opinions please-would you all stop crating at night at year?
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| I think we waited until closer to two (in fact the newf is almost two and still in his hugeomungeous crate at night).
when the time came I just let them each out of the crate at night, but they are confined to the bedroom (still) - and hopefully all your shoes are in the closet  |
| I'm a huge fan of crating, but also of "testing" them to see when and for how long they can be safely left out in the house.
During the day Chewie, Simon, Harley can be left loose in the house. Maggie surfs and gets in trouble. Tazz would pee and poop... Our porch/entry is gated from the rest of the house - and the 1st area that they get to be out in when we are gone or at night. It is pretty "dog proofed" at all times. Puppy Biscuit (7 month old lab) is crated there, Chewie sleeps there (by choice - it's the coolest room in the house), and Riley the rat terrier has his nest/bed in the garden window ledge (he's nosy - he likes to spy outside). Simon is old, and normally has free house wide range at night. We use a pee band on him for some age related incontinence, so he can still be out. Harley the basset foster LOVES his crate and goes in all by himself at any time of day, we just shut the door at night. Tazz is crated - old Min Pin - and he loves his crate. LeAnne gates Martha (OES) in their bedroom at night - she's not above rooting through stuff and eating dirty diapers....... 
If you have a safe, smaller area she can be in, I would start with that at 1st. Do a test like if you run errands for an hour or two. Some dogs do well, some are never really comfortable or trustworthy with it - just need to do trial and error to some degree. |
got sheep wrote: If you have a safe, smaller area she can be in, I would start with that at 1st. Do a test like if you run errands for an hour or two. Some dogs do well, some are never really comfortable or trustworthy with it - just need to do trial and error to some degree.
I agree! My Maggie at 5 yrs gets all stressed out being free in the house when I am gone. Henry at 8 months is a mellow dude who seems unphased by comings and goings. When I go out during the day, I used to use crates but now I confine them both in a mudroom that has access to a doghouse/dogrun outside. Interestingly, they are both completely ok at night sleeping. I shut doors and a baby gate to keep them upstairs on the bedroom level. |
| My one and a hlaf year old loves the crate at night. Its the only time she gets to sleep and I think she actually enjoys being in there. Like her own private little crib. My three year old I can't get OUT of the crate at night. I leave the door open and he cuddles in and looks so comfortable Im jealous!
You can always leave the door to the crate open. we used to close it and then in the middle of the night, I would open it. I found he very rarely would venture out even with the door open. |
| I tink the fact you're even considering it mean you must trust your dog. Mine is probably a couple months older??? ...and I wouldn't even trust him alone locked in a bathroom!!!!
When I do feel ready, like the others, I gate bigger and bigger sections off. |
| I think it all depends on the dog and what works. Owen's a year and a half and the only one that sleeps in a crate at night. All three of them have free run of the downstairs when we're not home but I crate Owen at night for a few reasons.
Number one: He's a creep. Often I'll fall asleep on the couch downstairs and I'll wake up and he's an inch from my face just staring like a total weirdo. I don't like the idea of him sucking my soul out at night while I'm sleeping so he's better off in the crate. It weirds me out. Second: I'm a slob and I leave clothes all over the bedroom floor. He doesn't chew them but he moves them and slobbers all over them. He loves underwear the most. Keeping him in his crate keeps my stuff safer. Plus, even if it were cleaned up, he'd want to sleep on that side of the room and Bear and Clyde are already occupying that space. It's kind of a two dog capacity situation on that side of the room. Third: Putting him in that crate at night is like throwing a blanket over a bird cage. He goes in and he's out like a light! He happily goes in too, like he knows it's bedtime and that's his place. I kind of like that he has that "place" for down time. Ultimately, he has no business milling around the house at night anyway. All the humans and dogs are asleep and he really should be, too. It's not like leaving him out would afford him more exercise or stimulation. He'd just get into trouble or bug the other two who really want to sleep! |
Chauncey was about 8 months before being crate free. I am retired so we did not crate as much. We only crated him when we went out or on a wild day to save both of us 
When we decided to try letting him out on his own when we went out, it was at first for short periods and we gradually increased the time. From here we actually were able to do away with the crate pretty quickly. Alot will depend on your schedule and remember no two dogs are the same. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Ultimately, he has no business milling around the house at night anyway. All the humans and dogs are asleep and he really should be, too.
I completely agree. Everyone once in a while, if mine are restless at night, I crate them. It really settles them right down. |
| we started leaving the crate open at night, when they were about one. That way they had the choice of where to stay; if they wanted the crate they had it. We found that they quickly settled in the living room; my BF often falls asleep on the sofa playing video games. The dogs liked being there with him.
When we moved into the new house, we eliminated all the baby gates, so the dogs had access to the bedroom for the first time. They now sleep in the bedroom, on the floor. I brought a dog bed in, and they take turns on that. They still occasionally go and check on the BF while he's gaming, but ultimately they almost always sleep on the bedroom floor. |
| Chauncey sleeps with us and the decision is mutual. He will usually start in bed either snuggled in the middle or if he gets warm at my feet. When he get's too warm he will lay beside the bed by the door.
