Crate Training- in your experience?

Question

I have read a lot of contradicting information on the internet, about crate training. Now I am unsure of whether or not to leave the pup in the crate while we are at work. I know crates are used primarily for toilet training... but is it ok to leave the pup in the crate for up to 8 hours while we are not home? Most of the info says to only leave the pup in the crate for short periods of time... like an hour or so. Is it ok to have some bedding and chew toys in the crate? Or should it be bare? I have read all sorts of different methods and I just want to know what has worked in your experience.

Thanks everyone in advance for your help!

Answer 1

The only issue with leaving puppies in the crate for long periods of time is their frequent elimination needs.

Puppies usually need to go to the bathroom every couple of hours MAX. It's usually not until ~1yr that a dog can hold it for 8 hours.

The reason crates teach dogs not to go in the house, is because dogs don't want to go where they sleep. However, if you force the dog into a situation where he can't hold it anymore, and he HAS to go where he sleeps, the crate very quickly becomes an uncomfortable place to be.

The idea behind crate training is two fold. Toilet training is one of the best benefits of crate training, but also, it is supposed to mimic an environment of safety, security and comfort. The dog should be able to rest peacefully in his crate, and think of it as a safe place to go whenever he is scared, unhappy, or tired.

Chew toys are encouraged when the dog is teething, to relieve the pain, and bedding should also be provided.

One final note - Do NOT use the crate as punishment. NEVER put the dog in his crate when he has been bad. This will destroy any peaceful connections he has with the crate, and will make it 10x harder to successfully crate train.

Answer 2

The first thing to remember about house training a puppy is there ability to hold themselves is limited. a rule of thumb is they can hold "it" usually 1 hour for each month of age. 2 months old = 2 hours, 3 months old = 3 hours, etc. when your puppy wakes up (morning, nap, whatever) the pup has to go, right then! take the pup out. when the pup eats or drinks, it has to go, take the pup out. after exercise (play), take the pup out. when the pup does it's thing outside praise it. a lot. tell the pup how good, how smart it is. you have to pay attention to the pups "looking for it's spot" behavior. when you see that behavior indoors, whisk the pup out. if you catch the pup in the act, simply tell it "NO!" and whisk it outside. if you find a puddle or pile after the fact, clean it up with an enzyme cleaner (pet food store) get a newspaper and hit.... yourself in the head and say "i should have been paying more attention" daytime training they get pretty fast. night time training is easier if you crate train the pup. also remember the one hour/one month rule. you will have to get up through the night to take the pup out. good luck
It is a great potty training tool and also a great way to keep your dog, and home, safe while you are at work. If you have a into everything, eat anything kind of dog crate training the dog is the best thing you can do. As for what you leave in the crate depends on your dog. Destructive dogs that eat "stuff" should not have anything in their crate that the can chew and swallow. Always remember to remove your dogs collar before putting him/her in the crate. I would not leave home without crating my guy. Just make sure when you are home the dog gets plenty of exercise and attention. Never use the crate for punishment! With a pup under 6-8 months it would be best to have someone come in and give him/her a potty break.Good luck...

Answer 3

In my experience, 8 hours in the crate is too long, except at night. We crate trained 2 golden retrievers and my husband would come home at lunch every day and let the pup out for a potty break and a little exercise. They could manage 4 hours OK but we used that as our absolute maximum limit. For some reason at night, they managed to make it all night with only the very occasional exception and they let us know before they had an accident.

We had toys and bedding in the crate.

We never had an in-crate accident. The only accident we ever had was when someone else let the pup out for a break in our absence one day and didn't get the door secured tight. The pup got out and went potty in the house.

This website is a good source.

I love crate training. It worked terrific for us and both of our dogs are rock-solid in their housebreaking.

Answer 4

Depending on age you have to expect accidents if left for 8 hours. Be patient if its a baby.

Crate training is the only way to go. Anyone that contradicts crate training is not thinking for the pet. Main thing I think everyone that says its cruel should think about is if your pet is ever hospitalized. You will have a pup that is in pain devestated mommy and daddy aren't there and have to deal with the stress of being in a crate for the first time. Can't you eliminate the added stress your pet may suffer in the event of an accident. There is nothing cruel about crate training. What is cruel is leaving a pup unattended to hurt themselves. They can chew on wires jump off chairs and tables while your not there and have serious accidents.

