# weining from crate



## goldenstaples (Apr 3, 2006)

I know this subject has been up before but could not find the link. Trying to figure out when everyone starts weaning from the crates? I have been leaving Phoebe for about an hour or so when we go out to eat or something, I close off a couple rooms, she has handled that very well ! In another week she will be 6 mths. old and am thinking about trying to keep her out a night or at least half the night, how did you all go about this?


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## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

I had Zazoo's crate in the bedroom next to the bed so I would just shut my bedroom door and leave the crate open so he had the choice of either sleeping in it or on the floor - he chose the floor! He did great. He no longer uses the crate and I work all day and he has the run of the house and does great!! I think he might have been 4 or 5 months old when we did that - he's now almost 2 years old! Good luck!


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

That's exactly how we handled it at night. Open crate door, bedroom door closed. Remember that puppies are especially curious, and unless you're 100% confident your house is completely dog-proof, Phoebe may still need some supervision. 

When Reyna was 6, I left some peaches out to ripen on the kitchen window sill. She'd never gotten up there before, and I honestly thought since they were high above the sink that they were well beyond her reach anyway. 

I left the house for 10 minutes, and came back to discover she'd eaten some of the peaches. I couldn't be sure if she'd eaten the seeds, so I had to rush her to the emergency room to get activated charcoal pumped into her stomach. $100 later, she was fine.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I think Samson was about six months old when he started sleeping on the floor next to our bed, rather than in his crate... And we never had any problems with it. He doesn't roam at night, and when he's ready to go out in the morning, he wakes my wife or me with face licking....


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

I think this is a really helpful thread. Thanks. As my husband and I are planning on buying our crate tonight for Katie when shes comes home. Since we have cats I have been reading we should have her in the crate in our basement gate open til the cats and the pup get used to each other. Then we are going to move the crate upstirs to the kitchen (gate open) and put up a baby gate for a lil while til the cats are used to the puppy (within a week or so) then we can take the baby gate down and let her roam around the house and let her sleep where ever she likes. :wavey: :wavey:


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Um, you're planning on letting a new puppy have free access to the entire house?  Maybe I'm reading that wrong, lol.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Me? After a few months...was thinking of it. Or I guess thats a no no.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Oh! I thought you meant a week or two after you got her! Nevermind


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Good thread (saves me from adding a new one!)

Amber has been crated since begining of July 06. Her crate is in our lounge so I cannot leave the door open as the lounge is the only place she still misbehaves (doesn't sit down and relax and watch TV as we would hope, she's always on the move and loves playing/biting my husband who usually sits next to her on the carpet).

I think she will be happy in our hallway it is small but cosy and warm (worried about the closeness of the radiator though - heard it is no good for her fur). We are planning on buying a big sturdy plastic bed as she loves towels/blankets - we have tonnes of it). 

From the hallway we can close the lounge door, there is a baby gate across the stairs to our bedrooms (sorry but Amber is not allowed upstairs/in bedrooms). There is another door that separates the hallway from the kitchen (not sure wether to leave that open or not) and then there is a second door in the kitchen that leads into the garden.

*Questions:*

She has never chewed on my kitchen furniture (just the stool which she has always been allowed to nibble on). Is she likely to start chewing my fitted kitchen cupboards/draw?

Some say dogs should be crated til adult age but then some say that is 1 year and others 2 years old, what do you think?

I'm worried that she might miss her crate. She loves it.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Samson almost lived in his crate until about 4 months. Sometime around that age, we let him start sleeping in our room, where I kinda blocked off my side of the bed. At some point, we just started trusting him at night and quit blocking off that area too.

It was just recently, that we've let him stay out of his crate while we go to work. So, for us, it was at the year mark. And we've had zero problems. In fact, we think he sits at the front window waiting for us to return.....sad look and all.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I just looked back in this thread, and I had said it was six months that he started sleeping on the floor next to my bed......not sure which is right, but it was somewhere around 4-6 months.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Thanks for letting me know that age wasn't a problem for you Rick. 

Do you do this just at night? 

Does Samson sleep in your bedroom during the day? And when you're not home?


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Thanxs for bumping this up I read lots more helpful info. Now I know we can probably get rid of the crate sleeping at 4-6 months.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Katiesmommy said:


> Thanxs for bumping this up I read lots more helpful info. Now I know we can probably get rid of the crate sleeping at 4-6 months.


