©Scott Sheaffer, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, USA Dog Behavior, LLC

“The most frequent question I’m asked about dog crates is, “How much time can my dog spend in the crate each day?””

The picture you see with this article is of my Great Pyrenees, Luke, relaxing in his crate. Luke frequently chooses to spend time in his crate voluntarily; I leave the door open so he is free to do this. Dog owners have mixed feelings about crating their dogs. Some feel it’s like putting their dogs in jail while others feel it’s a great “dog cave” or safe sanctuary for their dogs.

The truth is, crates are great for dogs for a number of reasons. For owners of dogs with behavior issues such as aggression, separation anxiety and resource guarding, they can be an invaluable management tool. I’m not aware of one dog trainer or behavior consultant who doesn’t crate their personal dogs. That says a lot. Dogs are essentially den animals, which means they like to spend time in relatively closed in spaces when resting or getting away from the world. Fox and wolf dens in the wild are absolutely claustrophobic by human standards - they like them that way.

I’ve provided some guidelines below to ensure that the crate experience is positive and comfortable for you and your dog.

Select the Right Crate

First, select the right kind of crate. Dogs like den-like crates so select an enclosed crate like the one pictured in this article. If you already have an open wire crate, then cover the top, sides and back to make the crate more cozy and secure for your dog. Also be sure to select the proper size crate for your dog; I’ve found that many owners select crates that are actually too large. My favorite technique when sizing a crate is to stand the dog outside the crate to ensure the dog’s back doesn’t hit the top of the crate and there are a few inches between the dog and the front and back of the crate in order for the dog to turn around.

Where to Put It

Where are you going to put the crate? The rule of thumb is to put the crate in an area that is not highly trafficked such as a bedroom, laundry room or any room that is off the main drag and doesn’t have a line-of-sight to all the activity going on in the main part of the house. Remember, this is your dog’s place to get away from it all.

Introduce Your Dog to the Crate

Your next job is to properly acclimate your dog to the crate. Dogs like their crate, but many won’t do well if you take a new dog to your home and just stuff him or her in a crate and close the door. Your goal is to slowly get your dog comfortable with the crate by throwing treats inside, initially feeding your dog in the crate and very slowly increasing the amount of time he or she is in the crate with the door closed. If you use the contact form on this website, I’ll be happy to send you a training resource on this subject.

One Dog, One Crate

In homes with multiple dogs, it is always advisable to have one crate for each of your dogs. No crate sharing. One dog, one crate. This is your dog’s special place and is reserved only for him or her. This can make the crate experience better for your dog and can also prevent a lot of problems.

How Much Crate Time is Too Much?

The most frequent question I’m asked about dog crates is, “How much time can my dog spend in the crate each day?” My basic rules-of-thumb for this are: 1) Young dogs should spend no more than one hour in the crate for each month of their age, and, 2) On average, adult dogs should not spend more than six hours a day in a crate.

How to Know You’ve Done Things Right

Finally, when your dog is not in his or her crate, leave the door open so he or she can freely go in and out of the crate. When a crate is properly set up per the guidelines above, most dog owners are quite surprised how often their dogs will voluntarily spend time in their crate. This is a reliable indicator that you have done a good job of setting up and acclimating your dog to his or her crate.