How long do you leave dog in crate?

[basily]

I'm thinking of returning to work but worry about leaving the dog for to long in his crate. He's a 8 month old cocker spaniel. Crate trained and toilet trained.

How long do you leave yours?

We don’t have a dog anymore but our old dog would be left with open run of the house but with an igloo bed to feel safe in and for 6 hours Max. This wasn’t every day though as I was only part time. We’d leave the tv on for company but ddog would mostly sleep or potter around with his chew and never looked distressed (had a camera). However we built up to this and trained him to be left alone from an early age, just for an hour or so at first. I would never leave him all day though say 9-5pm and would never lock him in a cage and had I worked full time, we would have made alternative arrangements.

Never

Caging an animal is heartless.

I’ve just got up to make a drink as I can’t sleep and after a cuddle and a wee, he’s just gone back in to go back to sleep!

We use one. Our dog doesn’t need it anymore (3, much calmer, doesn’t chew anything he shouldn’t) but he goes in it a lot as it’s his bed to him and also his safe/alone place (fireworks/when he’s very tired after a big walk/bury his toys).
When out at work he’s left free run off the house and has a dog walker or family member to walk him at lunchtime. He still sleeps in it at night though.
When he was crated through in the day it was 4 hours at a time max. With a walk and play before he went in it and also a walk after 4 hours max. Then usually back in it for 2. The issue now is he loves it. So we can’t get rid of it. I’m working from home and he takes himself off in there every time I’m on a zoom meeting. Even though he’s allowed the sofa and our beds if he wants. He still loves his crate simple because it’s his bed.

Never. Don't own one.

Only in the car.
Do you have a smaller room like a kitchen or utility you could leave them in instead. Or a baby gate to block on area off. I used to block the kitchen up with my puppy.

Our dog has just had to spend the majority of her time in her crate over the last few weeks and it was bloody miserable for her. You need to look into dog daycare.

Have never had one, so zero hours. I can see their value (could have done with one for current destructo-pup) but they are easy to abuse.

It baffles me that sometimes people who crate are anti kennelling dogs, when the kennel itself is usually warm, the dog has access to an outside run, and is often one of several dogs so has company.

I don't know why cages are so accepted. All the dogs I have ever had have been free to move about and find their own spot to relax. No need for a cage.

I crate pup . 9pm until 6am door shut she doesnt cry as has been next to my bed . Her schedule is outside for wee then 7 breakfast and training. sniffy walk and then faster heel walk/trot until 8.30 very tired pup goes into crate from 8.30 until 12.30. The crate is inside a penned off area. If I am home working then the door is opened and she has an option of sleeping inside the crate or next to it on a blanket. if I have to go out she is in the crate for an hr or 2. I have a dog cam as well so if i am out i can check she isnt crying or upset. She is out at 12 again wee food training walk n sniff then she goes back in at about 2 until 3 then out for play if i am working in the evening she is usually in the crate or pen until about 5 with short 10min break on the hr. then out again for the evening wees food play and another walk or messing about. when she gets bitey she goes back in the penned area as often she is over stimulated and needs to work on being chilled out. I also tether her to the sofa on a lead and a blanket and toys. She is a 3 month beagle who just wont sleep unless penned/ crated. she bites eats anything on the floor or in the garden unless supervised.. i think if dogs havent been used to crates then yes they are miserable but if they are used to them they tend to go inside by themselves. Just like any training technique it can be abused or used. it works for us.

We used one overnight up until around age 1.
We never used it during the day. He goes to daycare when we are at work.
If we ever leave him at the weekend it's 3 hours max.

We leave our adult dogs four hours max and that's at a push

Crates should not be locked. They should be a safe refuge not a prison cage

If you have to lock your dog in a box, you shouldn't have it.

@basily You haven't said whether you're building up your absence, according to how your young dog deals with it? It will depend on your dog, how long is suitable to leave it on it's own during the day, and you will need to build up slowly.
Also, how long do you realistically think you will need to leave him?
You need to look at both these factors and work from there. If you need to leave him x hours, but he is only comfortable with y, then you need to organise daycare or a regular dog walker, which he will need to become acquainted and comfortable with, before you return to work.

