Is it OK to crate dog during day?

Crate training your dog or puppy

Crate training makes it easier to supervise your dog and prevents her from having complete access to the house where she could get into mischief. It also helps with housetraining, because dogs have a natural tendency not to soil their den or sleeping area.

Follow these tips to make the crate a positive place your dog is happy to use for the rest of her life.

How long does crate training take?

Crate training can be accomplished in several days, or may take several weeks depending on your dog’s age, temperament, and previous experiences.

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What to know before starting crate training

Crate training doesn’t happen overnight, and introducing your dog to a crate should take place over a long period of time (several weeks or more).

Young dogs can only be expected to control their bladder and bowels for a few hours, not an entire work day or overnight. A dog who is forced to soil her crate as a result of being crated too long will be much more difficult to housetrain.

While you’re introducing your dog to her crate, use another space to safely house her for extended periods of time when you’re unavailable, such as during the work day or at night.

Create a dog-safe environment like a small bathroom, kitchen, gated-off area of a room, or an ex-pen (a small, freestanding pen) containing the dog’s crate (with door removed), water, toys, and potty area. The potty area can consist of newspaper, pee pads or even a square of sod in a cat litter box. This allows your dog to sleep in her crate but potty on an approved, easy-to-clean surface.

Use this space to house your dog anytime you leave your dog for longer than she can hold her bowels and bladder. Use your puppy’s age in months plus one to determine the number of hours he can be crated.

How do I crate train my dog?

Step 1: Introduce your dog to the crate

Put the crate in an area of your house where you spend a lot of time, such as the family room or kitchen. Put a soft sleeping blanket or towel in the crate. Bring your dog over to the crate and talk to her in an excited, happy tone of voice. Make sure the door to the crate is securely fastened open so it won’t accidentally hit your dog and frighten him.

Drop some treats around the crate, just inside the door, and then gradually all the way inside to encourage your dog to enter. If she doesn’t go all the way in at first to get the food, that’s fine. Don’t force her to enter.

Repeat this experience until your dog will calmly walk into the crate to get a treat. If your dog isn’t interested in food, try tossing a favorite toy in the crate instead. This process may take just a few minutes, or as long as several days.

Step 2: Feed your dog in the crate

After your dog has been introduced to the crate, you can start feeding her regular meals near the crate for a while. This will create pleasant associations with the crate and decrease any fear she has of the crate.

Each time you feed her, place the dish a little more toward the back of the crate. Once your dog is comfortably eating her food while standing in the crate, you can close the door while she’s eating.

At first, open the door as soon as she finishes her meal, let her out, and praise her. Slowly increase the amount of time she spends in the crate after finishing her meal up to 10 minutes. If she begins to whine to be let out, you may have increased the duration of crating too quickly.

Next time, try leaving her for a shorter time. Be sure to release her from the crate when she is not whining or barking. If vocalizing results in being let out of the crate, she’s more likely to do it again (and for longer and louder) next time!

Step 3: Extend time in the crate

After your dog is eating her regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, you can begin to confine her there for short periods while you are home. Give her a command to enter such as “kennel up.” You can encourage her to do so by pointing to the inside of the crate with a tidbit of a favorite food in your hand.

After your dog enters the crate, reward her with a treat and close the door. Sit quietly near the crate for 5-10 minutes and then go out of sight into another room for a few minutes. When you return, sit quietly again for a short time, and then release your dog.

Repeat this procedure several times a day. With each repetition, gradually increase the length of time the dog is crated, and the length of time you are out of sight.

Once your dog will quietly remain in the crate for about 30 minutes, you can begin leaving her crated when you are gone for short periods, and/or letting her sleep there at night but remember to still let her outside periodically to create good housetraining habits until she is able to “hold it” for extended periods of time.

How do I manage whining?

If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether she is whining to be let out of the crate, or if she needs to be let outside to eliminate.

Initially you can ignore the whining. Your dog may stop if she is just testing to see if she’ll be let out. If the whining continues after you have ignored it for several minutes, you can repeat the phrase your dog has associated with going outside to eliminate. If she responds and becomes excited, take her outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time.

