# What age for roam of the house?



## anguilla1980 (Aug 13, 2013)

Einstein is 9wks and doing amazing on potty training, no accidents in days! He's finally very proficient at the doggy door in my bedroom. I had an issue where if he was in the living room, he would circle around the patio door and need me to let him out rather than run back to my bedroom and out his door, but now that seems to be solved.

When I am at work, I shut my bedroom door and he has roam of my bedroom and bathroom, which I have puppy proofed for chewing. At night when I'm home I leave my bedroom door open so he has roam of the house, and of course whenever I'm home I have it this way. 

How many months you think until I can trust him to roam the entire house while I'm at work? I've sprayed stuff with that bitter spray, it doesn't stop him one bit. Only catching him and saying "no" seems to work, but that does work well with him. He really wants to make me happy, gotta love goldens!

Alex


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

92GTA said:


> ...How many months you think until I can trust him to roam the entire house while I'm at work? I've sprayed stuff with that bitter spray, it doesn't stop him one bit. Only catching him and saying "no" seems to work, but that does work well with him. He really wants to make me happy, gotta love goldens!
> 
> Alex


There are different schools of thought on raising Golden puppies. I would no way give a Golden puppy the full of run of any room until he's outgrown his chewing stage. To be honest, I wouldn't give him the run of your bedroom. I would have an exercise pen or crate set up around the dog door opening if I were you. If he is chewing and ingests anything that is not supposed to be eaten he can be in danger of a blockage of his digestive tract. Many times puppies swallow a bunch of things with no problem, but you never know what can cause a problem. A child's sock, a large enough rock, stuffing out of a stuffed animal etc. Right now he has small puppy teeth and can do minimal damage to wood or drywall. My current Golden was a very low key chewer as a young puppy, did almost no damage. When she began having her adult teeth grow in at around 5 or 6 months the chewing problem escalated big time. She ended up chewing the end off a puppy nylabone while I sat there watching her. Before I could grab it she swallowed it and ended up having to have major abdominal surgery to repair it. Total cost of diagnostic tests, surgery, meds and special food during recovery - $1,400.

I understand that you have to work and have used the doggy door to help with training your wonderful puppy. However free range of a room or the house until all chewing stages have passed is a major safety issue. Repairing drywall or window sills is pretty easy, potential blockage issues are not so easy.


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## anguilla1980 (Aug 13, 2013)

I guess that's what I am asking is at what age do the chewing stages pass? 8 months? A year?

Far as the bed room and bathroom, I have VERY puppy proofed it because I totally understand what you are saying. My bedroom is all hardwood and my bathroom tiles. Nothing on the floor except his puppy blanket, his toys, and his water bowl. My bed is way too night for him to even come close to jumping up on. My room is really spartan, only bed, 2 nite stands, and 1 dresser. all of which I have sprayed with bitter spray and he has not show any interest in anyway. Only issues I noticed was him chewing the bathmat which I promptly removed. For all intents and purposes, my bedroom is a giant safety puppy play pen lol.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

It's pretty individual when a pup is mature enough for free roam. Many times, when you think the pup is perfectly behaved, you're surprised by canine teenagehood  The mellowest dog often becomes very mischievous and some are quite the terrors during this phase. Since there are many more things for a pup to ingest with total freedom in the house, it's probably wise to wait until the terrible teens are over before handing over the house keys!!!


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## anguilla1980 (Aug 13, 2013)

Lol, ok fair enough. What are considered the teenage months? Total newb question I know.

My last golden I got when he was 8 months old and he was the most well behaved dog I ever met. He never did a single thing wrong until the day he died. But I'm sure that was due to training prior.

So am I looking at like a year or more until the "teenage" phase if over or....


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

well sometimes when you think the chew stage is over it comes back or the one that was never a bratty teenage becomes one at 14 months old. Each golden is so different. Sparkles was soft and sweet and afraid to do anything wrong a stern no will make her hit the floor though she has never been touched she is just soft tempered. Boots at 7 will still resort to bratty teen like behavior sometimes so we are always careful with him. Tink started to have the run of the house when we were home at about 9 months lately though she about 14 months she has found some rather bad things to reach up and get, remotes who knew she could reach that high or that off all the things she could reach on that high shelf that would be the thing she chewed or really bad was the laptop cord. That was scary although the bits were small the vet thought they would pass okay and they did.

At 9 weeks your at the sweet stage like the cooing infant, you have a lot of months for things to keep changing up and they will trust me. The bitter apple that used to work suddenly will taste great Tink ate two window seals before I noticed she now like the taste! At this point you just go with the flow and watch for the changes in mindset. Give lots of exercise and training to tire him out and take lots of pictures this stage goes by so fast and some goldens just get things but just when you think they won't do Those sorta things they will get you!


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Around 15 months in my experience. They need their crates for comfort and training. JMO though, I know peeps that have never crated their dogs.


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## anguilla1980 (Aug 13, 2013)

Abbydabbydo said:


> Around 15 months in my experience. They need their crates for comfort and training. JMO though, I know peeps that have never crated their dogs.


Thanks, that's kinda what I was wondering was just a general age to kinda start hoping for maybe lol!

