Crate training: schedule, crate size and time limits

The RSPCA describes a crate as a safe, secure area a dog can go into for short periods. It lists four uses: an open den some dogs seem to like as a place to feel secure, a training aid for puppies learning to be left alone and for toilet training, short-term confinement when you cannot supervise, and travel. (RSPCA)

AKC calls a crate a wonderful tool for potty training, and points out it keeps a puppy from chewing household items when you cannot watch it. Humane World describes crate training as a reliable and humane method of confinement that helps housetraining. It fits naturally alongside the rest of your puppy training schedule. (AKC, Humane World)

There is a longer-term benefit too. The AVSAB position statement on puppy socialisation says puppies should have time scheduled to play alone or nap in safe places such as crates or puppy pens, which may help prevent over-attachment, and that puppies used to a crate are less stressed if they ever have to be hospitalised or confined for travel. Merck adds that puppies who regularly spend comfortable time alone during the day are less likely to develop a fear of being left. (AVSAB, Merck)

A crate is not right for every dog, though. The ASPCA notes that for some dogs a crate causes added stress and anxiety, and the welfare charities are clear that it should never replace exercise, company or training. Think of it as a short-stay bedroom, not a place to keep a dog. (ASPCA, RSPCA)

The rule every source agrees on: your dog should be able to stand, turn around, lie down and stretch out. PDSA adds that it should be tall enough for your dog to stand and sit without touching the top, and wide and long enough to wag its tail. (RSPCA, PDSA, Humane World)

To turn that into numbers, AKC gives a simple method. The calculator above does the sum for you, in inches or centimetres. (AKC)

1. With your dog standing, measure from the top of its head to the floor. That is its height. (AKC)
2. Measure from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail. That is its length. (AKC)
3. Add 3 to 4 inches to each measurement for the crate’s height and length. (AKC)

Bigger is not always better. AKC warns that in a crate that is too large, a puppy can toilet at one end and sleep at the other, which undoes housetraining. For a growing puppy, buy a crate for its adult size with an adjustable divider, and move the divider back as it grows. The RSPCA adds one exception: do not travel with a puppy in its adult-sized crate, because it is better protected in a smaller space. (AKC, AKC, RSPCA)

Wire, plastic or fabric?

AKC’s summary: plastic crates work at home and double as travel carriers, metal crates suit dogs that chew through other materials, and fabric crates are an economical choice for a small dog that will not chew them. (AKC)

Humane World suggests putting the crate in your bedroom or just outside it at first, especially for a puppy. Once your dog sleeps well with the crate nearby, you can move it gradually to where you want it to stay. (Humane World)

• Most puppies can comfortably sleep for about seven hours without a toilet break. (Humane World)
• If your puppy whines or fusses in the crate overnight, AKC says to let it out, because it most likely needs the toilet. (AKC)
• Keep night trips boring: stay calm, take your puppy out quietly and put it straight back to bed without turning it into playtime. (Humane World)
• Make sure your dog has been to the toilet just before bed, as before any time in the crate. (RSPCA)
• Take the collar off for the night, since collars can catch in the bars. (AKC, AKC)

For adult dogs, Humane World describes a crate overnight as a safe and effective tool for house training. What it warns against is a dog crated all day and all night, which does not get enough exercise or human interaction and can become depressed or anxious. (Humane World)

AKC separates whining by timing. Whining that starts within minutes of going in is likely stress or anxiety, so the crate needs a slower, more positive introduction. Whining after your dog has settled is more likely boredom, hunger or a need for the toilet. (AKC)

In daytime training, the sources agree not to open the door during a bout of whining, or your dog learns that whining works. The RSPCA says to wait for even the smallest gap in the noise; AKC says to wait for a few seconds of quiet, reward your dog in the crate, then open the door. Humane World suggests that if whining carries on after several minutes, you use your usual toilet cue and go out only if your dog responds with excitement. (RSPCA, AKC, Humane World)

Then fix the cause. AKC puts it plainly: whining means you asked for too much too soon, so go back to a step your dog finds easy. PDSA says the same about whining or scratching. Never punish whining; Humane World is explicit on that, and if barking rather than whining is the problem, our barking guide sorts out the different kinds. (AKC, PDSA, Humane World)

It depends on the dog. The ASPCA says crate training helps some dogs, who learn the crate is their safe place when left alone, but for others the crate causes added stress and anxiety. Watch your dog in the crate while you are home and while you are out. (ASPCA)

The signs that a crate is not the answer, from the ASPCA and AKC: heavy panting, excessive drooling, frantic escape attempts, persistent howling or barking, pacing, shaking, and scratching or biting at the door. AKC says never to crate a dog if it causes stress or panic. (ASPCA, AKC)

A crate does not treat separation anxiety. AKC notes that dogs with it often panic in their crate, Humane World says the crate will not solve the problem, and PDSA says crates should not be used to manage it without professional guidance. A larger puppy-proofed space, such as one room behind a baby gate or an exercise pen, often works better. (AKC, Humane World, PDSA, ASPCA)

If your dog shows these signs only when you leave, read our guide to separation anxiety in dogs, which has a graduated training plan, and check how long your dog should be alone with the time-alone calculator. Merck advises leaving a dog with separation anxiety alone as rarely as possible while you work on it. The dog anxiety hub covers the wider picture. (Merck)

Adult dogs can learn to like a crate, using the same steps at their own pace. AKC says an adult rescue that has accidents indoors should go back to the beginning of housetraining and crate training, with trips outside about every two hours. Pick “Adult, not house-trained” in the calculator for the limits that apply. (AKC)

Two cautions. A dog with an unknown history may have bad associations with confinement, so if it refuses to go in, AKC says to stop crating and go back to basics with treats near the open crate; Humane World says not to force it. And for senior dogs, AKC notes that long spells in a crate may be physically uncomfortable; a larger area with several comfortable resting places suits them better. (AKC, Humane World)

We found no veterinary or welfare source that gives an age at which to stop crating, so we do not give one. What the sources do describe is when to stop or step back: if your dog shows stress or panic, pants, barks excessively, cowers or becomes aggressive in the crate, stop and take advice rather than pushing on. (AKC, RSPCA)

You may not need to stop entirely. PDSA suggests keeping the door secured open outside training so the crate stays your dog’s safe space, and the RSPCA describes an open den that some dogs use to feel secure. When you do want more freedom for your dog, a gated room is the natural next step, the same option the ASPCA suggests for dogs who dislike crates. (PDSA, RSPCA, ASPCA)

AKC advises stopping and getting help from a professional trainer or behaviour consultant if your dog panics in the crate or will not stop crying. PDSA recommends your vet or a certified behaviourist when a dog has a negative association with the crate or is not making progress, and the RSPCA says your vet can refer you to a clinical animal behaviourist. (AKC, PDSA, RSPCA)

Dog training is not legally regulated, so check credentials and methods. If the problem is intense, a safety concern, comes with signs of illness or appeared suddenly, VCA suggests a veterinary behaviourist. (VCA)

Every figure and threshold on this page comes from the veterinary sources below, and each one is linked where it is used. Where no source gives a cut-off, we say call your vet rather than invent one.