How long in the crate?

[Chrissybox]

so I am reading that most of you guys don't put your dogs in a crate for more than 4 hours. What about overnight? Just curious-my 3 month old boxer we crate only at nite and that is because I don't think she should be left outside at nite-none of my dogs sleep outside at nite-especially in the winter. We go to bed around midnite and she gets let out about 8 or 9. Is that too long? Now she is definitly ready to potty and play when we get her out and it takes about 1 hour for her to calm down in the crate-but just curious if that was too long

 

[Shane72]

Up until Rocky was about 15 months old, he used to be in the crate about 8 hours a day but it was broken up by my lunch hour. At about 15 months I started letting him stay out of the crate a half day here and there. Then I built up to a day here and there. Then several days at a time until I finally stopped crating him altogether at about 18 months. In the last six months he's been crated only on rare occasions.

That said, I realize I have been very lucky. He went through a few destructive streaks early on but now seems to sleep most of the day while I'm away. When I get home for lunch he's stretching and yawning but ready to play. When I get home in the evening, he's ready to burn some energy. Then he's wide open till bedtime.

He still chews on my rug in the living room sometimes - he shredded the side on one of his wild streaks and I figured I'd just leave it until he gets a little older and hopefully calmer. Now he really doesn't tear it up, he just pulls the corner up. He chewed on my coffee table and window seal within a week of each other but again, he only did this once while he was adjusting to "freedom". Now he generally leaves everything alone. I know one day I may come home to some redesigned furniture but so far I've been lucky and I feel much better knowing he can walk around, etc.

 

[dizzydogmom]

DH and I both work night shift, and on the nights when we're not home (about 3-4 per week), they get crated for a whole eight hours. They don't seem to mind-they love going into their crates, and they're just sleeping at night anyway, so I don't worry about it.

 

[HurricaneBox]

We do crate Hurricane at night, and we are lucky in that DH and I work different hours, so he rarely has to be crated during the day for more than an hour or two tops. When on the rare occasion he does have to be crated all day, I make sure to come home on my lunch break and take him out to potty. He never goes more than 5 hours between potty times except at night, but their system slows at night anyway, just like ours does.

 

[catcrazy56]

Cooper usually is in it about 4 or 5 hours there has been the odd time that he has had to be in it for 8 hours but that is rare foreman was out of the crate at 14 months

 

[tatum]

I'm a stay at home mom so the most my pups are in their crate is usually about 4 hours if me and DH are running errands/dinner out. When we come home Tatum is so passed out he doesn't even know we are there.

 

[dafzichu]

Since I have had Mindy we've lived at my parents' house taking care of my grandmother, so she was crated just for down time. There have been times when we have had drs appointments and she was left for 7-9 hours, these things are simply unavoidable sometimes. Now that we are going home, I have actually rearranged my work schedule so I work for 6 hours (she will be in the crate then) and then come home at lunch and finish my day at home so I can be with her. Okay, I didn't mention I was changing my schedule so I could be with my dog, but they can't ask either. I am lucky with my job that way I guess.