Einstein was actually crate trained perfectly when I brought him home from the breeder. Starting the very first nite though, even with his crate in my bedroom, he wanted to lay on the floor right next to my bed on the side I was sleeping on. So I took his puppy blanket and put it there with a bone and that's where he as slept ever since, right next to my bed. First couple nights I even needed to leave my hand on him as he fell asleep cause he was nervous of his surroundings. Otherwise when I'm home he just sleeps next the couch on on the rug with a toy in the living room. I live alone so I don't mind him being glued to me all the time like he wants.


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## TheGomi (Mar 28, 2013)

We let Cooper have free roam when he was about 7 months old. I would say it ended up being a mistake. He actually never went through a puppy chewing phase so we trusted him. But at about age 9 months he started destroying things, including eating 2 of our remote controls! It seems to be more out of boredom than anything else, but now were just REALLY good at picking things up so nothing is within his reach. If I had to do it again I think we would've waited until about a year (even though he's 14 months now and we still don't fully trust him!). Good luck!



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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

92GTA said:


> Thanks, that's kinda what I was wondering was just a general age to kinda start hoping for maybe lol!
> 
> Einstein was actually crate trained perfectly when I brought him home from the breeder. Starting the very first nite though, even with his crate in my bedroom, he wanted to lay on the floor right next to my bed on the side I was sleeping on. So I took his puppy blanket and put it there with a bone and that's where he as slept ever since, right next to my bed. First couple nights I even needed to leave my hand on him as he fell asleep cause he was nervous of his surroundings. Otherwise when I'm home he just sleeps next the couch on on the rug with a toy in the living room. I live alone so I don't mind him being glued to me all the time like he wants.


Oh I love a puppy! The thing that is hard to wrap our heads around is that they don't mind their crates! Having it in your bedroom is a plus, although you may hear a sound that is like a cat. Or barking. It is much like an infant. Good luck!


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## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

Lucy is 15 months old. We are going to try giving her free roam while were at work next week. She has been out of her crate at nights and when we go out for short trips and she has been fine. There was kind of a point where we knew she would be ok...I think every dog is different.


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## Dipper (Aug 5, 2013)

Every dog is different. First golden was trustworthy by 9 months- never had any chewing issues. New pup- now 10 months is in a major chewing and mischievous stage. Do not trust him out of my sight at all. He is a thief and will grab anything he can and impossible to get it back without a "trade". He has mostly destroyed his toys- loves socks! where is the "soft mouth" I always heard was the norm for Goldens? I need a crowbar to pry Dipper's mouth open. We are looking forward to this chew stage being over. I am trying to wait til he's at least a year old to neuter but not sure we are going to make it. I'm not sure that will change any of this behavior though.


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## Michele4 (Oct 28, 2012)

Murphee was about 8 months when we let him roam. The only thing he has ever chewed on is his dog bed, he won't destroy it but he'll chew on the corners when he is board, drives me crazy.


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## KathyL (Jul 6, 2011)

I also had experiences with my two that I got as pups where the serious chewing was more around a year to year and a half. Both caught on to potty training within 2-3 weeks but the minute they woke up I was outside with them so they never had a chance to have an accident. I used a crate for just the first few months and used a baby gate and restricted them to the kitchen area and moved out anything and everything I could. I learned the hard way thinking they were past the chewing stage when they were not. I had a bad experience with a crate -- Mikey's collar caught onto the crate when I accidentally dropped something and startled him. I never used a crate again. An enclosed pen is really nice if you have enough room.

As said they are all different. And it's that one time you leave for 1/2 hour that you come back and find something but can't quite figure out what it was -- for me often a favorite shoe or leather glove.


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## SusanLloyd (Sep 30, 2013)

I wouldn't let an uncrated puppy under 6 months be out of my sight for more than a couple of minutes, day or night! Harvey is generally a very good boy and hasn't had an 'accident' for over a month but for his own safety more than anything I prefer to keep a pretty close eye on him. I don't plan to let him roam the house when I'm out for a lot longer yet. (He's just coming up to 6 months old.)

You can puppy-proof as much as you can but the little devils will always find a way to amuse themselves if bored and alone.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

For my dogs it has been a matter of years, not months, before they could be left loose unsupervised in the house. My two senior dogs were 5 and 6 before they earned that privilege. Flip is 4 1/2 and at this rate he may never be able to be loose. When I'm gone he stays in the "dog room." I have an xpen stretched out across the back half of the room, with a crate and dog bed inside. He spends the work day and nights in there.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Beamer was 8 months when he got free roam. He was a great pup; never really went through the teenage stage. I just got Bailee about a month ago- I'm not sure when she will have free roam. She is great when we are gone for a little bit. Doesn't chew up anything, but she is still having a bit of trouble with housebreaking/not peeing in the house. So... who knows with her.


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## robinrd (Oct 30, 2012)

I have had many dogs but Tucker is my first golden and has been a handful. They have all been different ages when I started letting them roam the house, Tucker is 18 months and I will still not let him roam the house when Im not home, he goes in the crate. My other dogs were younger than that but Tucker is into everything. We have friends who have a golden and she was around 8 months when they let her roam free. I think they are all different. Im wondering if Tucker will ever be able to be trusted to be free in the house while we are gone I can't even go outside to get the mail because he will find something to get into. He's lucky he's cute


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

It depends on the dog. Our Penny never chewed anything that wasn't hers. She had the run of the house at four months. That said, I was a stay at home mom so she was never left for long; not like a working situation. 

Certainly at 9 weeks, I wouldn't say anything is for sure. I'm confused. Your text say 9 weeks, your ticker says 6 months.


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