If one of our grand-children are sleeping over in our spare room, Chauncey will lay in the hallway so that he can keep and eye on everyone but lately I have gotten up to find him snuggled up with them.  |
| All very excellent suggestions! Thank you. I laughed my butt off by the one that said her dog gets crated because he's a weirdo. LOL!!!!!! Yup, know the feeling I've woken up from naps being stared at by Chiquita....it is freaky.
We've been occasionally leaving the crate door open and the bedroom door has always been closed. Once or twice we found her standing at the door in the morning. But for the most part she just stays in her crate. Next step I suppose is to put up the baby gate and leave her in the room where her crate is and just step out of the house. Should I be looking for her not to be barking and anxious? Or do you think yours are more active when given a room? I think I'm mostly worried about causing her anxiety. But it looks like I'm going to be changing jobs so I won't be home during the day. I hate the thought of crating her for 6/7 hours during the day. I would love for her to have the freedom of the house or yard. Ohhhhh, this is hard on me. |
| Is she ever left out of the crate when you leave? I'd start out by leaving her out for short times while you're out and giving her more and more freedom as she does well. That's how we did it with each of our dogs. They'd start out out of the crate for 15 minutes for quick trips to the store, we'd come home and see how they did and gradually worked it up from there. You learn very quickly what things could become an issue to leave out. All three of ours adapted really quickly. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Is she ever left out of the crate when you leave? I'd start out by leaving her out for short times while you're out and giving her more and more freedom as she does well. That's how we did it with each of our dogs. They'd start out out of the crate for 15 minutes for quick trips to the store, we'd come home and see how they did and gradually worked it up from there. You learn very quickly what things could become an issue to leave out. All three of ours adapted really quickly.
LOL - I had to laugh at the "15 minute trips to the store" - I can't even GET to a store in 15 minutes! But yes, we do something similar. They graduate to gated on the porch while we are outside doing stuff. It's an easy start, because the big garden window on the porch is where they go anyway to watch us!  |
| Geez, do I feel foolish. We stopped crating Asterisk at 6 months. She had no accidents and would just sleep in the basement outside of her crate while we were at work. She's 1 1/2 now and has no problems. |
* Capt. Obvious Danger wrote: Geez, do I feel foolish. We stopped crating Asterisk at 6 months. She had no accidents and would just sleep in the basement outside of her crate while we were at work. She's 1 1/2 now and has no problems.
Not foolish, just count yourself lucky! Actually Chewie was like that too, and Riley the rat terrier. Some dogs do fine, most have a few issues - worrying, potty, chewing, countersurfing, etc. |
| Well, our dog (Hudson) is the most evil, destructive creature, but we stopped crating at night very early - maybe six months or so. It was around the time I had to go back to work full time.
I just couldn't crate him at night AND leave him in there while we were at work too. It was just way too much time locked up. That would be over sixteen hours out of every twenty four. I am a very light sleeper, so I was able to hear any and all shenanigans during the night. There were many at first. We used small periods in the crate as cool downs after badness, and it took about a week for him to manage overnight. Now he gets the bedroom and a hallway and the computer room at night. (It gets cold if we keep the bedroom door closed.) I can still hear him if he's up to no good, even three rooms away. He no longer has the crate during the day either. (Who would ever have thought evil puppy would earn THAT MUCH freedom?) He's locked in the bedroom, and watches out his window from the bed all day. The downside? Our bedding always smells like dog feet. I've accepted that. I feel better knowing he has a little room to "roam." We had to really clean up everything in the bedroom. There's not even a sock under the bed, etc. Cords are hidden, etc. The only things he can get to are his toys, and they are always in different places when I get home so I guess he plays with them to pass the time. The crate was our salvation when he was younger, but it's sure nice to give him a little more space. Even at six months, he still cried in his crate at night. Now, there's not a peep until the five am newspaper delivery! |
ButtersStotch wrote: Is she ever left out of the crate when you leave? I'd start out by leaving her out for short times while you're out and giving her more and more freedom as she does well. That's how we did it with each of our dogs. They'd start out out of the crate for 15 minutes for quick trips to the store, we'd come home and see how they did and gradually worked it up from there. You learn very quickly what things could become an issue to leave out. All three of ours adapted really quickly.
I forgot; we did this too! It was a big help in us being comfortable and them being comfortable! |
| crate what is that dreamer and duffy would love to know .. both i crated for about 1 week ! one is 1yr the other is 2 more likey they would think the crate is for me |
We started leaving the door open to the crates when they were about 14 months old. MOST of the time when they are ready to go to bed they will go to their crates on their own. Baley is very fond of his crate and will sleep in it on and off throughout the day and night. Baxter is not often found in his crate at all. Most all of the time they have both been ok left on their own since then. However out of the blue Baxter will do something naughty----just chewed up my reading glasses off my desk!  He hasn't bothered anything in MONTHS...they were my favorite reading glasses!  |
| we had our crate packed away since we moved. Last weekend we fostered an OES 1year old, so we got the crate out; not knowing what to expect with the boy and wanted to be prepared to crate him if we needed to. Tonks and Luna got VERY excited to see their old crate; they both kept going in and out, making a game of it. Once our foster left, i left the crate set up. They still wander in and out, but haven't slept in it yet. |
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