My pup is now 5 months old. She's lovely, well most of the time. I'm at home all day, She sleeps in her crate all night, and mooches about the house most of the day, or we are walking, except I put her in her crate when I go shopping or school run etc... I'm wondering at what age shes going to be safe to leave without a crate? I'm guessing about 18 months? is that realistic? when she's less excitable I suppose, I trust her toileting now, but I think she might chew the house to bits if she wasn't in her crate, just wondering what everyone elses experience has been.
Maybe try leaving her in one room , a kitchen ? Either this or try a playpen first to see what happens ? I never had a crate for Sam , he was left in the kitchen where he did have a bit of fun ( removing and eating all the timer switches on the oven ) but on the whole , he wasn't too bad ! ( removes rose coloured glasses ! )
Depends from dog to dog... Poppy was out of her crate from about 10 months onwards, and Merlin has also been pretty reliable about not chewing things for about a month (he's 11 months old now). In fact, I forgot to clear my shoes away from by the front door last night (the dogs sleep in the living room and / or the hallway), and he didn't touch them overnight. A couple of months ago he's have chewed them up, no question!
Hi @Caro A, I think it depends on the dog. Kate's idea of trying one room at a time is a good one or using a playpen or a baby gate to block off rooms. My own pup was decrated at night by 6 months because I'd noticed that, when I left her crate door open, she chose to use a bed outside her crate. But she was in the kitchen behind a baby gate for a while. I left her in the kitchen out of her crate in the day for short spells initially, school run, popping to the shop, calling on my neighbour etc. and when that was ok I increased the time. I can't remember when I started leaving her to roam freely between the kitchen, hallway and lounge, maybe about 8 months? I had the areas available to her as puppy proofed as possible but by this age she'd really stopped chewing the stuff that wasn't hers. Now, age 16 months, I only keep the bin locked away and everything else is left as is. It's probably a bit of trial and error.
Each dog is different . How much of a chewer is your dog? I wouldn't trust a young dog that loved chewing outside of a crate for any length of time, a dog that doesn't chew possibly. I started de-crating by just leaving the crate door unlocked to allow movement out of the crate while I went for a shower and gradually built up time until the door was unlocked while I went shopping with no problems - but my girl wasn't a chewer.
Hi, I think Cassie was nearly 7 months when I left the crate door open at night, and quite quickly left her for short periods in the day, it just built up from there really. But she was never a destructive chewer though.
I started testing the waters for short periods during the day at 9 months, but she wasn't ready overnight until 12 months. I was so grateful to reclaim my living room, the crate took up so much space.
We left Harley in the kitchen from about 5/6 months old, but she has never been a chewer. She had free roam of the house from 10 months old and mostly goes onto my bed or in the living room.
I think ours were de-crated/de-Penned about 4 or 5 months, but we did lose a few knick-knacks to Cooper. She never chewed on furniture or shoes, but she did chew up a few books and other items. Keeping them in a Puppy Proofed room is a good idea, but we did not do that most of the time, partly because they have a dog door to the back yard, and they have to have the run of the house to get too it. Both of our dogs are serious chewers, but they don't chew up anything but their toys now. I sometimes wonder how they learn that, but they did.
We started at 6 months. He never destroyed anything. We used a pen and Kongs. Left him for a minute. Then 2 then 4 etc. Now at 18 months we leave him home all day and never had an issue. I think it’s relative to the time you do spend with them.
Or the dog I spend lots if time with my guys and both my oldies never had crates. But Rory liked to eat plastics. He was decrated at 8 months but he ate the bottom half of the washing machine so had to be recrated. He was suffering from colitis then and when he was in pain he would eat strange stuff. He even ate the handles off the top of his crate. It was s very worrying time and we had to make sure he didn't eat strange stuff. When his colitis was under control and he was less frenzied about eating stuff I decrated him I knew he would be fine. I could just tell he such a great house dog now. He will still rearrange cushions when we are out he does like soft furnishing and interior design.
We have just decrated Red - she is 14 months. She now sleeps in the utility room with our older Lab Sky. To be honest she probably could have been decrated ages ago but I was quite reticent as she seemed so secure in her crate. DH gently ‘pushed’ me to decrating (I was going to wait until she was 18 months). I guess you can only give it a go and see how she goes.
It’s difficult to know what will work for each individual dog. Initially it’s best to be cautious and limit the area, making sure that she can’t hurt herself on anything, particularly things like cables, etc. My two are limited to the kitchen, hall and landing when I’m out, but I still have to make sure I don’t leave anything ‘different’ lying around as a certain dog will probably decide to investigate and re-arrange it!
We have had 2 labs before Finn. Nr 1 was decrated after 18 month. 2nd we decrated at 12 months. But Finn only a couple of days ago and he is 4 years old...! So it all depends on the dogs! Finn is the first chewer we had. Chewed several things in our home....Now he is older he stopped doing this, but he preferred our furniture over his crate. The last couple of months we left the crates door open. Now he has a couch of his own. The last 2 nights he spent the night in his own bed (couch) and not on ours!
Think my old girl we de crated about 6-7 months old but less destructive mm we are talking about labs here think they settle down between 12-15 years old lol
Homer is 5 and still has his moments. Socks are fair game if he can get hold of them. Last week he stole my glasses case from the kitchen table and completely destroyed it, fortunately not the glasses that were inside.
