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?

Our dog loves his crate it's lovely and cosy and has a cover over like a den.

We put him in over night otherwise he without fail will poo somewhere. He actually knows his routine and when it gets to "bedtime" he asks to go to bed.

Some of you really need to get a grip!

I don’t. I personally find the more recent acceptance of keeping dogs in cages for hours on end absolutely bizarre. My puppy has never been in a cage (giving it a different name doesn’t change what it actually is) because I don’t see any reason.

If we need to do something without her she goes to daycare. She sleeps in her bed or on the sofa during the day. She will quite simply never be left home alone because it just isn’t necessary.

I realise we are fortunate to be able to afford daycare whenever we need, but at the same time, she is a living creature and - much like children - we wouldn’t have her if we couldn’t afford what we consider to be appropriate meeting of her needs.

Lol @ the poster above me complaining about people needing to get a grip whilst simultaneously letting everyone know that they’re too lazy to house train so shove the dog in a crate!

“I personally find the more recent acceptance of keeping dogs in cages for hours on end absolutely bizarre.”

They’re not supposed to be in there for hours on end, that’s kind of the point people who have used them are making.

“She will quite simply never be left home alone because it just isn’t necessary.”

What... never?

So someone misses parents evening, you manage to schedule doctors appointments round doggy daycare, you’re never planning to go out to do anything in the evening ever again?...

Ok...

@AledsiPad the dog's been house trained you muppet but it doesn't like going outside in the dark when we are asleep. We take the dog to the toilet before we all go to bed and he has free access to get outdoors whenever he needs. Except he goes to the toilet in the house of a night despite being trained otherwise repeatedly. So you can take your large ass judgey pants and fuck off

I’ll just leave this here:
www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/crating-dogs/

There is a big culture in the USA of crating dogs for hours on end during the day which what that (US oriented) PETA article is pointing to. The UK crate-culture is quite different ime, the vast majority of people use them for short periods and don’t lock their dogs in.

@BalladOfBarryAndFreda

There is a big culture in the USA of crating dogs for hours on end during the day which what that (US oriented) PETA article is pointing to. The UK crate-culture is quite different ime, the vast majority of people use them for short periods and don’t lock their dogs in.

Yep... it gives alternatives to leaving a dog crated all day while you’re at work...

I wouldn’t even leave a dog alone for that amount of time, nevermind in a locked crate.

I’m currently crate training a 5 month old rescue, he’s had a rough start and is quite anxious, doesn’t rest enough and could really do with a safe space.

It’s not for leaving him in, though the side effect of being able to pee alone because we’ve got to him being entertained in there by himself for that long is pretty welcome, lol

But normally I leave dogs alone about 2 or 3 hours over a whole week... I don’t need him crated for my convenience...

[quote CodMouth]I’ll just leave this here:
www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/crating-dogs/[/quote]
PETA don't want anyone to own a dog (or any pet) in the first place, so I wouldn't look to them for impartial advice about dogs.

Their reputation for euthanising healthy animals in their care is shocking.

[quote CodMouth]I’ll just leave this here:
www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/crating-dogs/[/quote]
And you don't think PETA have any kind of agenda?!

For those saying they see no point or need for crates have you missed all the comments about anxious/nervous dogs.

My dog goes to daycare 1 day a week & twice a week spends 4 hours in their crate. They did previously go to daycare for 3 days & it was far to much for them & resulted in worsening of their anxious behaviour as they don't know when to rest & as mentioned it is totally unsafe to leave them in a room alone.

Just because you have a well behaved dog doesn't mean everyone does.

People let their dogs free roam when they're out & the dog barks & cries the whole time, where as in a crate they'd most likely sleep. That is far more cruel.

All dogs are different, same as children & how some need additional help, guidance, time alone etc.

Give your heads a bloody wobble.

For as long as he’ll sleep in there. If he’s young enough to destroy things he’s too young to be left alone. If he’s older and destroying things he’s doing it because he’s been left alone too long.

