Is crating my 1-year-old rescue dog for long work days okay?

More and more people are allowing dogs to be in their house with them, but dogs sleep about 14 hours a day, so it really doesn't matter where they are during those 14 hours. They key is to have the remaining 10 hours involve good quality time. Depending on the dog, that may involve walks, playing with toys, playing with other dogs, or playing with humans. If you have having behavior problems with Edgar because he seems bored, then I would certainly try to find ways to stimulate him more either inside or outside his cage. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps dogs busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires them to work. There are also a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games I hope that answers your question and was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Some pets do you need to be crated for their own safety and for the safety of your home. Don’t feel bad about it but do make sure that he gets plenty of exercise every day and also attention. Exercise before putting him in the crate is best. Dogs will do fine in the crate 8 to 10 hours but shorter is better. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I didn't see an age for your pet posted? If this is a puppy less than 8 months old this is potentially too long to crate them because most puppies can only hold their bladder for a few hours depending on their age. So having accidents in the crate is desensitizing them to sleeping where they urinate and defecate which can lead to problems house training your puppy. However if this is an adult dog over the age of 1 years old and there is a legitimate reason to crate (gets into things still in the house, raids the trash, etc), then crating him for this long is ok; however I would try to work on training your pet to be trusted more when you aren't at home. Crating for long periods of time, all the time, increases chances of obesity due to lack of activity, boredom, and isn't good for pets long term for their psyche and happiness. We typically only recommend crating puppies during their earlier months because it is for their safety and well being to remain out of trouble until they learn how to behave.

Being only 6 months old, it is safest in a kennel until he gets used to the new routine. It will prevent him from having an accident and destroying things out of bored and possibly ingesting something that may harm him. If you can start getting him used to the kennel before you leave to let him know it is a safe spot that would help. make sure you give treats when he gets in there. Leave him toys as long as he does not destroy or ingest them, and make sure to rotate toys so he does not get bored with the same one every day.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Shesh has moderate to severe separation anxiety. This is sometimes made worse in a kennel, though for many dogs the kennel makes it better. I recommend talking to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication for him. I notice he is 25 lbs so I’m assuming he is not yet full grown. For a puppy, one of the most important things you can do for anxiety and decreasing destruction is exercise and training. A husky puppy needs about 1-2 HOURS of hard play or running per day. Spending 10-15 minutes per day on training (tricks, etc) also prevents boredom, tires them out, and decreases destructive behavior. Best wishes to you and Shesh.

Great question! Six hours a day is too long for a puppy to be in a play crate. He really needs to be let outside to potty and for a walk every two to three hours at a young age. Once he is around six months of age, he can stay inside the play crate for up to six hours, and when he is fully grown, he can be there for eight hours but no more than 10 hours. I would arrange from someone to come over to your place once during this six hour period to let him out and play with him. Good luck, I hope this helps!

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.