How long shall I let an IPA ferment?

I am sure you guys are sick of this question already...but let me ask how long I should let my IPA ferment?

I am asking because there seem to be no specific answer to this.

Here is the info on my batch that we brewed 2 days ago....5 gallon IPA with an initial reading of 1.044.
The bubbling is really frequent. Each 4 seconds a long bubbling happens. The temperature is at 18-19 ºC.

The instructions say that I should wait a minimum of 5-7 days and the reading should be at 1.010 and no further gravity drops should happen (I guess this means the yeast is not active anymore...and that the batch is ready for bottling). Correct?

Any beer should be allowed to ferment until the gravity is in the right ballpark and you get stable FG readings for 3 days in a row

When the gravity readings are the same 3 days in a row, then it should be ready.

[edit] Larso--beat me on this by 1 minute.

The best answer is "until its done".

Sometime recipes or instructions give fermentation times but that is really only a guideline. I watch the airlock activity and wait until I don't see anything. Then I wait a few more days.

Taking hydrometer readings really is the most correct way to do it. For me taking multiple readings isn't worth the effort/risk of infection. I let it go until I know its done and then take a reading at bottling time.

Generally a little too long is better than two short. I wouldn't leave it sit for months but I wouldn't go less than 10 days unless I was going to a secondary anyhow.

as general rule i allow all my beers to ferment for precisely as long as it takes to finish and not a moment longer.
actually I have bottled a beer 10 days after brewed it and waited as long as 3 months to bottle another. It really depends, but the only real thing that matters is the FG. This is something that we must leave to the yeasties. We can certianly set them up for success but ultimately its up to them to get the beer to FG.

^ as stated above, fermentation is not measured in units of time, its measured in gravity points.

Personally, I wait 10 days before I even START taking gravity readings. Some go another week, some 2 more weeks... depends on the OG, yeast, temp, gnomes stealing my bear(s), and the lunar calender.

I leave all my beers for minimum 2 weeks and just take FG on bottling day

Really, you want to go a few days to a week after you've reached FG for the bulk of the yeast to drop.

Yes, technically your beer is "done" when the gravity is stable. It is wise to let it condition for a bit longer though so the yeast can clean up fermentation by products such as acetaldehyde and make your beer taste better.

I have always kept in the primary until the FG met then racked to secondary for dry hop. I'm thinking about keeping in primary for three-four weeks the dry hop in primary, cold crash then keg. Any guidance?

No need for the extra wait. Once you hit FG, give it 2-3 days to drop bright and for the yeast to clean up after themselves, and toss your hops right in. 1-3 days later, cold crash if you like, or keg straightaway. I gelatin in the keg so that's where I do my cold crashing.

1.044 seems pretty low for an ipa. What was the kit?

If it was extract, it may have just been an off OG reading, but I think the kit would probably list an OG.

2 weeks is typical for me since a week isn't quite enough and I brew and keg on weekends. It'll be at terminal gravity after a week, but what people mean by "cleaning up after themselves" is absorbing diacetyl and acetaldehyde. I don't think that's done yet at that point. If my free time wasn't an issue, I'd probably wait until the kraeusen falls, the beer clears bright, +a day or two.