How to Crate Train a Puppy While You Work Full-Time
How to Crate Train a Puppy While You Work Full-Time
You’ve got a new puppy, a full-time job and a mild panic that the internet says you basically need to be home 24/7 for six months.
Here’s the good news: you can crate train a puppy while you work full-time. It just takes planning, realistic expectations and some help (from people, or from services like dog walkers / daycare) in the early months.
This guide gives you a practical framework you can tweak for your life.
Step 1: Be Honest About Your Workday
First, map your reality:
- What hours are you out of the house?
- Can you come home at lunch?
- Is anyone else home (partner, kids, housemate)?
- Can you get help (friend, neighbour, paid sitter/walker)?
If your puppy would be completely alone for more than 3–4 hours regularly in the first months, you’ll absolutely need some kind of break arrangement.
Step 2: Home Setup Matters (Crate + Safe Area)
For full-time workers, a crate + safe area is gold.
Options:
- Crate inside a puppy pen
- Crate in a puppy-proofed room with baby gate
- Crate + access to a small, secure indoor/outdoor area (if safe)
The crate is the sleep/quiet zone.
The pen/room is the toilet + gentle play zone.
This lets you prevent chaos while still being fair to a young puppy who can’t hold their bladder like an adult.
Step 3: The Morning Routine (Before Work)
The aim: burn some energy, fill their needs, then crate/pen for calm time.
A sample morning:
- Wake up → toilet
- Short play / training session
- Breakfast (ideally served in or near the crate)
- Toilet again
- 10–15 minutes of calm interaction (chew toy, cuddles, sniffing games)
- Pop them into crate/pen with:
- A safe chew
- A comfy bed
- Something that smells like you
Then you leave calmly, no huge dramatic goodbye.
Step 4: Midday Help (If You Can Swing It)
This is the make-or-break part for many full-time workers.
Try to organise:
- You popping home at lunch, or
- A trusted friend/family member, or
- A professional dog walker/sitter, or
- A half-day daycare arrangement a couple of times a week
Their job:
- Toilet break
- Short play / walk
- Check water and general wellbeing
- Reset the crate/pen with a fresh chew or enrichment toy
Even 20–30 minutes can make a huge difference.
Step 5: Evening Routine (After Work)
When you get home:
- Straight outside for toilet
- Then play, walk or sniffari to burn off some stored energy
- Calm downtime at home with you nearby
You can still use the crate in the evening:
- For short naps while you cook
- As a safe zone while kids do homework / guests arrive
- For overnight sleep
Just keep pairing crate time with positive, predictable routines.
Step 6: Weekends = Training Power-Ups
Use weekends and days off to:
- Do short, focused crate training sessions (in/out, rewards, calm exits)
- Build up comfortable alone-time in small increments while you’re still nearby
- Practice your “leave routine” (keys, shoes, bag) so those cues don’t trigger panic
This extra work on non-work days pays off during the week.
What’s Realistic (And What’s Not)
Realistic:
- A puppy crated/contained in chunks with midday breaks
- Some accidents while they’re learning
- Extra effort and planning in the first 3–6 months
Not realistic (or fair):
- 8–10 hours alone, every weekday, with no toilet breaks
- Expecting perfect crate behaviour in a week
- Never adjusting your routine but hoping for a different result
If your schedule is intense, it’s okay to lean on support – that’s part of responsible puppy parenting.
Tools That Make This Easier
- Furniture-style crates that sit where you live and work, so your puppy can be near you
- Double crates in multi-dog homes to give everyone their own space
- Feeding stations and food mats to keep the chaos contained
- Enrichment toys + chew treats to help puppies settle in the crate happily
With the right environment and a realistic plan, you absolutely can crate train a puppy while working full-time – and still keep your sanity (mostly) intact.