How long kennel dog

A crate can help your dog feel secure, calm and comfortable. By their very nature, dogs are extremely unlikely to soil the area where they sleep. Because of this, crates are a great help with potty-training your dog too. If you have a dog that frequently has accidents in your home and is not picking up house-training easily, a crate will help you avoid this issue. Crates are also invaluable for hyperactive dogs, giving you an easy way to calm them down.

Most adult dogs can stay in a crate for about half a day as long as the dog gets ample exercise and walks when he or she is out of the crate. Many adult dogs can manage eight or so hours in a crate while their owners are at work, but longer than this can often cause behavioral problems.

Of course, if he has an accident in the crate, you had him in there for too long. It is important to distinguish between occasional longer crate times and kenneling your dog for endless hours on a daily basis.

If you have a family emergency and need to leave your dog in a crate for 12 hours, he will be just fine. However, if you plan to do this as a general management every weekday as you are at work, this is too long! The same applies for car rides. In a car your dog is safest if he rides in a crate. One or two long days of driving across the country will not be a problem. However, if you want to crate your dog for 10 hours each day while he is at home — this is not going to go well. When it comes to the maximum time you can crate a dog for, you need to consider several factors.

Make the decision based on:. In most cases, you can find great alternatives to crating a dog for long hours during the day. Dog walkers, doggy daycares, dog-proof rooms or dog yards all offer plenty of much needed stimulation and enrichment to your dog. Crating your dog for a longer period during the night is a different story. It is totally fine to crate your dog for that long during the night, especially if he has plenty of activities during the day.

You should take them to the bathroom halfway through the night to prevent any potty accidents. Want to get a sniff on what SpiritDog's online training is all about?

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This cookie is used by vimeo to collect tracking information. If yours isn't one of them: Bring them over to the crate and talk to them in a happy tone of voice. Make sure the crate door is open and secured so that it won't hit your dog and frighten them. Encourage your dog to enter the crate by dropping some small food treats nearby, then just inside the door, and finally, all the way inside the crate.

If they refuse to go all the way in at first, that's OK; don't force them to enter. Continue tossing treats into the crate until your dog will walk calmly all the way into the crate to get the food.

This step may take a few minutes or as long as several days. Step 2: Feed your dog meals in the crate After introducing your dog to the crate, begin feeding them their regular meals near the crate. If your dog is readily entering the crate when you begin Step 2, place the food dish or interactive puzzle toy stuffed with food all the way at the back of the crate.

If they remain reluctant to enter, put the dish only as far inside as they will readily go without becoming fearful or anxious. Each time you feed them, place the dish a little further back in the crate.

The first time you do this, open the door as soon as they finish their meal. If they begin to whine to be let out, you may have increased the length of time too quickly. Next time, try leaving them in the crate for a shorter time period.

Step 3: Practice with longer crating periods After your dog is eating their regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, you can confine them there for short periods of time while you're home.

Call them over to the crate and give them a treat. Give them a voice cue to enter, such as "crate. After your dog enters the crate, praise them, give them the treat and close the door. Sit quietly near the crate for five to 10 minutes and then go into another room for a few minutes. Return, sit quietly again for a short time and then let them out. Repeat this process several times a day, gradually increasing the length of time you leave them in the crate and the length of time you're out of sight.

This may take several days or weeks. Step 4, Part A: Crate your dog when you leave After your dog can spend about 30 minutes in the crate without becoming anxious or afraid, you can begin leaving them crated for short periods when you leave the house.

Put them in the crate using your regular command and a treat. You might also want to leave them with a few safe toys in the crate. If crate training is done properly, your pup will be conditioned to relax and settle inside the crate. Putting an unruly pup into a crate as a time-out for a few minutes teaches him to settle, and also removes all reinforcing stimulus for his "naughty" behavior. However, if you are resorting to putting your dog in time-out multiple times per day, you risk developing a negative association with the crate.

The crate should be used in this way as a last resort, and only if redirecting to an appropriate behavior or ignoring the undesirable behavior does not work.

I have fostered and raised many puppies, and can't imagine doing it without creating a positive association with the crate. Within a very short time, most of the dogs that attend our dog daycare program enter their crates easily when we ask. In addition to the value of a crate at home, having a crate-trained dog is wonderful when you are travelling, when your dog needs to go to the vet or groomer, or if you plan to compete in any dog sports.

Trained properly with positive reinforcement and patience, the crate becomes a safe place for a dog. You will find that your dog uses the crate on his own when he is tired, and enters willingly and eagerly when asked.

All it takes is an investment of time and a few treats to end up with a happy dog and a happy human! With an impressive educational background and experience that includes fostering dogs as well as training them, Sarah is particularly interested in helping puppies, newly adopted dogs, and dogs that have behavioral issues. Sign up for our newsletters and get articles, new products, events, and exclusive deals sent directly to your inbox! Have Questions?

A bonus, not a penalty Many people refuse to crate or kennel-train their dogs because they feel the confinement is cruel. Some crates double as furniture! Puppy relaxing on a soft blanket. About the author. Post new comment Subject:. Glossary terms will be automatically marked with links to their descriptions. If there are certain phrases or sections of text that should be excluded from glossary marking and linking, use the special markup, [no-glossary] Additionally, these HTML elements will not be scanned: a, abbr, acronym, code, pre.

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Choosing a crate: type, size, and location There are several varieties of crates available. A positive place It works best for a dog to be introduced to a crate gradually. Cue in and out When the dog is going into the crate willingly, add a cue for entering the crate.