# How old to start sleeping outside crate



## geomana

How old was you puppy when you allowed him/her to sleep outside the
crate all night ?

Did you leave them in your bedroom , door closed ?

If so, how successful was it in transitioning from the crate ?


Thanks in advance!


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## Lil_Burke

Sawyer was about 5 months and we let him sleep on the floor in our bedroom. we moved his bed in there also and he usually alternates between sleeping on the floor and on his bed. We've never had any issues with him sleeping outside of his crate at night since then - except he now thinks it's his job to wake us up everyday at 6am (this includes weekends)!

We still don't leave him out of the crate during the day when we are at work though - still not comfortable with that idea yet and not sure when we'll be brave enough to try!


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## Sweet Girl

My dog was 9 months old. I had to let her sleep out because it was way too hot in my apartment to coop her up in the crate. It was about 35 degrees Celcius.

So I just figured, I'll leave her out, if she destroys something, so be it. Most of my house was still gated off. She had access to the puppy-proofed living room (where her crate was), the hallway, the kitchen, and my bedroom (all puppy-proofed - there was absolutely nothing she could pick up and carry around, and very little, other than furniture, that she could chew on).

She started off that night in her crate with the door open. I woke up in the morning to find her on my bed. All was well, and she has slept on my bed ever since. So there was no real transition. If you are going to leave your dog out, just make sure to barricade off rooms you don't want him to go into, and puppy-proof everything else. If he is not a destructive dog during the day, he likely won't become one in the night hours.


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## MittaBear

We allowed Chester to sleep outside his crate at night before we allowed him full run of the house during the day.

I think it was around 6 months that we let him sleep outside of his crate. We still kept the bedroom door shut so that he was just in our bedroom. He was housebroken and we could trust him, and knew he wouldn't get into any trouble in our room. It worked out just fine and we never had any issues.

It wasn't until more like 11 months that he was officially out of his crate during the day when we weren't home.


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## inge

Tess was nearly two. We had been on vacation in an RV, where she didn't use a crate, and it seemed natural to continue at home. Before she always went in her crate by herself, so there was no reason to stop using it then. She sleeps downstairs, on a couch in the living room. Never had any problem. She is still crated when she stays with her breeder, but is quite ok with that.


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## Jige

I never crated BaWaaJige at night. He has sllept in my room the door closed ever since I brought him home. He has never chewed anything and I have lots of books but I gave him a couple of toys and hoped for the best. BaWaaJige is the best pup ever.


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## Door

My dog never did transition out. I don't remember what his age was, but at a time when I thought it was OK, I simply left the door open. I keep the crate next to the bed. When I go to bed he just goes to the crate on his own and spends the night there. The door is always open. He uses the crate for the night and whenever he wants to be undisturbed during the day.


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## aerolor

I packed the crate away at about 4.5 months. She never went into it during the day anyway and I took the gamble that she would be OK without it. Bonnie sleeps downstairs on her bed and has access to the dining room, kitchen and conservatory. Everything has been OK and we have had no problems or accidents. I think we have been lucky with her.


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## Deb_Bayne

Bayne is 11 months and still crated at night. We have 2 cats that don't take favourably to him, so until we can see him settled in the house during regular hours, he will continue to be crated at bedtime. Also, I am hearing impaired so I don't hear anything at night, so him being crated is also a safety factor.


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## berggred

Shandy started sleeping in our room at about 4-4.5 months old. At first, we had her sleeping in the kitchen with pet gates up, then decided to let her sleep in our room with the door shut (to let us know if she had to go to the bathroom). Last night was actually the first night that we tried leaving the door open - she roamed for about 5-10 minutes before laying down and falling asleep for the rest of the night.


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## puddinhd58

Didge just turned 5 months old and last week we allowed him to sleep in our bedroom, on the floor and we close the door. He has been just fine. I would make sure he was confined to an area that you know is safe, just in case!!!


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## Rainheart

I started leaving the crate door open at night starting about 4 months of age. Beamer has done great with it and never had any problems. I now get a lovely wake up call with him and a toy in his mouth every morning.


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## Faith82

Griffey just now started sleeping outside his crate at night. He is 6 1/2 months old and he does very well. We have our bedroom gated off so he can't leave our room. Honestly though we probably don't even need that gate because he NEVER leaves our bed! He will sleep quietly in our bed ALL night, hahaha! We still leave him in the crate when we're not home though. Good luck!


