Is crating my dog all day and night too much? How often is safe?

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.

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.

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.

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.

For his age the time he spends at a stretch in a crate is fine. You're doing a great job with making sure he gets out to go potty and exercise. When he's at the park, make sure he plays hard and gets tired, so throw the ball or run with him to make sure he gets tired. Making sure he gets plenty of exercise will ensure a little destructive behavior as possible, since a tired dog is a happy dog. Get him some kind of toy to keep him occupied in his crate as well. Kong toys are fantastic, they offer heavy-duty chewing and can also be thrown for him to fetch, dogs will even entertain themselves with a Kong toy by dropping it, the shape makes it bounce erratically. In time, he may be able to come out of the crate as he comes to understand that you will come back to him.

I agree with you on the crating! You can leave food in the crate as long as it doesn't cause him to soil the area. Generally at Nico's age, he is comfortable holding it for 8 hours. Thank you for using Pet Coach!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is nothing wrong with crate training your pet when you are out of the house, especially if he is going to be destructive to the house and/or consume things that could be very harmful to him. I recommend consulting with your veterinarian about possible medications to give Spooky when you are out to make crating easier for him. There are anti anxiety medications that can help him relax at home. I hope this is helpful!