How long do you crate your dog while at work?

For me 10-11 hours would be too long for a crate. 8 hours is my max for crating.  If I think it will be longer, I go home at lunch or just take the dogs to work with me so I can take them for a walk and potty break on my lunch break.

David and I have no choice at all -- I can *not* leave the dogs outside (I'm 2 blocks from city hall and we have a seriously strict no barking ordinance) and both of us have long commutes.  So it's typically almost a 10 hour day as speedy as I can be.  It's simply not possible for me to come home at lunch, and someone coming in just has not been a good solution for me. (They tend to get more agitated in the afternoons than they were being left for the day.)

However, we stagger our leaving times so altho they are fed at 6 a.m., they are pottied MULTIPLE times before I leave at 8:30.  It really seems to be no hardship -- and if I see an increase in drinking or anyone having problems holding it, it's typically more the potential for a UTI than a problem waiting.

It's simply life in a large urban area. 9 hours is absolutely the best I can do.  10 hours sometimes happens -- beyond that I leave an escape hatch of some kind.  Like giving the dog access to a place where they can safely elminate if need be.

Jamison isn't crated, but is home 7 - 7 1/2 hours per day by himself.

Deb W.

 I don't use crates.  The longest a bichon can hold it is about 4 hours (small bladders!), so we make sure they are out often.

My dogs can go 8-10 hours in a crate or loose without eliminating.  Even Twister the JRT can hold his bladder,etc. for this long.  Not to start an argument but isn't a dog's bladder and urine production in relation to it's size?  A small dog has a smaller bladder than a large dog but it shouldn't produce more urine than it's bladder can hold for 8 hours or more.  I've often heard people say that small dogs have small bladders and can't hold their urine as long but it's never made logical sense to me.  I don't like my dogs to have to hold their urine or other longer than 8-9 hours just for the comfort factor but I know they are capable of it.

Depends on the dog.  Rummy is crated while I am at work just about 8 to 9 hours but he is young and needs to be crated or he will get into something. I am also close enough I can run home if needed or bring Rummy with me to work.  Sometimes when I leave for short times I test my trust with him and will see how he does without the crate.  So far so good but we are still working on it and I'm not 100% comfortable leaving him out while I am at work.

Most dogs in my home start out with a crate and I slowly start to trust them more outside of the crate when alone.  Gizmo only needed a crate when she was a tiny puppy, she was never much of a chewer or distructive.  She does fine without a crate.  Another older dog of mine, Georgia, needed a crate from day one, she ate my carpet first day home when I left for a little less than an houre. It took just about two years of crateing before I could trust her alone in the home again.  I have a foster right now who doesn't even need a crate at all while I am gone.  I keep him confined to one room where he does fine and is very housetrained. The crate is in the room with the door wide open and he uses it to sleep in.

 I came back to add this:  consider training your dog to use puppy pads!  Friend of mine has 2 bichons.  She works.  She trained them to use pads.  She got a piece of scrap linoleum and puts that down with the pads on it.  The dogs are confined to one room, but can move around.  They have their beds, water bowl, toys, long lasting chews, and of course one another to play.  And they use the pads!  She just picks up the pads, toss them and sets out new ones.  Once a week (more if needed ) she picks up the piece of lino and washes that thoroughly too.  The room they are in has a floor which is easy clean up in case they miss a pad, but they haven't in over 2 years! 

 This may work for some on this board!

 I'm usually not gone for more than 5-6 hours, but sometimes I have been gone for 8-10 hours. I try to get someone to get him out though if it's going to be more than 8 hours or so, or at least get him out a few times and get him a little more tired if I can't get someone to get him out. I  wouldn't do that for a puppy, but for most adult dogs, I wouldn't be too worried about that. I have never left a dog out of the crate if I'm going to be gone for more than the time to just run to the store quickly, or actually, I used to have a dog who just refused to get up early. I had something once early in the morning, can't remember if it was work or a class, but I'd sneak out of bed,  go, and come back. He'd stay right there in bed the whole time. Luke goes in his crate, because he's just as happy to sleep in his crate as he is to sleep in my bed, and I think he's safer in his crate on the main floor of the house alone than alone in the basement. I also just feel like he doesn't even get a chance to choose to do something he shouldn't in his crate. Out of his crate, he always has the chance to make a choice I'd rather he didn't.

@griffinej5

I'm usually not gone for more than 5-6 hours, but sometimes I have been gone for 8-10 hours. I try to get someone to get him out though if it's going to be more than 8 hours or so, or at least get him out a few times and get him a little more tired if I can't get someone to get him out. I wouldn't do that for a puppy, but for most adult dogs, I wouldn't be too worried about that. I have never left a dog out of the crate if I'm going to be gone for more than the time to just run to the store quickly, or actually, I used to have a dog who just refused to get up early. I had something once early in the morning, can't remember if it was work or a class, but I'd sneak out of bed, go, and come back. He'd stay right there in bed the whole time. Luke goes in his crate, because he's just as happy to sleep in his crate as he is to sleep in my bed, and I think he's safer in his crate on the main floor of the house alone than alone in the basement. I also just feel like he doesn't even get a chance to choose to do something he shouldn't in his crate. Out of his crate, he always has the chance to make a choice I'd rather he didn't.

Oops...sorry for the mis-post.