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## Wyatt's mommy

Neither one of our boys were crated. They went from a playpen to being gated off. At about 6 months gated just in the kitchen overnight. And now at 18 months Wyatt has had the whole family room and kitchen since he turned a year old. We don't let him have the run of the house because of our kitty. She needs her own space as she just tolerates him.


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## Florabora22

Flora never really slept in her crate at night (she hated it) so she started sleeping on the floor of my bedroom since about 9 weeks old. It was never an issue.


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## Elisabeth Kazup

Penny has had the run of the house since 4-5 months old. I was a stay at home puppy mom with no kids left at home, so total supervision was never a problem. She's never been a chewer and she potty trained readily. So letting her out at night was a minimal risk. She always greeted us by jumping on the bed, ready to play!


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## baumgartml16

We tried leaving Koda out at about 5 months and she was fine but she started wanting up on the bed earlier and earlier by pawing our faces. We put her back in the crate. We thought of trying again but I think we will have the same issue..she just wants to sleep on the bed but the hubby isn't a fan of that. She takes up so much room! We usually let her up in the morning when one of us is getting ready though.


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## OutWest

Do you need to remove the crate? if not, why not just leave it out? If a dog is used to a crate they often will go back there just to take a nap. We have Tucker's crate in my daughter's bedroom. At some point, we'll do our usual bedtime routine of putting him in it and then leave the door open so he can come and go (after puppy proofing the room!). 

Our little dog, Tess, adores sleeping in her crate and we often find her in there just because she likes it. 

I like the idea of keeping a dog used to the crate because it makes it easier when service people come to the house, when we travel and the dog stays at my sister's place, etc.


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## ozzy'smom

We let Ozzy out at about 5 months but he's gated in our room. He sometimes jumps up on the bed though. We kick him off unless it's close to wake-up time anyway. He does wake us up at about 6:50 every morning. If we feed him and let him out he'll go back to sleep. Some nights he sleeps on his bed but lately he's been going into his crate by himself.


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## Deber

We crated the first couple of months, but by 5 mo. our girl would sleep in her crate with the door open and since our family room is gated off from the rest of the house we just have continued. Kye likes to sleep in her crate or on the tile floor where it is cooler, but doesn't have access to the whole house. When Cooper joined us we just did the same for him (left the door open to his crate at night) and he still likes to sleep in there when napping and his big sister is going crazy. 

Though no longer crate during the day, I am glad both the dogs like their crates in case we must ever board them, travel, or heaven forbid, they must be isolated during an illness. Want their crate to be their friend.


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## Bella's Mama

Bella is 7 months old and extremely mischievous, so I can't imagine letting her out this early. She still has a ways to go because she loves to find trouble.


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## doggiedad

when to leave a dog out of the crate has
a lot to do with the individual dog and it's
training.


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## tahill

I just left Chloe out alone for the first time today. My mom comes and picks her up and watches her at her house during the day and she said Chloe was good. I was shocked!! She is 6 months old, going on 7. I think it really depends on the dog. I am so excited that she didn't do anything!!


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## Pammie

Bryley is a bit over 9 months and right now their is no way he could sleep outside his crate! He gets over excited when I lay or even sit on the bed. He roughly leans (slams) on me and tries to sit on my lap if I am sitting and laying down he is mouthy-mouthy & walks on me! How rude! :no: I am hoping his age has something to do with his unruly behavior. I have been trying to desensitize him by randomly sitting or laying down for just a few minutes in hopes that it will become less thrilling to him! What I can't figure out is WHY he gets amped about the bed?!


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## OutWest

tahill said:


> I just left Chloe out alone for the first time today. My mom comes and picks her up and watches her at her house during the day and she said Chloe was good. I was shocked!! She is 6 months old, going on 7. I think it really depends on the dog. I am so excited that she didn't do anything!!


Give her time...LOL :--big_grin:


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## Jamm

Joey is still crated! we are moving within the new year and I am hoping that will be when he will be allowed to be uncrated. The only time Joey wasn't crated was when he got fixed last month, he had to wear his cone and couldn't fit so he slept outside of his crate. Its hard to say wether or not it would work because he was all drugged up that night...If he still prefers his crate then I will just leave it open, but I am hoping him and I can have serious cuddles!


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