How long is too long to leave a dog in a kennel?

[Millie&MeBC]

I never crate Millie, though Lucy (non-BC) is crate-trained. I don't trust her out for long periods of time yet. She's getting better though; much, much better. (Watch, now that I said that I'm coming home to complete destruction. ) She isn't crated at night, but is for a few hours once in a while. I try never to make it excessive.

[Samantha J]

Hey i have just posted some Holly pic's on the Gallery and i had forgotton about the dog gate i have on the back door. I was only thinking about internal ones earlier in this thread. Anyway we also have a dog gate from Argos on the back door and here is a photo of it -

 

 

It is quite high and is better for fully grown Holly than a baby/child gate

[caveninit]

I never crated Buster. He was gated in the kitchen as a baby, but he was always such a good dog that by a year old he had full run of the house. He just never tried to chew the furniture or get into any trouble at all.

Callie, my pup, is crate trained. She sleeps in her crate at night and has a nap in there during the day. Whenever we go out, she has to be in the crate for her own protection.

I'm fortunate that I work full time from home, so she isn't in the crate too much during the day..but when we aren't playing or going for walks, she just lazes around anyway, so I don't think it would be such a terrible idea for pups to be crated for hours, as long as they get plenty of play time and attention when you are home.

Janet

[Guest LJS1993]

Come to think of it, we never have crated Frek and really haven't with Tuck either. We have a baby gate to keep Tucker in our room. However Freckles is allowed to roam freely and has been nothing but wonderful. In fact, she stays in the room all night.

[Pia]

Thanks for everyones answers! I'm afraid there isn't a room in the house where they woudln't be able to get into trouble except maybe the kitchen...and they can jump any babygate (and have before)...maybe two babygates on top of each other?

 

I have done the kitchen with two gates with my last dog shep/collie mix as she would jump them for thunder storms.

Tucker on the other hand has never jumped one gate, no need to use two, he has the kitchen with an open crate door.

We come home after an 8 to 5 or (6) day and he is fine, no accidents and most of the time is sleeping in his crate or waiting at the door. When Tucker was a puppy i had a neighbor let him out at lunch and graduately build up the time alone to about 3:30 - 4:00PM over the summer months so when she went back to school in the fall he was up to 7 hours & from there he was fine.

 

My dogs have always been alone during the day, the price you pay to make a living, and they get used to it.

When I let Tucker have the run of the house I do have to close bathroom door and any room with a waste basket that has no lid. what is it about toilet paper and tissues??

Pia