Crate Training Question (how old...)

[Crazy Joe Davola]

If you are crate training, how old was your pup before you let him/her have free reign over a particular area of the house (or whole house)?

Gracie is now 15 weeks, and we keep her in her crate while we are at work during the day, some points in the evening and during the night when we are sleeping. Her crate is kept in the kitchen, which is also secured by a baby gate that blocks access to the rest of the house.

I'm wondering at what point or what age people started to leave your pups out of the crate during the day or whatever.

She doesn't seem to have any kind of problem with her crate, but surely it must get boring.

[VANCOUVERISLANDROT]

Oh you have a while yet! :) Oscar wasn't allowed out of his crate until about 18 months old. We tried some shorter stints first (running out to the store etc) and kept working up from there, moved to letting him sleep outside of the crate and then to 1/2 the house (upstairs/ no downstairs) to now at 2 years old he has the whole house. We still close all bedroom doors etc just because I don't want him sleeping on my bed...which I'm sure he'd try :)

You should search the forums for previous posts about this topic for sure. You will find some members who crate period...no age cut off. Personally I don't think that's enjoyable for a dog but others feel differently for sure. Just use your common sense and judge your dogs behavior and read up on here! LOTS to read.

[poohbearsmom]

Depends on the pup/dog. Not usually until a year of age or so, especially if one's pup is given to bouts of hijynx.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

Thanks!

She does really well in terms of potty training. She'll never go in her crate, and she'll go whenever we take her to her 'spot'.

If we leave her in the kitchen by herself, even for 5 minutes, she'll relieve herself. It seems as thought she know where it's good to go (outside), but doesn't necessarily know where it's bad to go (in the house).

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by Crazy Joe Davola

Thanks!

She does really well in terms of potty training. She'll never go in her crate, and she'll go whenever we take her to her 'spot'.

If we leave her in the kitchen by herself, even for 5 minutes, she'll relieve herself. It seems as thought she know where it's good to go (outside), but doesn't necessarily know where it's bad to go (in the house).

I think this is a good sign she's not ready for free reign of the house.

Also don't feel bad about the crating, I did until I had to spend some time home from work and guess what - my dog sleeps most of the day!! He's a rescue and I got him about 1.5 years ago - he'd be close to 2.5 now...and we are just starting to give him free reign for a few hours at a time. He's got the housetraining down but has been a huge chewer..he's getting better.

[ck85abc3]

About 7 months of age at night and only durring the day for a short period of time if he was just exercised.

Every once in a while I can tell that he would not be tired at night and then he has to stay in the crate because he would destroy something.

[moz205]

My 1 yo still doesn't have free reign unless I am there. He will find something to chew on, such as my external hard drive (last wk) or any of the socks the my son leaves around. It's amazing what he can get hold of. Of course, we've done "leave it" which he will do but I have to be there to tell him. A few months ago he ran out into the yard with my underwear so for everyone's safety and reputation, he's kept in his area unless I can keep an eye on him.

[brutus'mother]

Brutus is almost 8 months old and he is in his crate whenever we are not home and at night. I consider him fully housetrained but would not dream of leaving him by himself without being crated. At night he lays on the floor in my bedroom if I am watching TV but when I tell him "crate" he will get up and get in his crate. He has never destroyed one thing in our home. When I leave he usually gets a kong stuffed with goodies to keep him busy for awhile. I don't feel bad about him being crated for short periods of time-it keeps him safe. However, all dogs are different and I imagine you will have to use your best judgement.

[rencook]

Aveda was about 7 mos. old when she was allowed privileges at night, but she was crated when noone was home until she was well over 3 yrs. old(she had a fondness for drywall and trash cans)

[Shelby427]

Shelby was crated about a year until she was given free reign. And we started gradually. Now at 4 years, she's all good in the house alone while we're at work. She has yet to get into anything...

[Crazy Joe Davola]

slightly off topic.. where do you all keep your crate at night, during the day, evening etc.?

[ck85abc3]

Originally Posted by Crazy Joe Davola

slightly off topic.. where do you all keep your crate at night, during the day, evening etc.?

Mine is in the living room. It was moved to a back room that is not used very often because infront of the window was to hot and he got very depressed. Even after a couple weeks he never came out of it. So I rearanged the living room in order to get his crate in there again and not by the window. He came out of depression right away.

The funniest was when I moved the crate back to the living room. The first few times I would tell him kennel, he would go to the back room where his crate used to be and stare at me with confusion. It was so funny and sad at the same time.

A lot of people recommend the bedroom. I recommend a part of the house that is used very often. If he/she is put in a part of the house that is not used very often he might become depressed. Rotts want to be part of the pack. I'm sure you have noticed that he/she follows you from room to room all the time.

[wm1977]

We have our girl's cage in the bedroom and she seems to like it. We've had it there since day one (she's 14 months now) and she regularly goes in there during the day to nap even when we're out watching tv or in the kitchen. We keep the cage in the room during the day as well when we're both at work. She never complains about going in and as long as we give her enough exercise she sleeps until we let her out. We have started testing her when we run to the store or errand's that take 30 min or a hour and even left the door open to the cage a few nights. Each time we leave the door opens we are awaken at 4 am with 115 lbs. of rottie, wedging herself between us... it's kinda sweet actually.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by ck85abc3

A lot of people recommend the bedroom. I recommend a part of the house that is used very often. If he/she is put in a part of the house that is not used very often he might become depressed. Rotts want to be part of the pack. I'm sure you have noticed that he/she follows you from room to room all the time.

Alot of people recommend the bedroom for the crate when the puppy first comes home from the breeder. Most pups are scared and alone for the first time in their lives and in a crate the first time...so they start screeching and barking and carrying on. If the crate is right beside the bed...you can put your fingers through the crate and talk to the pup and comfort the pup.

Once the pup is fine using the crate you can move the crate to somewhere else in the house that has more traffic. I would recommend a crate in the bedroom and also a crate in the family room or kitchen.

Gina

[bluefire10270]

Our crate for Jade is in the bedroom, and we crate her if we are leaving the place for even 15 min (she is 5 months old) she is a good pup when we are home, but no way would I trust her to be completely alone yet, wayyyy too many things for her to get into and possibly get hurt.

She loves her crate, we put her toys in there and a bone and she is content and we turn the tv on for her, for background noise, if we are going out at night, but I am lucky and can take her to work with me so during the day she is with me all day