[bliss7373]

"whats the normal age everyone starts weening them out of the crate?"

As others said, it's very dependant on the dog. I adopted my girl when she was 2. By age 3, I considered her very trustworthy.

But I know of a particularly ornery 4 year old male who is still confined when his owners aren't home. This boy has been in classes at my training club for years - he has a CD and some agility titles, and his owners are experienced, firm, and fair. He's a great dog in every way, he just can't be trusted free in the house. His owners have attached an x-pen to his crate in the dining room.