Q: My dogs are crated while I am  at work during the day. I have been coming home at lunch hour to let them out to do their business and enable them to have a drink of water. They will be two in July and I am wondering if by now, they should be able to go all day and not  have to let out at noon? What is the maximum amount of time that they can be crated?

A: By 2 years of age, they should have no problem with bladder control. You want to make sure that you have them on a set feeding and watering schedule in the morning before you go to work , feed them and give them water , allow them at least 30 minutes to digest their food and make sure that they have a bowel movement and empty their bladders before going into the crate.

They should be fine for 8 hours until you get home. Another way is to feed them upon your return in the evening rather than the a.m. Either way, they still need to empty their bladders before going into the crate.

Being that the warmer weather is arriving, you want to make sure that they also have adequate ventilation and climate control. Keep them in a cooler area to prevent dehydration.

If you are uncomfortable leaving your dogs in a crate all day while you are at work, if your dogs are good candidates, you may want to consider doggie day care or pet sitters.

This article was published on May 10th, 2009 in the Sunday Sentinel