My dogs were all crate trained and are no longer crated but if the plumber (all the time - dog hair) comes in they crate while he does his work. If an emergency arises they know its safe there. Dogs are den animals and they prefer it. I do have one that I kept as an adult and was never crate trained that I knew of - I don't think she had ever been in a house but she is OLD. If you can't find her lard butt its somewhere in a crate.

Crating creates less stress on the animal and on you. Replacing torn up sh*t on carpet verses buying a crate and using it. I foster homeless dogs and have found that 98% of the dogs no one wanted because of "behavior issues" are great dogs if crated and rewarded. There is no proper training without crating.

Answer 5

Crate training was not too hard and worked out great!

We have an Aussie and did our reading on crates as well.
#1. crates are not used for punishment- should be a retreat
#2. make sure they are not too big when using for potty training- get one with a divider you can move as the pup grows
#3. dont leave the pup in for extended periods of time. A pup can be expected to "hold" it for as many hours, as he is in months of age. (3 month old puppy can hold 3 hours)

The puppy will have accidents, so use towels or old blankets before investing in a dog bed in the crate. I always allowed him a toy or 2, usually a kong to keep him busy. I also did not keep food and water in the crate.
Consistency and patience will pay off.
Be sure to give you pup LOTS of opportunities to go outside and prasie him lavishly when he does. He will need to go after waking up, before bed, before and after playtime, after meal time and many times inbetween. It will be a trying time but well worth it.

My dog still has access to the crate, and will sleep in it even tho at 2 years of age, he has free range of the house 8-10 hours alone and no accidents.

Answer 6

I only used the crate for toilet training then used baby gates to create an isolated area with blankets and toys and in the corner was potty pads. Within 8 hours, your puppy will need to go potty, so unless you have a large enough crate for her to think it is okay to urinate or defecate in there I wouldn't crate her for more than a few hours. If she goes in the crate, it pretty much ruins the entire purpose of crate training. Good luck!

And make sure they have water! Do not deprive your pet of water! Food is not necessary, but it would be abuse to leave your puppy alone for long periods of time without water.

Answer 7

I don't use a crate primarliy for toilet training. I use it to keep my puppy safe and out of trouble when I am unable to be with him. When he was smaller, I tried to leave him in his crate for under 4-6 hrs. That was just because he was small, and couldn't "hold it" for as long. Gradually, I increased the time. Now, he could hold it for 12 hours if he needed to, but I still try to let him out after 8 hours.

The reason I do this is because I believe in positive reinforcement. I believe the best way to train a dog is to reward all good behavior. I think it is cruel to set a dog up to fail. So I do everything in my power to prevent my puppy from having a chance to misbehave. If he does relieve himself inside, chew my favorite shoes, or dig up my tulips -- then it is MY FAULT because I wasn't watching him.

I am a fan of crate-training because it is impossible to be with my dog 24/7. If I leave him outside, then he will dig, chew, or possibly get into a dangerous situation...ie get out of the yard, neighbor dog get in the yard, get sick from eating compost ect... If I leave him loose in the house --he could chew furniture, swallow something, relieve himself inside... ect. BUT if he is in his crate, he is chewing on his toys and learning to "hold it" inside. My puppy has his own blanket and two toys in his crate. He loves his crate -he even goes in it when he doesn't have to.

My first dog was crate trained for about 2 years, and then I gradually allowed him freedom in the house when I wasn't home. He is never in his crate anymore, unless we are traveling. Now, when he is unsupervised, he knows exactly how to behave because the first two years of his life he was by my side or in his crate.

Answer 8

I crated train mine , but as she got older I eliminate it. She knew when and where to go. If I were you I would crate your pup til it knows when and where to poop. Once you have see that it has learned eliminated it. But if you wish to crate him I think its up to you if you trust him to be good or bad. I dont have to crate mine she rolls a she likes. In my opinion what does it matter if you crate her during day or night while you sleep or at work? what is tha difference? Its a matter of opinion !!! Your dog... do as you wish.

Answer 9

well let me see; i've crate trained my dog since the night i've got her. we used to leave a blanket and chew toys in it but then she started to like really rib them apart. but if your dog is really small, and the crate is huge; put some type of box into the crate so it doesn't use the bathroom in the crate. you could leave a dog bone or something in there but not water and food

Answer 10

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