No way would I leave a dog in a crate for any length of time. My dog had the run of the downstairs when I am out, as do my cats. The dog is well trained, we have no issues.

My lab still sleeps overnight in her crate with the door shut, she won't sleep otherwise and whines until it's shut. It's a massive crate and she has memory foam mattresses, a pillow, blanket and toys, and when she wants to go to bed she'll paw the crate to be let in. During the day there's always someone at home so she'll sleep wherever we are, but she just won't settle overnight unless she's crated.

The crate was also very useful following 3 rounds of TPLO surgery, when she had to be kept still and calm, as she was very used to her crate she was fine with being in there for longer periods.

Forgot to say my dog is very well trained, as this is our first dog we intended to use the crate only for the puppy period but as she won't settle for the night anywhere else it's here to stay

I only used one overnight and in the same room I was in - because that's the one time I couldn't watch what he was doing and I didn't want him doing anything dangerous like chewing an electrical socket. He came out at about 8 months old.

Otherwise, never. When left during the day for a few mins it was with the run of the kitchen which we'd made safe.

It's so cruel to crate a dog in my view. It's simply convenient for the owner but horrid for the dog.

I'm sorry but that's total bollocks. Dogs in the wild like to have dens for safety. A crate simply allows the dog to imitate behaviour of their wild ancestors. It's not meant to be a doggy prison, it's meant to cosy bolthole.

Our dog loves her crate - she views it as her safe, nest-y space. She willingly takes herself off into her crate at regular intervals during the day to sleep or just have space away from my DS. And she sleeps in there at night. If you make a crate a warm inviting place to be, the dog will be happy there for short periods of time. And you can get clip on water bowls that function very well.

The main thing is crates are not meant to be a long-term confinement. Or used as punishment. If you are nipping out to the shops for an hour, it's OK to shut your dog in a crate. If you are out for 4 hours, then it's not appropriate.

@InsufferablePerformanceFather

No way would I leave a dog in a crate for any length of time. My dog had the run of the downstairs when I am out, as do my cats. The dog is well trained, we have no issues.

So are you implying that all dogs who need/like to use a crate are poorly trained?

2 hours in a crate
4 hours in a room (ie sleeping on sofa, can move around freely if chooses)
We hardly ever leave him, but this is how long...if we did very very occasionally. 2 years old.
Not crated since six months btw.
Sleeps in room by himself overnight for nine hours. On the sofa in his dog basket

Not all in one day of course, and only once a day would I leave dog.for that length of time (2 hours max) in crate, or alone for four hours.

oh other good points about crates. Allows dog to do car travel easily and trains ( not uk). Also I spent the day at a friends and dog can escape into crate and not be bothered by excited toddlers. Again over night in a lodge in a crate dont have to worry about dog and new non dog proof room. Camping dog in crate dont have to worry about dog wandering off..

My dog's bed is in her crate so she's in and out during the day with the door open.

We shut her in at night or she pads around the house, licks us while we're sleeping(!) and is a lot more noisey. We tried shutting her out of our room and having her sleep elsewhere but she then cries to come in and sleep with us so we put the crate/bed in our room. Now she's happy.

She's fear-reactive to guests so we often will also crate her when we have guests as she feels calm and safe there and it's quite far from where the guests will usually be.

Other than that, we don't shut her in the crate but for us it's good to have when we need it and at night.

I've a Saint. She's crated at night. Also for 30 minutes whilst I walk the wee ones to school/nursery. Straight out for her morning walk as soon as I get in though. Yes, the door is closed. These dogs can do thousands of pounds of damage in a short time if left unsupervised! She is not left any other time in the crate. Will lounge all day in fresh air on garden decking.

If I was working though, I would use day care as over 4hrs is not fair on any dog left in a crate.

Dogs can chew through cables and become injured. It's responsible to crate in a lot of cases.