Is it a working or show cocker spaniel?

Never used them, never will. They are cruel, and especially so for a young and high energy dog. Find another way.

We don't crate and never have.

But I see their benefits and I don't think all the posts jumping on the OP for being cruel are remotely helpful. I walk a sprocker spaniel who is destructive and has accidents if she's left uncrated - pop her in a crate and she's calm as anything and will just sleep.

Why do people think it's cruel to leave her somewhere where she's calm? Personally I think it's much worse to leave her "loose" so she can break things (and potentially injure herself).

If your dog can be left loose then I do think it's a better option but for some it's just not safe to leave them with free run of the house - however a penned off area or puppy-proofed room would be a much better option (with an open crate in the corner) if that's possible for your dog.

As for being left, I wouldn't leave an 8mo puppy for longer than 2-3 hours during the day full stop, so if you're wanting to work full time then I think your best bet would be daycare. Otherwise a dog walker is possible if you'll only be out for a few hours.

I don't use a cage. I'll go out to work today and ddog will be left snoozing on the sofa / on my bed / on his bed under my bed (it's something of a den under there).

Please tell me that you have, at least, been slowly building up the amount of time the dog is left? Suddenly leaving the dog is a recipe for creating separation anxiety.

If you crate train properly then crates are great.

Our dogs love them, it's their safe place away from us/our child if they need to be, it's dark and warm and cosy, we know they are safe when we are out, it's never used as punishment, they have plenty of room and if they have ever needed to have any medical treatment which requires them to be separate from the others or cage rest they don't freak out as it's their usual thing.

Crates used incorrectly are cruel, crate training done properly is beneficial to everyone

But yes you need to take a lot of time to build up time spent in a crate

FGS crates are not “horrifying” or “cruel” when used properly

My dog is crated when we go out if we can’t take him with us for a max of 2 hours. When he goes in his crate he knows it’s time to settle and he gets a stuffed kong or treat.

It’s also his bed and he sleeps in it at night; usually takes himself off at bedtime and I don’t shut the door until I go up to bed . If he was left to wander at night, he would chew stuff (he’s 3!) or constantly cry to be outside. He feels more secure in his crate.

People are so judgemental.

The crate/cage is quite big. Myself, son and dog in his bed can all fit it at the same time.

He (the dog) sleeps in there 9pm - 6am. He has 4 walks a day, extra if I'm shopping which is when he's in his crate/cage for no more than 2hrs. I've got a camera on and see/hear him and he just sleeps.

I am considering very part time hours. I'm not happy leaving my dog alone for long hours caged/crated or otherwise. But I don't judge people who have to.

At this point in his life it is safer for him to be caged/crated. Just like all the people in real life who judge me for keeping him on a lead, it's the safest thing for him. He's still young and is learning. I'm sure when he's older he will be fine to leave uncreated/uncaged. A lot of replies come from people telling me what happens with their older than 8 months dog. But Thankyou for replying anyway.

@basily I think you've answered your own question really, and sounds as though you know what you're doing!
Seems like the next hurdle is to find a job you like that works for you, and see how the necessary hours impact your current routine.
A pic if your pup would be nice :)

2-3,hours a day should be fine OP.

I would highly recommend a dog walker though. It means he's used to someone else taking him out and if you ever need to work overtime or longer hours, you have someone to help out and take him for his walk without you needing to worry!

I only used it with the door open.

I'd get some baby gates so he has a room to move about it

I am considering very part time hours. I'm not happy leaving my dog alone for long hours caged/crated or otherwise. But I don't judge people who have to

I do, it’s not as if the dogs have any say in it or can stick up for themselves. No one ‘has’ to leave a sentient animal locked in a cage for hours.

I don’t fall for this nonsense about it being their ‘safe place’ trope either. If they like it being their safe space so much then they don’t need locking in.