Poll: How long do you leave your dog in their crate during the day?

How long is your dog alone during the day?
Just under 5 hours

Are they crated or free to roam the house?
Caleb is only 10 weeks, so he's crated

Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?
He's not home a lone long enough to need to

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny,
etc.? 
We have neighbors who will come over if we need it.
 
 

ORIGINAL: lolamom

How long is your dog alone during the day? 4 - 8 hours

Are they crated or free to roam the house? 1 young one crated, 2 older ones roam

Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out? No, but they're big dogs - very capable of holding it.

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.? Never had to deal with it, because SO works on an on-call basis from the house, but my choice would probably be day care.

How long is your dog alone during the day?  
Dodger is rarely left alone during the day because my retired Grandparents insist on looking after him (when they aren't travelling or escaping the Canadian winters[])  In the winter, he is usually left alone from 3-6 hours, never longer.  I don't have a social life because Dodger needs me!
 
Are they crated or free to roam the house? 
Dodger was never crated.  He had 3 accidents as a puppy from 2-4 months old.  He had free access to the house at 6 months of age. I found that so long as I kept him active by hiking and letting him "hunt" he was too tired to do anything but sleep inside the house.
 
Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out? 
No.  My family would consider that a major security risk (we were robbed once and security has become a BIG thing[]) I wouldn't do it because I'd worry that someone would either harass/tease my pets, let them loose and/or steal or poison them. 
 
If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation?  Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?
I have trust issues with people outside of family looking after Dodger because he is "special needs" in that he has aggression issues and being a scenthound, I wouldn't trust a stranger with him off-leash.  If I had to be gone for a long-time, I would get up really early and tire him out.  He'd get an extra potty break before I left and that would be it - I'd probably leave a treat dispensing toy (that he would finish in seconds)[].  I think any well-adjusted adult dog is accepting, so long as you make it up to them, I don't think the occasional break in routine is too upsetting.  Puppies and dogs with health and/or behavioural issues are of course the exception and would probably need daycare or dog walkers/sitters!

Dweezil is often let out during the day if I'm gone for class/work because I'm still in college and am reaping the benefits of parents that don't mind keeping me around (and yeah, I guess I don't mind being here either), so they help out if need be ... however, there are times that she's *gated in the bathroom* for about 6-8 hours.  She's a year old terrier mix, so she's not a big doggie that can hold it forever ... but even when I get home on the longer days, she doesn't really rush to pee ... she still takes the time to search for that perfect spot.  I never crated her while I was gone (I did overnight though for the first week or so that I had her), because I figure that if she's in the bathroom, if she absolutely needs to, it's not too horrible if she does have to go in a corner (though she hasn't for several months now)... if they're crated, it's a whole nother issue if they're left for long and have to go, and do, and are forced to sit in it.
 
How old is Lola?  Has she been able to hold it for long periods of time overnight?  I think maybe the bathroom idea is good if you'll be leaving her for 8 hours or less, especially since she seems to be a pretty big dog.  Any longer than that, then I would also look for a neighbor that might be home midday to take her out, or a dog walker, or even doggie day care.

I have a 12 week old Beagle mix.  We're still housetraining him.
 
How long is your dog alone during the day?
Generally 4-5 hours.  Someone comes home mid-day to walk him and let him out.

Are they crated or free to roam the house?
Definitely crated.  Puppies pee alot.  When I say alot, now think of what "alot" means to you and triple it. 

Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?
No, need to be there to praise him when he "goes" outside.

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?
I have family that helps out.

How long is your dog alone during the day?

4-1/2 hours in the AM, lunch time I go home for a potty and play break, 4-1/2 hours in the afternoon.

Are they crated or free to roam the house?

Crated mostly. The two oldest dogs (Zippy and Ginger) are occasionally left to roam. The two oldest border collies cannot roam (Bree tears things up, June chews her tail), and puppy is only 10 weeks.

Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?

No. We have a doggy door, but that's only used when I am home, or if someone has an upset tummy.

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?

I do my best to arrange it so that this doesn't happen. If it does, I would either take them with me, or arrange for my mother or sister to come potty them once or twice. Typically if I cannot get home at lunch, DH will. We typically don't do anything that keeps us away for more than a few hours at a time that doesn't involve taking the dogs with us.

How long is your dog alone during the day?

8-9 hours typically.

Are they crated or free to roam the house?

Conrad is crated and Marlowe has access to two rooms.

Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?

No. They can hold it. We've never had any accidents.

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?

I just make sure this doesn't happen. When we go out of town we either get a house sitter or board at a kennel, but day-to-day we always go home right after work to care for the dogs, even if we have to go out again later.