If you are convinced that your dog does not need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore the whining completely. Most attempts at punishing the behavior actually end up inadvertently reinforcing it because the dog is getting attention from you.

During the process of ignoring whining, expect it to get worse before it gets better. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to restart the crate training process from the very beginning.

What to avoid when crate training your dog

Don’t rush crate training. While it may be frustrating to go slow, you want to be sure to make the crate a place your dog is happy to use.
Don’t yell at her or pound on the crate if she is whining, because this will likely make it worse.
Don’t give in when the whining or behavior gets worse! Your dog is throwing a temper tantrum which you don’t want to reinforce by giving her what she wants.
Don’t use the crate as a punishment for bad behavior. Again, you want to associate the crate with only good things so your dog is happy to use the crate.

Other tips for crate training success

Make sure your crate is the right size. A puppy may need several sizes as she grows. While in a crate, a dog should be able to stand up to their full height and turn in a circle comfortably. However, the crate should not be so big that there is a distinct potty and sleeping area.
Vary at what point you put your dog in the crate during the process of getting ready to leave. Although she should not be crated for a long period before you leave, you can crate her anywhere from 2-20 minutes prior to leaving.
Don’t make departures emotional and prolonged, but matter-of-fact instead. Praise your dog briefly and give her a treat for entering the crate, and then leave quietly.
When you arrive home, don’t inadvertently reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to her in an excited, enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals very low key and reserve playful, excited greeting behavior for after she has been let outside and has calmed down somewhat.
Continue to crate your dog for short periods from time to time when you are home so that she does not begin to associate crating with being left alone.
Keep your dog’s crate in or near your bedroom if crating overnight to avoid your dog associating the crate with social isolation. Having your dog nearby will also help her tell you when she needs to go potty in the middle of the night until she’s able to hold it for extended periods of time.

Need more crate training help?

If you have crate training questions or your dog is struggling with these tips, contact our behavior pet helpline. For more helpful tips and resources for training and managing your dog’s behavior, you can also visit our behavior resource library.

Can I crate my dog for 12 hours?

Did you decide on crate training your new puppy or adult dog? Using a crate can make potty training easier, give your dog a safe and secure place to stay while unsupervised and can also be a great way to transport your dog in the car.

But what is the maximum amount of time you should leave your dog in a crate? Is it ok to crate him for 12 hours?

The quick answer is that while a dog can sleep through the night in his crate, he should definitely not be crated for 12 hours during the day. This is way too much time spent in isolation. Dogs are social animals that need interaction, activities, enrichment and engagement with their owners (and sometimes other dogs) in order to thrive.

Let’s look in detail at the maximum amount of time your dog should spend in a crate and what alternatives there are to crating for long periods of time.

Can I crate my dog for 12 hours overnight?

In some cases you may be able to crate a dog for 10-12 hours overnight. Adult and senior dogs tend to sleep rather long at night and will be able to hold their bladder for that long. Especially more laid-back breed such as Pugs or Saint Bernards might not even want to get up before sleeping that long!

If your adult dog has slept in a crate in the past, he is likely comfortable with it already and has no problems extending his nighttime sleep by an hour or two. Of course, if you notice that he is whining, being restless or scratching the door, you should take him outside to check if he needs to empty his bladder.

Most puppies will however not be able to stay in a crate for that long without going out to potty in between. Especially very young puppies at 2-3 months old will probably have an accident if you try to crate them for 12 hours. You should plan on taking your puppy out during the night to make sure he does not get into the habit of peeing in his kennel.

Can a dog hold his bladder for 12 hours?

Many adult dogs can hold their bladder for 12 hours during the night. Similarly to humans, certain hormones prevent the dogs from needing to go pee at night with the same frequency as during the day.

Many humans would be hard-pressed to not use a bathroom for 10 hours during the day, but at night it is no problem. The same applies to dogs – they often can hold their bladder for 12 hours if they are sleeping.

During the day however, your dog will need to go potty every few hours. While some dogs can try to hold their bladder in new or exciting places, not going pee for too long can actually result in UTIs in dogs and should be discouraged.

You should never make your dog hold his bladder for 12 hours during the day – this is not healthy and will become harmful.

