How Long Is to Long to Keep Them Crated?

[Heather Taylor]

Chloe is in her kennel all day with hubby coming home once during the morning, at lunch, and once during the afternoon. She has the small wire crate that they sell at Petsmart and it works great. She has a washable pad (like they use in nursing homes for people) in the crate for comfort and in case she has an accident. She also has a blankie in the back of the crate. She is probably 95% housebroken at 7 months, and when she has accidents it is usually poop.

The kennel has been a lifesaver for us, but rarely is she kenneled over 4 hours without a break.

H

[Anna Banana]

If you do plan to leave her in the crate, make sure you give her a break, or better yet two breaks, in the middle of the day. If you can't do that I would really advise against keeping her in the crate.

[sunyluvsma]

I crate trained Boomer until he was 1 year old from 7:30 until 12:30 and then 1:00 until 6:00. I think the key here is Not to crate for more than 5 hours with out taking them out to pee and stretch their legs and have a little drink/snack. Any more than 5 hours, is just not fair.

Good luck!

[PattyJae]

Originally Posted by sunyluvsma

I crate trained Boomer until he was 1 year old from 7:30 until 12:30 and then 1:00 until 6:00. I think the key here is Not to crate for more than 5 hours with out taking them out to pee and stretch their legs and have a little drink/snack. Any more than 5 hours, is just not fair.

Good luck!

I agree with you on this "no more than 5 hours"and also I would never leave my babies without water...Never...No food is ok, but please leave some water for the little one. Good luck...

[WesleyandMaddie]

I agree that 8 hours to be in a small crate is too long. I don't know how anyone could be expected to "hold it" for that long. There should be at least one potty break during that time.

[YorkieTime07]

I don't like the crate so I have been using a portable playpen for Nathan..which is big enough for his bed and food on one side and a pee pad on the other side....he is 7 months old now..our routine is we are up at 6:45am and he goes potty outside, he has full run of the house while i am getting ready for work ( which is only tue-thurs, other wise i am home working and he is out with full run of house) he is back in playpen by 8am and I am home by 3:45 and lately I have come home and he has not gone on the pee pee pad but will go outside when i come home..so it is working..i do leave it in the playpen just in case he has an emergency at night or i decide to sleep in a little later and not up but he usual barks to let me know he has to go and we go outside and then we go back to sleep for a little while longer!!! we still have a little issue with him peeing on the pee pee pad in side his little tent but he likes to poop on my rug!!! unless i catch him doing the sniff circling thing!!