I’m curious at what age many of you have stopped using the crate at night and just let your pup sleep in a bed in a special room? Currently Sophie’s crate is in my bedroom and she sleeps in it, but I let her sleep out if it during her spay recovery and she didn’t get into anything, but then I put her back in when the cone came off. Also, I’m thinking if conditioning her to stay in my laundry room when home alone instead if in her crate. She’s 8 months old snd I feel guilt leaving her in her crate longer then 1-2 hours if I need to go somewhere. But I read labs can be destructive even at 8 months. She’s not destroyed anything yet of mine to date. She sticks to her toys and bones. Any feedback or personal experiences will be appreciated!
I think it depends on the dog. My older lab was really easy and had a choice of sleeping in her open crate or dog bed in our bedroom once she was toilet trained around 4.5 months. She’s slept wherever she wants in the house from then on. She was crated when home alone until 13 months. My puppy is almost a year and she is nowhere near trustworthy to be de-crated overnight or home alone. I’ll see how she is in a few months but right now she sleeps well in her crate and chooses to go in so we won’t change what works.
Meg was a year or so, then slept in it for another year or so with the door open. We had borrowed it, so eventually sent it back and she still sleeps in the same spot today. She has never chewed anything, but a lot do, particularly if left for long periods.
It really does depend on dog. My first lab never used it, he was pretty sedate for a puppy, loved plastic, didn't chew on wood. We gated him in a living room and he had his bed about 6months to a year. My second was crated until a year but mostly with door open when we were home and never longer than 4 hours. By 1-2 years, his door was usually open. Occasionally chewed something but usually our fault for not seeing it. My 12 wk old chews lots of things so he has a kennel with a 34 inch high pen around it (8 panels) and I think I will use that for a long time. His kennel door is open, he hated it, but now inside of play pen, he's better with it. He just needed space. I even caught him sleeping in it on occasion.
Thank you! Sophie does like her crate, but I feel guilty leaving her in it when I go out to run errands etc especially if I’m gone more than 1-2 hours. I feel like a small room with her crate it in but open would give her space to walk around. She hasn’t attempted to chew furniture or walls etc so I might try using my laundry room for short periods. I got rid of all my baby gates in the house so she has free roam of the house when I’m home and really doesn’t get into much. I’m just nervous about changing the current routine.
Bonnie is almost 8 months old and she is still sleeping in the crate at night and when left alone during the day. Now she's rarely alone and seldom for more than 2 or 3 hours. We used to leave her loose in our open plan kitchen living room and she was fine but between her getting so big and pulling everything within reach off the counters etc and her chewing half a blind, upon recommendation from behaviourist we are crating her when she's home alone. We plan on using the crate for a while to come yet.
you could definitely try that - and we did a similar set up with my older dog but she was more settled with her routine of crate + kong and slept in her crate anyway. I have a puppy camera so I know what they are up to; you could always set something up and see what she does!