Is it cruel to crate a dog while at work?

Whether crating a dog while you are at work will depend on how long you are gone as well as your dog’s overall temperament and disposition.

If you have a part time job and are at work for 4 hours, it is ok to crate your dog during this time. Especially if you have taken him for a walk beforehand and done some training, he will likely just snooze until you’re back.

On the other hand, if you have a fulltime job (and possible commute time on top of that), you should not crate your dog for 8-12 hours while you are gone. This is way too long for him to be restricted to such a small space. He will likely get very bored, try to break out and develop nervous habits like incessant barking or even behavioral issues such as separation anxiety.

Dogs are social animals that require a lot of daily enrichment in order to be happy and well-behaved.

Get physical exercise such as going on walks, playing fetch or doing dog agility
Have mental stimulation such as through food puzzles, learning tricks or doing nosework
Experience social interaction with their owners (and, if they are not reactive, other dogs)
Interact with the world around them – through sniffing, exploring, walking on different surfaces, using their body in different ways
Be trained by their owners in order to work on important skills such as leah-walking or sitting and coming when called

A dog that sits in a crate for 12 hours a day cannot experience any of these. It is not fair to a dog to be crated for that long during the day.

Crates 101: A Guide to Crate Training

Crate training uses a dog’s natural instincts as a den animal. A wild dog’s den is his home, a place to sleep, hide from danger, and raise a family. The crate becomes your dog’s den, an ideal spot to snooze or take refuge during a thunderstorm.

The primary use for a crate is housetraining. Dogs don’t like to soil their dens.
The crate can limit access to the rest of the house while he learns other rules, like not to chew on furniture.
Crates are a safe way to transport your dog in the car.

Crating caution!

A crate isn’t a magical solution. If not used correctly, a dog can feel trapped and frustrated.

Never use the crate as a punishment. Your dog will come to fear it and refuse to enter it.
Don’t leave your dog in the crate too long. A dog that’s crated day and night doesn’t get enough exercise or human interaction and can become depressed or anxious. You may have to change your schedule, hire a pet sitter, or take your dog to a doggie daycare facility to reduce the amount of time he must spend in his crate every day.
Puppies under six months of age shouldn’t stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a time. They can’t control their bladders and bowels for that long. The same goes for adult dogs that are being housetrained. Physically, they can hold it, but they don’t know they’re supposed to.
Crate your dog only until you can trust him not to destroy the house. After that, it should be a place he goes voluntarily.

Selecting a crate

Several types of crates are available:

Plastic (often called “flight kennels”)
Fabric on a collapsible, rigid frame
Collapsible, metal pens

Crates come in different sizes and can be purchased at most pet supply stores or pet supply catalogs.

Your dog’s crate should be just large enough for him to stand up and turn around in. If your dog is still growing, choose a crate size that will accommodate his adult size. Block off the excess crate space so your dog can’t eliminate at one end and retreat to the other. Your local animal shelter may rent out crates. By renting, you can trade up to the appropriate size for your puppy until he’s reached his adult size, when you can invest in a permanent crate.

The crate training process

Crate training can take days or weeks, depending on your dog’s age, temperament and past experiences. It’s important to keep two things in mind while crate training:

The crate should always be associated with something pleasant.
Training should take place in a series of small steps. Don’t go too fast.

Step 1: Introduce your dog to the crate

Place the crate in an area of your house where the family spends a lot of time, such as the family room. Put a soft blanket or towel in the crate. Take the door off and let the dog explore the crate at his leisure. Some dogs will be naturally curious and start sleeping in the crate right away. If yours isn’t one of them:

Bring him over to the crate, and talk to him in a happy tone of voice. Make sure the crate door is open and secured so that it won’t hit your dog and frighten him.
Encourage your dog to enter the crate by dropping some small food treats nearby, then just inside the door, and finally, all the way inside the crate. If he refuses to go all the way in at first, that’s okay; don’t force him to enter.
Continue tossing treats into the crate until your dog will walk calmly all the way into the crate to get the food. If he isn’t interested in treats, try tossing a favorite toy in the crate. This step may take a few minutes or as long as several days.

