How long should I let my dog out of the crate during the day?

Question

I have a 7 week old part lab part boxer puppy. I am not home from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. I am crate training how long should my puppy be out of the crate during the day.

P.S.
I have a freind who can let her out

Answer 1

As much as possible. At this age your pup physically cannot hold its potty needs for more than a couple of hours at a time.

Answer 2

I crate my dogs during the day. I don't leave them in there all day though, I have a Pet Sitter come in mid-day to take them for a walk, play with them and give them love. They're never in the crate for more than 4 hours at a time. The crate should only be big enough for the dog to stand, turn around and lay down comfortably. If you've got a puppy, then your best bet is a wire crate - Buy the crate to fit the dog when it will be full-grown, then use the divider that comes with it to change the size of the crate as the puppy grows.

Answer 3

During the day, your puppy should be taken out about every two hours for potty and play time. Normally, she will potty when you first take her out and will only need 5 - 10 minutes of play time. Each week, you should be able to increase the time between by about 15 minutes. So that by the time she is 3 months old, she is going out every 3 hours.

You'll find that larger dogs such as your puppy grow fairly quickly and are able to hold it longer at an earlier age than smaller dogs. I usually figure an hour for every month of age works.

You'll also want to make sure that your friend knows the training commands that you are using (so she doesn't confuse your pup) and knows the designated potty area that your pup is supposed to use. So ignore all the negative comments about crate training, know that she's safe while you can't give her 100% of your attention and enjoy your puppy.

Answer 4

Well use that friend as often as possible. That is a long time for a dog to be left in the crate. Perhaps a 30 minute walk/play time would be good in the middle of that day.

Remember, a crate is a training aid- not a permanent solution. The rest of the time you are home play, interact and train your dog so he/she can be trustworthy outside of the crate.

Answer 5

i'm glad you have a crate, it's the best way to train your little one. a puppy will adjust to the amount of time it is in the crate. just be consistent. and make sure you take the puppy out right before you are ready to leave for the day and make sure it goes. then back to the crate and when you come home go straight to the crate and take your puppy out again, your puppy will get used to this time frame and will be just fine. however, you do mention that you have someone to let the puppy out, well in that case since the puppy is so young a good time for her to let the puppy out would be half way through the time your gone. but consistency is best so if your friend can only do this a couple of times then i would just let the puppy in and allow it to adjust to your schedule. good luck and i'm happy for you.

Answer 6

You dog should not be crate for that long. At max a dog should not be in a crate for more than 4 hours.

A puppy can not hold its' bladder that long and all you are teaching it is bad toileting habbits.

Are planning on crated the dog for the rest of its' life?

Put the dog outside in a puppy pen or a dog run.

I'm not sure why a breeder allowed to you purchase a puppy if you were going to have it crates for so long....or perhaps you didn't tell them this?

Answer 7

A puppy that small needs to be let out of the crate to pee every two hours or so. If you can't do that or get your friend to let her out that often, then invest in a large exercise pen so she can run around when you are gone.

When you are home, the puppy should be crated unless you are directly watching her; that way you can catch any pottytraining mistakes. You should let her out for a few hours, at least, so she can bond with you and get some playtime.

Hope this helps...

Answer 8

if the friend can let the puppie out of the crate about every 3 to 4 hours it should be ok. And crates are not cruel. if there is a small area that you can fence of and leave the puppie and crate and paper that would be better. please work with the puppie on the days you have off. Check the AKC site (akc.org)

Answer 9

I have to ask why you commit to getting a puppy if you aren't going to be there for such a long period of time!

If your friend can take your place, then I don't feel a puppy should be left alone for longer than 1 -2 hours at a time.

You might consider giving the puppy to a good re-homing centre.

Answer 10

I got a baby gate when I lived in an apt. I used my kitchen area which was almost the smallest and longest room that I could shut off using the gate. I put down newspapers and completely covered the entire floor. I used a card board box, turned on it's side, with old towels so the pup could get in. I put food and water and toys in there as well but closest to the gate. I cleaned it up daily but I always left one sheet of the paper as a reminder for her where she could relieve herself. But at night she slept in a crate next to my bed. She whimpered at first cuz she wanted to sleep in my bed. She was just weeks old. I had to get up in the middle of the night after we had both gone to sleep cuz she needed to pee. So I got up and took her to the paper again, she pee'd, I praised and we both went back to our beds and all was good and routine. After a few weeks she began to recognize the paper was her friend. So the gate came down, the papers were spread out where I knew she had gone by mistake before which were around 3 or 4 spots. 1 + 1 = paper trained! You can even use the soiled paper when you began outside training. But I kept the crate at night faithfully and as she got older I took her water bowl up 2 hours before bedtime and then she slept thru the night eventually. Now she loves her crate as though it was her den and always goes to the paper during her free time. ALWAYS hang out with her as much as possible. You are their ONLY source of love and attention as well as their best friend! Dogs are people pleasers and all they ask for is love and attention. Having food, a safe haven and a daily routine are their dreams - much like our own. :)

Answer 11

i would say 20 to 35 minutes or until she tried 3 to 4 times a day at that age.
When she older she would need more room what about putting a barrier in the kitchen so she can have some freedom to run around, with some intellengen dog toys to keep her from been bord.
Have you looked into doggie day care she can play with other dogs