How long is your dog alone during the day?
NEVER more then 5 hours generally 4
Are they crated or free to roam the house?
Crated - she is 8 1/2 months old. Our desire is for her to be able to have free roam of the house. We started letting her have roam of our bedroom at night two weeks ago. This weekend we will start gating her in the kitchen for short periods and see how she handles that - Taking things slowly...
Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?
No, I'm a believer of we own a dog not a cat so things like litter box's are a "no-no". Works for some people and I don't see any harm in it or anything, just my opinion. But once we buy a house we will fence in at least a portion of the yard and the subject of a doggie door has come up but we will jump off the bridge once we get there.
If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation? Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?
We don't really. She does go to day-care twice a week but that's more for exercise and socialization then anything else. She absolute loves it - pawed at the door this morning because we got there a few minutes early and it wasn't unlocked yet at just turns her inside out wiggling and everything every time we go. We try not to leave her for more then 5 hours on the weekends but we have allot of weddings this summer so in those cases we have a dog walker come. She ahs a Collie that is about the same age (4 times the size already but they love to play together) and it just so happens his name is Cash (as in Johnny) and ours is Presley (as in Elvis) so we always joke about it being a reunion tour.
 

How long is your dog alone during the day?
Right now, 6-8 hours, but this may be increasing to about 9 hours soon.
 
Are they crated or free to roam the house?
We've been alternating between crating and leaving her gated on one side of the kitchen.  We've been having destructive chewing issues, though (which I'm trying to find solutions to on another thread!).
 
Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?

 Until she was 6 mos, my boyfriend came home from work at lunch to let her out.  But now at 7.5 months she seems to be fine for up to eight hours.  She's big, though (already 50 lbs!).

If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation?  Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?
If we have to leave her for longer than 8 hours, we bring her to my boyfriend's parents house.  She's still very hyper when she meets new people, so I don't want to leave her trusted to a stranger.
 

How long is your dog alone during the day?  10 hours 
 
Are they crated or free to roam the house?   3 Danes have free roam of the house except for kitchen and basement.  Fosters are kept in large kennels in the basement.
 
Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?  Yes, I have one room set up just for them to relieve themselves.  They hold it in.  The fosters are confined to very large kennels in the basement.  I line an area of the kennels with paper for them to relieve themselves.  Some fosters can hold it in while others can not.
 
If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation?  Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?   So far I have been very lucky to be able to come home after 10 hours.  It has been an absolute for me.  Very few people (just one sister) are willing to come by and let them out.  Great Danes are intimadating and one of them bites you when you are not paying attention.

My husband works from home and I can take my dog to work, so our dog isn't left alone so very much.

But Lola is a very good looking dog. I had to comment.

How long is your dog alone during the day?
 
At an average 4, sometimes 0, sometimes as much as 6.
 
Are they crated or free to roam the house?

She used to be in a pen in my room, but has graduated to having the whole room lol
 
Do you set up anything for them so they can relieve themselves without a human being there to let them out?

No, she usually holds it..The longest she's ever been alone is about 6 hours.
 
If you have to leave them alone for longer than you'd like, how do you remedy the situation?  Doggy day care, Pet-Nanny, etc.?

I'd take her to a daycare so she'd have more attention then just having someone come to the house once a day.
 

As I don't work, they usually aren't alone. When I am gone, its only about 6 hours. They have a doggie door so go when they need to. I've never crated, all 3 have free roam. I have no life, so have never had an issue with what to do. If I do leave, they come with.

Oh, you guys are making me feel so guilty  []  My DH is a grad student with very long hours and it is not an option for him to help at all.  I drive an hour - on a good day (yeah, Atlanta traffic is HORRIBLE!!!!) - to and from work in addition to my 8 hr workday.  In addition to all of that, we just moved here from Michigan and we do not know (nor do we trust) anyone to come into our apartment during the day to let Lola out.  In a few months I will be able to start flex-hours at my job.  DH and I should be able to work out a schedule where I will leave very early for work and he will do the morning shift with Lola - I will come home earlier from work, therefore reducing her hours spent in her crate. 
 
Lola was just diagnosed w/ another UTI and is on medication that she needs to take a dose of right in the middle of the day.  I found a vet right near my work that will, for $10 board Lola for the day, take her out a couple times to play and go potty, and give her the dose of her meds.  At least until she finishes the prescription, that is what we will be doing.  It makes me feel better to do this because I get to spend the car ride with her, I know she is so well taken care of, she is getting human contact instead of sitting in her crate all day, and I can go visit her on my lunch break if I want. 
 
After her meds are finished, I am thinking that on most days I may just put her and her crate in the bathroom, gate off the door (so at least she can still see out into the apartment), and if she just can't hold it, at least she will be on the vinyl floor which is easily cleaned.  In order to get some out-of-crate-time, I am thinking I may take her to doggy day-care one or two days a week.  I know she will have so much fun there... playing with other doggies all day. 
 
It's obvious that she either has an actual bladder problem or that she is just unable to hold it very long because of her size.  I know by leaving her in the bathroom where she can go potty I am almost teaching her that it is ok to go inside, but if I don't do that I run the high risk of her getting sick again.  The vet said that because her last UTI was so recent, she was highly susceptible to getting another one - unfortunately, I think that my long days were the icing on the cake. 
 
Question:  At 35-40 lbs., how long should a dog be expected to be able to "hold it"?
 
(((Sorry this was so long and jumbled)))