All dog owners ponder over the question of how long for a dog to be in a crate. Sometimes, dogs are left alone in large rooms with no distractions. At other times, dogs are left in large, roomy crates while you are at work. How long a dog should be in a crate depends upon a number of factors including the size of your dog, the amount of time you will have to spend in your home, and the nature of your dog. A large dog will likely be in a crate for longer periods than a smaller dog. A small dog may need only a few minutes in a crate before you bring them out.
Dogs respond to positive reinforcements. If you punish a dog for making messes in the house, the dog will learn to expect punishment from you. This could lead to additional behavior problems such as eliminating indoors. The best way to break a dog of unwanted behavior is to reward it with something pleasant while providing a calming environment to eliminate unwanted behavior. During the crate training process, provide your dog with plenty of attention and praise. The key to successful crate training is to show your dog that you are in control.
Dogs have very unique personalities. Some dogs may seem very passive, while others may be high-spirited, surly pets. Regardless of how you personally feel about your dog, you must be consistent in enforcing a no-crate rule. One effective way to enforce this rule is to leave your dog in the crate for long periods of time without any human contact. When you are away, put the pup in his dog crate. For most dogs, this will be longer than it takes to get dressed.
Dogs typically will not go more than one hour in a crate. However, if they are going to sleep in one of their crates, they will probably spend approximately 8 hours or more in one hour. Many dogs take longer to become used to their dog crate. In order to avoid this, you can start by leaving their crate door open for shorter amounts of time.
The length of time varies based on several factors. These factors include the size of the crate, its depth and width, and the length of time you have the dog in the crate. Keep in mind that puppies take longer to acclimate to their crate. As they do, gradually increase the length of time they spend in there.
Dogs that are young and/or just learning to relieve themselves need treats for longer periods of time in their crates. You can make this a fun game by using treats to tempt them to go inside. Be sure to hold the treats tight so the dog will be motivated to release.
At one month of age, most puppies should be able to stay in one hour of a crate without releasing. Of course this is an amount of time that will vary depending on the age of the puppy as well as their ability to manage their bladders. At six months of age, most dogs are ready to transition to crating with a two-hour period. At eight weeks old, most dogs are ready for a one-hour period.
To make your dog stay in their dog crate for a longer period of time, you may want to try using a combination of a few different techniques. First, make sure that your dog’s crate is well-lubricated. Some dog crates are made of plastic and do not have any real interior items to catch oil or moisture. If your dog crate does have an interior, using a mixture of baby oil and dog food as a lubricant on the inside of the crate can help.