# How long are your dogs in their crates each day?



## blueboy (Jan 5, 2010)

I feel bad leaving my dog in her crate while I am at work and at night when she is sleeping, even though I know it keeps her out of trouble. When she is out though she receives constant interaction whether it's play, training, or just hanging out on the couch. Just curious how long everyone else keeps their dog crated up. Wish I could stay home with her all day and not go to work, but daddy has to buy food and toys.


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

I have 9 dogs and they rotate 2-3 at a time every 25 mins ( not at night they sleep) So I can't say how long they are in there as we constantly rotate ( there is rarely ever a time when we are not home).

As long as the dog gets out and is not lock up more than 8 hours I wouldn't worry. It is safe for her there rather than loose in the house were she can get into things. 

However if you have the ability you could put in a topped outside kennel for while you are at work, or if she is house broken you can also provide her with a larger crate so she has more room to spend her time. I give my dogs raw bones so they have something to pass the time.


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

Most of the time Vendetta is only in a crate for 2 hrs in the morning until my son gets up and then for a 3possibly 4 hrs in the evening unless it is tuesday or thursday then she either goes with if I take Andreas to TKD or she is out while my sister takes him. On the weekends she is in more this is only because Vendetta doesnt like my sisters dog Mari-Sol. On weekends I am home I spend about 2hrs out in tne am and 4 hrs running, training playing with her and then she is out in the evening as my sister goes to bed early..


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

My girls go with me to work so on the weekdays they may be in there if we go out to eat for an hour or two, and they don't sleep in crates at night they have beds on the floor in our bedroom. on the weekend if we have something going on they have been in their crates for up to 7 hours at a time, i don't like it to go any longer than that, but that's just me. she is safer in her crate while you are gone!


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

On weekdays ours are in their crates for about 9 hours while we're at work.


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## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

When my husband and I are both working they are crated for about 8 hours on average. Occasionally it is longer and sometimes shorter. For the past 4 months though they are rarely crated since my husband has been on short term disability and always home. 

We used to crate Loki at night but for the past year he has proven that he is behaved enough to sleep in our bedroom on the floor. He wants to be wherever we are anyway so there isn't much concern about him sneaking off to get into mischief.


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Kane is in his crate while I'm at work or doing something where he can't tag along. It's usually ~40 hours a week. He doesn't get crated at night because he stays on the bed with me, even with my door open.

I've been debating leaving him loose lately, as he doesn't chew anything inappropriate, but he does have a habit of counter-surfing (which could be easily fixed by putting everything away) and I'm not sure if he'd understand to hold it all day. We had issues with that when he was younger and I was forced to put him in the bathroom for a couple of days instead of his crate; I came home to crap all over the bathroom and a very stinky dog on those days, but he's never had an issue with holding it in his crate.

So we'll see.


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

anywhere from 1hr - 8hrs.. just depends on whats going on and if i have someone watching them while im out of town..


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## Xiahko (Feb 24, 2010)

Bruno and Beia maybe spend about 4-8 hours a day depending on who is home and what not.
But they also sleep in their crates,cause I can't sleep well with 2 dogs in the bed.
That and Bruno sometimes pees in his sleep.


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

I am so happy to see how many responsible craters we have here lol.


I have been catching so much crap from both my grandmothers for my cruel crating of my dogs that I was starting to feel lonely lol.


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## Xiahko (Feb 24, 2010)

My roomies use to hate the fact that I crated. Then they found out just how much of a butt Bruno really is,and now they don't mind him crated when we're gone. Or if I am gone,and they are asleep.

trust me,the house is much safer that way. LOL

That,and when Beia is bored she chews holes in the wall.


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## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

Crate training is such a blessing. When we have people over, if Loki starts getting too rowdy or starts annoying people I just tell him to go to his crate and he will grudgingly do so. Once I tell him to go and then stay there he will without me even having to latch it. Not only does it protect the dog from your home and your home from the dog while you are gone but it gives them a personal space where they can go for a timeout when needed.


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

i only have a single crate right now, so i stick Dre and Diesel in there and let Daisy roam the house.. i need to get another one soon


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## wild_deuce03 (Aug 14, 2010)

Athena is in her crate to sleep usually between 830-930PM (she gets cranky, LOL!) until about 7-8 in the morning when my wife gets up (I'm already gone). Anytime we leave she goes in the crate, even if the kids are home. We're a 5 dog family. Athena is CONSTANTLY trying to play with one of my males, Cleveland, and he doesn't like it. So she gets crated anytime we aren't home. It's one thing if something happens when I'm home but no way I'm setting her or my kids up for failure. Don't know an exact amount of time though. We aren't gone too often.


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## 00 S/C Lightning (Apr 7, 2010)

During work week 7am to 330pm. Weekends they are out all the time. From time to time during trips during the week a hour here and there

Since i have been off due to shoulder rebuild they are both out non stop


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## r0ckah0l1c (Jan 18, 2011)

I think crate time varies each day depending on how long the work day is and how well behaved they are... I usually have them out together in the mornings from 6 am to 8 am, then when I get home around 2 they're out for a few hours together but once the hubby comes home at 6 or 7 they get rotated as he gets overwhelmed by their high energy...sometimes they go back in for an hour or two if we hit the gym or store... on days off they are generally out all day and go outside about every hour for potty/playtime.


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## SARGEnNIKITA (Jan 3, 2010)

My two used to spend anywhere from 8-13 hours in the kennels on work days and they did fine but I definitely had to work them hard... I have never crated at night after they were potty trained since they sleep with us... Crates are a great thing for any breed to keep them safe from all the things they can get into plus if a door gets left open by accident or something they still cant get free...

I have had people start mass arguments with me because I crate my dogs when we do big bbqs with a bunch of strangers here but I dont want my dogs getting out because some idiot couldnt shut my door plus we leave our side gate open to the backyard so people dont go through the house... Ummm hello I dont want to chase my dog down do you? they just stay quiet at that point.


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## jmejiaa (Dec 8, 2009)

usually when no one is home I leave her 8-5, if my brother is home he'll let her out. 

I've been trying to give her more "freedom" to see if I can trust her with the couches lol.. I want to get away from the crate now since my room is the only place I can put it and it takes up a lot of space.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

7-8 is ideal but 9 should be the max on most days. Sometimes life makes us crate them longer but I would make that the exception rather than the rule. Our dogs are crated at night then out in dog runs during the day. I do have a few extra dogs right now so I have to rotate them out in the runs so I try to do it in 4 hour shifts. The house dogs get out of couple of hours sometimes a little longer since Siren is pregnant and I brought her in from the kennels. I have 3 rotations that have to share house time. I try to make sure the house dogs get out at least 3 times a days for a few hours each and then I rotate who gets to sleep out with us. The kennel dogs are worked several times a week.


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

I crate at night and then rotate during the day.Then I crate when I'm not at home.The longest they go in their crates is at night which is about 10 hrs during the summertime when I don't have to start my day early and during school time it's about 7 hrs.Of course if it's a puppy or a dog that I know is not used to it then I will take them out during the middle of the night and work them up to that long of crate time at night.


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## EckoMac (Aug 25, 2010)

The kids are home for the summer, so Ecko doesn't spend more then 10 hours per week in his crate, but when school is in he is in lock down from 8am until 530 pm. All he does in or out of the crate is sleep all day anyways. LOL!
I do walk him every morning before he is put in lock down.
I don't think my house would suffer from leaving him out, but I think that his constant need to try and play with my ancient cats would get messy if I left him out every single day. He's been left out by accident several times and has slept the day away quietly, I just like to play it safe.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

:goodpost: that way no regrets!


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