As a rule of thumb, a dog should not be allowed to stay inside the crate longer than 1 hour for every month of age, up to 9-10 hours (maximum).Thus an adult dog can stay inside a crate while the owner is working on an 8-hour shift.

It is best for a dog to get at least an hour of physical activity before and after spending time inside the crate. If you don’t have enough time to meet your dog’s fitness needs, you can hire a dog walker to walk your dog at mid-day.  

Make sure your pet is used to spending time inside the crate before trying to leave him for a longer time. A dog that is not used to being in a crate can panic if left alone inside the crate. Some inflict serious damage to the crate and even to themselves, in their effort to get out of the confined space.

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