Step 2: Feed your dog his meals in the crate

After introducing your dog to the crate, begin feeding him his regular meals near the crate. This will create a pleasant association with the crate.

If your dog is readily entering the crate when you begin Step 2, place the food dish all the way at the back of the crate.
If he remains reluctant to enter the crate, put the dish only as far inside as he will readily go without becoming fearful or anxious. Each time you feed him, place the dish a little further back in the crate.
Once your dog is standing comfortably in the crate to eat his meal, you can close the door while he’s eating. The first time you do this, open the door as soon as he finishes his meal. With each successive feeding, leave the door closed a few minutes longer, until he’s staying in the crate for ten minutes or so after eating.
If he begins to whine to be let out, you may have increased the length of time too quickly. Next time, try leaving him in the crate for a shorter time period. If he does whine or cry in the crate, don’t let him out until he stops. Otherwise, he’ll learn that the way to get out of the crate is to whine, so he’ll keep doing it.

Step 3: Lengthen the crating periods

After your dog is eating his regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, you can confine him there for short time periods while you’re home

Call him over to the crate and give him a treat.
Give him a command to enter, such as “kennel.” Encourage him by pointing to the inside of the crate with a treat in your hand.
After your dog enters the crate, praise him, give him the treat, and close the door.
Sit quietly near the crate for five to ten minutes, and then go into another room for a few minutes. Return, sit quietly again for a short time, and then let him out of the crate.
Repeat this process several times a day, gradually increasing the length of time you leave him in the crate and the length of time you’re out of his sight.
Once your dog will stay quietly in the crate for about 30 minutes with you mostly out of sight, you can begin leaving him crated when you’re gone for short time periods and/or letting him sleep there at night. This may take several days or several weeks.

Step 4, Part A: Crate your dog when you leave

After your dog can spend about 30 minutes in the crate without becoming anxious or afraid, you can begin leaving him crated for short periods when you leave the house.

Put him in the crate using your regular command and a treat. You might also want to leave him with a few safe toys in the crate.
Vary at what point in your “getting ready to leave” routine you put your dog in the crate. Although he shouldn’t be crated for a long time before you leave, you can crate him anywhere from five to 20 minutes prior to leaving.
Don’t make your departures emotional and prolonged—they should be matter-of-fact. Praise your dog briefly, give him a treat for entering the crate, and then leave quietly.

When you return home, don’t reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to him in an excited, enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals low key to avoid increasing his anxiety over when you will return. Continue to crate your dog for short periods from time to time when you’re home so he doesn’t associate crating with being left alone.

Step 4, Part B: Crate your dog at night

Put your dog in the crate using your regular command and a treat. Initially, it may be a good idea to put the crate in your bedroom or nearby in a hallway, especially if you have a puppy. Puppies often need to go outside to eliminate during the night, and you’ll want to be able to hear your puppy when he whines to be let outside.

Older dogs, too, should initially be kept nearby so they don’t associate the crate with social isolation.

Once your dog is sleeping comfortably through the night with his crate near you, you can begin to gradually move it to the location you prefer, although time spent with your dog—even sleep time—is a chance to strengthen the bond between you and your pet.

Potential problems

Whining. If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether he’s whining to be let out of the crate, or whether he needs to be let outside to eliminate. If you’ve followed the training procedures outlined above, then your dog hasn’t been rewarded for whining in the past by being released from his crate. If that is the case, try to ignore the whining. If your dog is just testing you, he’ll probably stop whining soon. Yelling at him or pounding on the crate will only make things worse.

If the whining continues after you’ve ignored him for several minutes, use the phrase he associates with going outside to eliminate. If he responds and becomes excited, take him outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you’re convinced that your dog doesn’t need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops whining. Don’t give in; if you do, you’ll teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what he wants. If you’ve progressed gradually through the training steps and haven’t done too much too fast, you’ll be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.

Separation Anxiety. Attempting to use the crate as a remedy for separation anxiety won’t solve the problem. A crate may prevent your dog from being destructive, but he may injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate. Separation anxiety problems can only be resolved with counter-conditioning and desensitization procedures. You may want to consult a professional animal-behavior specialist for help.