How long can a dog be safely crated?
Keith Little
2025-06-25 01:59:07
Count answers: 8
The right amount of time to keep your dog in a crate depends on your dog, their age, and how often you’re getting your dog mental and physical stimulation while they’re out and about exploring their world. According to the Humane Society of Western Montana, a good rule of thumb to follow is to take your puppy’s age in months, add one, and that’s their maximum crate hours before they need a potty and exercise break. This means that a 2-month-old puppy should be able to spend around 3 hours in their crate before needing a break. A 3-month-old puppy can make it 4 hours, a 4-month-old puppy can make it 5 hours, and so on until a puppy reaches around 7 or 8 months of age. Generally speaking, pet parents should avoid keeping their dogs crated without a break for periods longer than a maximum of 8 to 9 hours. While 8 to 9 hours is the maximum amount of time your adult (or near-adult) dog should stay in a crate, not all dogs will personally agree. Personality Matters When It Comes To How Long Can A Dog Stay In A Crate. When determining how long should a dog be in a crate, the personality of your individual dog will come into play and two different dogs may have two different personal limits.