Hi all,
Many thanks for the advice again,
Hoover, we never crate trained when he was young as, if I'm honest, it never quite sat right with me, I know lots of people that recommended it but we also found toilet training, nightimes etc really really easy, he has always been very good with being left behind a gate to calm down, he has a makeshift pen in the hallway that he settles in beautifully during the day to have a chill, the only thing I have considered buying is a playpen for the lounge so that he can learn to settle in the lounge without the distraction of eating the sofa.... tonight he's come in to settle in the lounge and he's chosen to take himself off to his pen to sleep which is a first, makes me think he might actually be learning when to take himself off to settle down (after many months of doing it for him!!!) and id like to progress that into the lounge so he dosnt have to leave the room when I know he's overtired.