In reality, dogs and cats are notorious for curling up for many hours at a time in small, dark, quiet spaces. A little positive reinforcement for entering and remaining in the crate can go a long way toward making such confinement a pleasant experience. When you cannot watch the pup closely, confinement in a crate allows you to be sure the animal has not eliminated. When you do take the pup outside you can be sure that it will need to eliminate and you can be prepared to positively reinforce the correct behavior. The amount of time you may keep an animal in a crate each day should be determined by what you are trying to achieve.
Longer period can cause problems.
Consistently requiring a dog to hold its fluid for 10 or more hours daily can lead to bladder infections and other disorders. Another danger to long periods of confinement is that the animal may eliminate out of desperation. Once an animal has lost its inhibition against soiling in the crate it is difficult to correct the problem. Crates and cages are available in a variety of forms. Aluminum flight kennels can resist almost any type of abuse, but tend to be hot in warm weather.