At what age did you give your pup 'full reign' of the house

[Geordietyke]

Hi, was just wondering at roughly what age you trusted your pup/dog to be left without being crated whilst you were out?  I realise it's one of those 'how long is a piece of string' questions but what things should I be looking out for, before I take this leap of faith?   

He's 11 months now and has the same routine during the week.  The odd times I need to pop out in between these times he'll happily go in his crate and await his fish skin .  We've got a new kitchen and don't want it chewed as we are putting house on the market early next year.  There is nowhere else really he can be left for the same reasons.  Cheers, Lesley

[EmmaA]

I still crate Eric and Lucy and they are 3 and 2 and a half  I have tried leaving them out and they really like the security of their crates so who am I to argue. The dogs are happy and the house is safe 

[Geordietyke]

Ah right, so did they just go back into their crate when you left it open?  Interesting!  I just sort of felt sorry for him not being able to roam wherever.  I'm hoping when I move into my new house next year, we can be a bit more flexible with him (we'll have a utility room he can go).  Lesley 

[Victoria25]

Poppy was about 1 when we left her in the (teeny tiny) kitchen with bed and no crate. She spends 4 hours alone 2 times per week and I felt her crate was a bit small for that long. Our kitchen is about the size of 3 crates though! Wouldn't ever leave her with any more house, think she would be insecure and barky. As it is now there is not a peep from her! She is still crated at night though.

[EmmaA]

Eric howls even if I leave the door open   I tried it for a few nights but for the sake of getting a decent nights sleep I didn't think it was worth the hassle. When you move I would try leaving your boy in the utility on the first night and see how you go? If he doesn't cope well then give him back his crate but leave the door open and just see what you can get away with   My 2 are very attached to their crates and are definitely happier in them. Even if I have visitors and they need to be shut out they are better in their crates than just shut in the kitchen

[aliceandlouis]

Still haven't let Louis have run of the house (17 months) and I am not entirely sure when or if he ever will - he feels very secure in his crate and asks to go back in there every morning after his walk and breakfast.  In fact, if I then go out for an hour or so, when I come home and undo the door of his crate and leave it wide open, it can be up to 30 minutes before he decides to join in with us all.  He can still be a bit 'chewey' if he finds shoes etc laying around, so it is easier for me and him just to pop him into his crate.

[Geordietyke]

Oh right, I see.  Odie sleeps in our room at night on his own bed not ours so overnight not a problem.  Will try the utility room for daytimes though as this room won't be a lot bigger than his current 48" crate

[Geordietyke]

Ah yes, the shoes - Odie is VERY partial to OH's shoes which he always leaves lying around  

Sounds like maybe cockers feel more secure in a smaller space when left as opposed to having the whole house then. 

[Danni and Freya]

I would have stuck with the crate with Harvey but he despises it. Apart from at night when he was happy in it if right next to my head in bed  If left in the day he never stopped screeching and messed himself several times. I decided enough was enough and started to leave
both of them in kitchen together. This worked... apart from the non stop barking 
So as an experiment I let them have run of the flat (apart from kitchen and bedroom) whilst I nipped to the shops. Expected carnage and barking when I got back, but all was quiet  Got in and all was well. Have stuck to this and to date absolutely no accidents or severe destruction. I had to leave them for the longest I ever have today ( because of the weather didnt drag them to the farm) and the worst I found on my return was a ripped up birthday card  and every toy they own all over the lounge 
It works for me just so I know Harvey isn't barking non stop and annoying the neighbours, but can imagine it wouldn't work for most at his age

[Geordietyke]

Sounds like they keep each other occupied enough not to have to go looking for mischief....  I can just imagine Odie and the trail of destruction awaiting my return (but I may be doing him an injustice ) can't bring myself to test the theory out just yet 

[SusieY]

Barney is 2 in January and sleeps in his open crate in the utility room and also goes there when I go out - in fact if he sees me in 'proper' clothes he runs out and sits in his crate waiting for his treat.  I also feed him in the utility room so it's his space.  He slept with his crate closed until he was about 17 months.  I'd tried leaving the door open but he howled.  Then we went away for a week in a doggy camper van where he slept uncrated in his own space at the back.  So when we got home I tried leaving his crate open and he was fine.

[Emma xx]

We have never had Alfie in his crate when we go out. Partly because it was never really big enough to leave him in it. Ever since he came home him and Meg have been left in the kitchen together, with access to two beds (well, 1 bed, 1 crate). The only things he chewed up was the doormat and some wallpaper, thankfully not the expensive kitchen table! We thought that if we left Alfie in his crate and Meg loose in the kitchen, it would tease Alf seeing Meg wandering around so we just bit the bullet and let him stay out with her and it has caused no problems whatsoever. Yep, we had a few accidents which is obviously expected but he has never, ever messed in his crate which i think is a good thing for him to have learned. He was closed in his crate at night though until he was about 6 months old when we decided to leave it open and see how it went (he seemed to go off his crate for a while, i dont know why ) and he has been just fine. Again, a couple of accidents and we still sometimes go down to an accident but hardly ever now.

Its all just personal preference i suppose and if you think Odie is still happy to be left in his crate then id just carry on as normal for now and wait until you have your utility room!

Emma xx

[Black Red + Yellow]

My boys are still both crated - Finn certainly all the time because he is a chewer - he's 4.   I know you have a big crate from the other thread about crates so he has plenty of room - my two share a 48" at night.  If Finn is working, Alfie is left out with Willow because he loves the company of another dog. 

Why change what works for you if Oddy is happy?  He sounds like he loves his crate to me   Even if we leave the crate door open, we've found both boys still get in it for a sleep - to them, it's their bed and it's cosy.............plus I can pile all sorts of toot on top!!!!!

[Geordietyke]

I just thought the crates would have been a temporary measure and that dogs generally preferred the run of the house   Sounds like it isn't always the case!  Will keep him in it for the moment - thanks everyone! 

[ElaineH]

Morgan never liked his crate much and we stopped using it when he was about 6 months old (we've started using it again at our mealtimes but that's a different story)
He doesn't have full rein of the house, the cats are upstairs so we use a stairgate and main room doors are closed so he can't "explore"  He has the hall and kitchen (he stopped nicking the teatowels eventually) so a fair bit of space, shoes are in the porch so he can't get at those but for some inexplicable reason, at almost 2.5 years old, he's just discovered the telephone directories which were seriously shredded while we were at the supermarket