Our crate training is going well. Puppies happy, some resource guarding with food...but we're hand feeding and it's disappearing.... But I'm wondering what's a good range of crate time per day / per sitting? Generally I put him in the crate for nap times.....and he naps a lot. I know 16-18 hours of sleep / partial sleep is normal. But is it fine for him to do most of that in the crate? Typical routine is to Potty, Eat, Play, Potty, nap. Where eat is 15m and play is 15-30m and could be a mix of training, structured play (walk, kicking the ball around), or independent play. Sometimes there's a bit of lazing around in his play pen or on the deck when we can't keep a close eye on him. Naps can range from 2 to as much as 4 hours and is usually in the crate. He seems to like it, it's in the office right next to me during the day and he'll snore or just lay around eyes 1/2 closed blanket over the top. Most references I've seen say don't leave a puppy in the crate more than a couple of hours, but I figure if he's sleeping why not?
Hiya, welcome to the forum I'm glad you're enjoying your puppy so much - it sounds like you have a great routine forming! You can read Pippa's thoughts on how long you can crate puppies in this article on our main site. As long as your seated right next to him and you can respond if he needs you, it sounds like your puppy is just a big fan of long naps, and has a strong bladder, and that's great!
