Dog-Den Afternoons

How long can a dog be crated in one session? The rule of thumb for crating is no longer than one hour per each month of age, up to nine to ten hours maximum (the average workday). Each session should be preceded and succeeded by an hour of aerobic exercise. If this is too long for your dog, hire a dog walker to exercise him midday.

Before you can leave your dog for the long stretch, make sure you have accustomed him to the crate. A dog who panics when left alone in a crate could do damage to the crate and, more seriously, to himself. And never, never crate your dog while he is wearing any sort of correction collar—it could easily get caught on something in the crate and choke the animal.

The Pup Runneth Over

Young puppies need lots of human stimulus and feedback, so avoid relying too heavily on the crate in the early months. Most puppies three and a half to four months old can be crated overnight for about six hours, even though they probably cannot yet display that kind of bladder control during the daytime. Younger dogs crated at bedtime will need to be brought to their papers or outdoors at least once in the middle of the night.

Crating is recommended as part of the workday routine until the dog grows out of adolescence, at approximately 18 months of age, for dogs that are heavy chewers or are otherwise destructive. This is a time of behavioral inconsistency and learning through trial and error. Proceed slowly when it’s time to wean your dog off the crate; leave him alone for just a few hours at a time. And think twice before leaving a curious adolescent at liberty in your house. Your dog may behave perfectly for a few weeks and then one day you might come home to find the place in a shambles.

A crate can provide peace of mind for both you and your dog. Think of it as a leash with walls. After all, both pieces of equipment serve to protect your dog from his own base instincts and errors in judgment. By crating your dog during the workday, you ensure him a royal welcome on your arrival home.

Quick Guide to Crate Training

Crate training a puppy or a dog at any age gives pups a sense of safety and security, as well as quiet time away from the activity of the home. Learning how to successfully crate train a puppy or dog should not only be a rewarding experience but a positive one too.

Which steps every adopter should start with for crate training a puppy or dog.

STEP 1	STEP 2	STEP 3
How to pick a crate	Setting up a crate for training	How/when to use a crate
Choices – wired, plastic, fabric	Detach crate door/leave door open	Only use as a positive experience
Crate size to match grown dog size	Layer with puppy pads/small mat	As a dog-only den for the night
Roomy enough for a dog to stand	Add soft blanket for comfort	To give a dog space to rest/nap
Spacious for a dog to turn around	Include favorite toy	Can help a dog feel safe in thunder
Comfortable for a dog to lay down	Leave food-stuffed toy inside	Use to transport a dog safely
Must house him as an adult	Clip small water bowl to the wall	If a dog is left alone for a short time
Block off excess crate space	Position crate to face active area	Only after a dog has gone to the potty

How to Crate Train a Puppy or Dog: 12 Easy steps

Place crate in a kennel with the door open and facing a high traffic area. At the beginning of crate training, a dog feels more comfortable around familiarity.
If a puppy is beginning training, layer the crate floor with puppy pads first as the pup is still learning how potty time works.
Add a soft blanket and some toys to the crate to make the crate more appealing.
Leave kibble or a treat near the back of the crate for the first time a dog or puppy is introduced to the kennel. Treats or kibble encourage pups to enter the crate voluntarily.
Crate training should begin after an activity that tires the pup out a little, for example after a walk, or after playtime.
Use a command that lets the pup know it is time to go into the crate. Words like “kennel” or “crate” work well.
The first time a crate is introduced to a dog or puppy, stay in the kennel as he explores his new den, and then give him lots of praise for going inside.
Once a pup has explored and sniffed the crate for the first time, call him to come out and give him praise for passing his first crate experience.
Dog and puppies should only associate a crate with positive experiences. Repeat steps 6 to 8 two more times.
On the third time, the pup enters the crate, close the door gently behind him, and sit quietly for a few minutes in the kennel.
Open the door after a few minutes and give him praise as he comes out.
Repeat steps 6 to 11, each time waiting a minute or two longer to let the dog or puppy out of the crate, until the pup is comfortably relaxing in the crate in 30 minutes sessions.

Puppy crate training schedule

Very young puppies are still learning bladder and bowel control and should not be crated for long periods of time.

Crate time should be broken up into walks, play, or short activities, and a crate should be used for rest, chew-time, or hanging out.
Puppies under 6 months should never be in a crate for longer than 3 consecutive hours as they have not mastered potty time at this young age.
The rule of thumb for puppies older than 6 months is to crate in hours for the age of the puppy in months, plus one.Below is an example of a crate training schedule, and a reminder that the in-crate hours should not be consecutive for puppies but rather broken up over 24 hours to fit the puppy’s activity and feeding schedule.

Puppy Age (months)	Plus One	Crate Time (hours/day)
2	+1	3 daytime hours + potty breaks
3	+1	4 daytime hours + potty breaks
4	+1	5 daytime hours + potty breaks
5	+1	6 daytime hours + potty breaks
6	+1	7 daytime hours + potty breaks
7	+1	8* daytime hours + potty breaks

*Puppies and dogs should never be crated for a consecutive 8 hours in one day unless crating overnight. Very young puppies must be taken for a potty break at least every 4 hours, even during a night schedule. If potty accidents occur, increase the frequency of breaks.

How To Crate Train A Puppy

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