Leaving your pet dog inside a crate is one of the challenges that every pet parent get to experience. Some would say that this is a must if you want to train your dog. And some would tell you that this is rather cruel than helpful.
Today, this matter is still an ongoing debate. But, you have to understand that leaving your dog inside a crate can either be good or bad. It just depends on the purpose or why you need to do it. Also, it varies on how long you would put your dog in it.
Many pet owners and parents need to leave their houses for work and other responsibilities. So, a crate would help them contain their dog’s behavior while they are gone.
Some owners would put their dogs inside a crate just to train them, especially if the dogs are new to the household. And others would choose this to train their dogs to sleep in it. Apparently, there are a lot of reasons why you may need to put your dog in a crate.
The point is you can leave and let your dog stay inside a crate. But, you should not keep them inside a for one whole day. So, the real question here is - how long can a dog stay in a crate?
There are dogs that can never tolerate them being inside a crate. And there are dogs as well that can try but still end up howling and whining about it. But, most dogs can simply and happily adjust inside a crate.
And this is the very reason why pet owners would incorporate beddings, toys, and other accessories inside. These things attract dogs that will enable them to enjoy their respective crates.
But, the number of hours that they can spend inside largely depends on many factors. These include the age and training of the dog.
You have to note that letting your dog stay in a crate without considering these factors may lead to several behavior issues and problems. Hence, it is important that you know first how to approach your dog to go inside the crate.
Pet parents who ask things like “How long can a dog stay in a crate?” or “Can I leave my dog inside a crate for X hours?” are owners who are normally worried when dogs are left inside a crate. There is a notion that dogs would feel sad and isolated. But, this actually depends.
How long your dog can stay inside a crate would depend on its age. If your pet is still young (around 8 to 10 weeks old), it cannot stay inside for more than 30 to 60 minutes. For pets that are 11 to 14 weeks old, they can handle up to 3 hours of being inside a crate.
As for 15 to 16 weeks old, they can stay inside for four hours. When your dog is already potty-trained and an adult, you can leave them inside up to 5 hours.
It is important that you take note of this factor too. Apparently, young pups cannot hold and manage their bladder. So, when they feel that they need to eliminate, whether it’s a pee or poo, they will do it.
As they age, they will learn how to control it. At the same time, they will understand the proper places where to eliminate. So, these dogs (adults) are more capable of staying inside a crate for a much longer period of time.
However, it is important that you stick with the ideal hours and periods of leaving them in a crate - no matter what the age is.
But, how long can a dog stay in a crate before you know it’s too much?
You would only know that it’s too much when they start to be more aggressive than the usual. This is because overusing the crate for your dog will undermine that crate’s real purpose. And that is to calm and relax your dog.
When you overuse a crate for your dog, the chances of them getting into accidents are very large. Also, it may result in different health issues, behavior problems, and depression.
In the end, this is essential when you want to train your furry friend. But, you have to understand that crates are meant to provide calmness and relaxation to puppies. If you get to train your pet to see the essence of this, you will have no problems in crating your dog.
Nevertheless, you still have to make sure that you won’t leave them in a crate for a very long period of time.