Time to attempt to de-crate properly, I'm going to start slowly maybe leaving the door open at night and do small intervals through the day at first and build up the time periods. I want my kitchen back Any helpful hints or tips from successful de-craters? Thanks Pippa
Sorry can't advise anything as my de-crating attempt failed. Barney loves his cage, feels safe in there & really didn't like to be left with door open so as he stayed crated I didn't even try with the girls. We made a dog room of our dining room & all of the dogs have their crates in there. Good luck
My dog was 6 months old when we got her unexpectedly (but that's another story). She had been crated from the start but we didn't have a crate so we popped her bed under the kitchen table that sits against a wall, and when the chairs were pushed in made a passable secure nest for her. She was quite happy with that. She's 5 now and sleeps on an old sofa in the back room at night.
I started de-crating in the way you mention, by pushing the door to but not putting the bolt over. First times was when going for a shower in the morning leaving Juno alone in the kitchen and then when going out shopping. I had planned to start leaving open at night but Juno was violently ill one night and had vomited all over her bedding on one side of the crate. Despite much washing and cleaning she wouldn't go back in her crate that day so we just put it away and sold it the following week. I didn't make a big thing of the crate door not being locked and Juno didn't seem to bother. Good luck and let us know how you get on
I started decrating by falling asleep watching TV one night, waking up in the morning and finding the house hadn't been destroyed. True story
haha, I have fallen asleep aswell and woken up to find him snuggled on one of the chairs fast asleep. We tried when he was about 5-6 months and he was left out for 15 mins and destroyed his food bowl, plastic mat etc. so we decided to leave it until he was a little older.I think the key is to start slowly when you are in like going for a shower and take it from there. We shall see what happens. Thanks everyone
Didn't decrate until mine were over 12 months, neither were chewers but didn't want to risk the possibility of my house being destroyed ! Don't be lulled into thinking they are past the chewing stage, many labs continue to destroy until they are at least 2!
I may be opposite of a lot of people. Myles (6 months) is in a crate during the day when I am at work (pet sitter comes twice for 1 hr each). But at night he is just behind a puppy gate in my bathroom (which is very close to me), and his crate is not in there with him. He has slept in the bathroom since he was 4 months and is just perfect. He's never really gravitated toward his crate being a "den" for him so I just have a pet bed in the bathroom for him and he loves the option of sleeping either on it, or cold tile floor, while being close to me, but still behind a gate and not able to get into trouble . So I see no reason to change this part any time soon. But I do plan to try to decrate him during the day, probably by putting him in the same bathroom that he is in at night. Then working way up from there. Myles still seems far too immature to be completely free in the house. My last lab was in a crate until 2 years old. But I do love reading everyone's methods for decrating for when that day comes!
Maisie can't be de-crated until I find a better laundry basket that closes. Otherwise she would just be super happy and spend her entire time alone taking out every piece of underwear, every pair of socks, and every other small article out and run around chewing on them. Even then, I'm not sure. She has progressed to being in a puppy play pen at the moment when left alone, so that's a bit nicer for her, more space, but yeahÂ… she's 8 months but not trustworthy. Haha. Although I guess she is technically "decrated" during the night as she sleeps on my bed but can jump off by herself so if she wanted she could sleep on the couch or the floor. She really only seems to do this when her tummy is upset though, otherwise it's cuddles city on the bed with me.
At eight months they are still puppies and what is worse teenage puppies Molly is 21 months now. She has gradually been decrated, but it remains in my study so every now and then she gets popped in it for convenience (she goes over the top with visitors). My plan is to disassemble the crate this weekend and just shut her in the study in her bed when necessary. That was my plan last weekend, and the weekend before and the weekend before..........I have a feeling that if the crate was in my husband's study it would be flat packed and in the garage by now
Well decrating update for everyone... night times are brilliant he is as good as gold. Still sleeps in his crate however we have the door open for him. Day times are a lot better than I thought. He did destroy his plastic measuring cup one day however that was my fault as I left it within his reach. Today however I get the call from my grandad (walk him and lets him out whilst I'm at work) he has shredded his bed, obviously decided he didn't want that. Hears hoping there is no more damage when I get in;. Fingers Crossed.
Oh dear. I think if it were me I would take a step back on the de-crating during the day as he is still very young. Better than worrying about what he might have chewed up
Bella is 8.5 months and we've just moved house. She hadn't been in her crate before the move she had half the kitchen day and night and was great. However she did destroy / scratch up the living room carpets when I was in the house!!! She's got a new big pen now which she loves and can roam around in. I have Ben trusting her downstairs when o get ready for work which has been ok she usually lays at the bottom of stairs but she also had a snack on a DVD one day and throwing cushions around another so I'm keeping her in the pen whilst I'm out for now can't risk the damage again!! She also loves digging up the new garden ha ... Apart from that she's great good luck with Indy!
Well, I have to say I am not surprised! Decrating at night and decrating during the day are very different situations. Generally at night they are in the routine of sleeping and other than the chance they will wake as soon as it gets light and look to relieve the boredom, then you are probably pretty safe. However day time is a different kettle of fish! Young dogs don't sleep all day, and if they are left without human company for any length of time they look for things to do to occupy them, when they have access to things and there is no one around to distract them, they will destroy. Crating them ensures that they cannot make themselves I'll by eating something they shouldn't and keeps your house in one piece! I know I would be going back to the crate right now and would be waiting until they have grown up a bit more. Chloe
We decrated Murphy when he was around one, we had already got into the habit of occasionally leaving him out both in the day and night and I use to set up my iPad to film him so I could check what he was doing. He was never a distructive puppy and was always fine when left just snoozed the whole time on the sofa. Maisie is a different kettle of fish as she regularly picks up things she shouldn't and the other day chewed off the back of my converse in the space of 5 mins when I'd popped upstairs. So I won't be decorating her for quite a while (although she is only 7 months). Although currently she's been sleeping with us at night and she's been fine, but I wouldn't trust her loose in the day. When we move house we are going to have loads more space and storage so it will be easier to completely remove anything I wouldn't want her to chew before decrating in the day.
Well, I was wayyyyyyy to optimistic haha live and learn, destruction followed and it is safe to say that for the last week or so Indy has been crated for the sake of my kitchen and the wall which I know need to paint. Long story. We are back to small periods when showering etc and lots of praise when he has been good. Night times the door is still left open. I think I will take everyone else's advice and wait until he is nearing 12 months or so. I am just concerned as we get married in August and he is going to a kennel where though we are taking his crate there will be no need to shut the door, I dont want his routine thrown out hence the optimistic attempt to de-crate beforehand. Think it will have to be a case of wait and see what happens after a few days in the kennels.
Main thing is that Indy is kept safe from harm and your kitchen isn't trashed. I wouldn't worry too much about the change with his crate being left open when he is kennels next month as the entire environment is different for him. He will soon re-adapt to his home routine
