Puppies under 6 months should only stay crated 1 hour per month of life at a time. Their needs are greater and attention spans shorter.
Puppy Time Limits
Adult dogs can handle being crated up to 8 hours maximum, but break periods are still vital for stretching, pottying, feeding.
Adult Dog Limits
Dogs crated too long can suffer inhumane cramping, anxiety, bathroom accidents, dehydration, and depression.
Overdoing It
Many locations have legal protections restricting extreme crate confinement without ample breaks as neglect or abuse.
Laws & Ordinances
A good reference is allowing dogs one hour crated equals two hours rest outside plus three hours play/exercise daily minimum.
The 1/2/3 Rule
Indicators crate time exceeds healthy limits involve destructive escape attempts, injuries, soiling inside, lethargy, and non-stop barking.
Signs It's Too Long
With appropriate bathroom, exercise, training, toys, rest, food access outside crates - adult dogs can handle longer but not endless unbroken stints.
Proper Precautions