crates. When DH and I both worked days, the dogs were crated about 9 hrs, but at most only 3 days/week. I only have one now that requires a crate, and he only gets locked up at night or if we’re both gone for more than an hour or so.