Augie is getting close to 5 months old and no way would I consider him not sleeping in his crate at night. He's mischievious and a chewer  He's in our bedroom with us, he's warm and snuggly in his crate... I'm not tempting fate just yet


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

I never had the crate door open until I was sure the puppy was potty trained. Of course, there was playtime after I walked him and he went both ways-then another walk and back into the crate. Letting them have the run of the house is a case by case decision-some dogs can be trusted much earlier than others.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

My Golden has some nights loose- some he doesn't. The deciding factor for me is how much exercise he has had that day. If he is exhausted he sleeps in my bed, shut in my bedroom with me. He stays in bed all night- that is the rule- no wandering. If he gets up, I crate him. He's only seven months, so I know if he wandered around he'd probably end up having an accident or getting into something. Usually, he sleeps like a rock, on his back, savoring every minute in my comfy bed!


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Katiesmommy said:


> Thanxs for bumping this up I read lots more helpful info. Now I know we can probably get rid of the crate sleeping at 4-6 months.


Samson would've been okay before that, too, I think. It's just that sometime around there is when we felt like we trusted him enough.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

LaurJen said:


> Augie is getting close to 5 months old and no way would I consider him not sleeping in his crate at night. He's mischievious and a chewer  He's in our bedroom with us, he's warm and snuggly in his crate... I'm not tempting fate just yet


Remember, though....we went from the crate to a space blocked off next to me by our bed. So really, he was still confined. Just by me.

And whenever I could (my wife will sometimes play like she doesn't want him on our bed), I snuck him up on the bed. He really keeps my feet warm. But he never lasts long. After about 30 minutes, he always gets down. I think he gets too hot.


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## kjp502 (Oct 27, 2006)

I've had Jorji since she was 2 months and it was only for about a month that she stayed in the crate at night. I tried letting her whine, but finally decided that I needed some sleep. But she has always stayed right in the room with us. I think she just likes being near someone. She is 11 months now and still stays in the crate while I'm working during the day. We've just started letting her stay out when we're gone for a couple of hours and she seems to be doing fine. We would like to be able to leave her out all day, but I'm nervous about trying it...


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

Gosh, I just did it when I felt they were ready. I never wiened Kody or Telly of there crates though, that crate always stayed open for them to go in or out. I always use it yet today if I am going to be gone for any length of time with Kode, he's fine otherwise out all night and if I step out for awhile in the yard or leave for a short time...but otherwise I wouldn't trust him yet, and he just turned two. lol

He's my little challenge golden. lol


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Shirley said:


> Good thread (saves me from adding a new one!)
> Amber has been crated since begining of July 06. Her crate is in our lounge so I cannot leave the door open as the lounge is the only place she still misbehaves (doesn't sit down and relax and watch TV as we would hope, she's always on the move and loves playing/biting my husband who usually sits next to her on the carpet).
> I think she will be happy in our hallway it is small but cosy and warm (worried about the closeness of the radiator though - heard it is no good for her fur). We are planning on buying a big sturdy plastic bed as she loves towels/blankets - we have tonnes of it).
> From the hallway we can close the lounge door, there is a baby gate across the stairs to our bedrooms (sorry but Amber is not allowed upstairs/in bedrooms). There is another door that separates the hallway from the kitchen (not sure wether to leave that open or not) and then there is a second door in the kitchen that leads into the garden.
> ...


We tried it over 2 days (day time only) but on the last day when I came home there was bits of tiny wallpaper on the floor. Amber had had a go at the corner of the wall. She also seem to think she can "dig" the floor board now and has had a go/bite at the carpet on the stairs (last step) before the baby gate. 

So she is back in the crate (maybe it is too early for her). I'll try again in a few months time. Is it just a case of her growing up or will she need training?


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## pdbrady (Oct 18, 2006)

Sasha is 10 months old and still in her crate every night and every day when we are not home. She is very curious and I have an older dog that she gets a little too rough with so I have to crate her if I can't supervise their play. She has always loved her crate though and as soon as I say "go to bed" she is right in there.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

Carson doesn't really like his crate. Our last dog didn't really at first either. I think the reason he doesn't like it is that he only goes in it when we leave. Any ideas about how to get him to like it more? Or at least tolerate it?


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