Graduating from the crate
 . He spends the night there, and during the day while I'm at work (I work a varied 8 hr schedule, and come home to let him out at lunch). I'd like eventually to let him sleep where he wants during the night, and confine him to the kitchen during the day without coming home for lunch. Any suggestions on how to tell when to make the transitions without unpleasant surprises? Presently he is good about letting me know if he has to go potty when I'm home. He's still not crazy about the crate and I have to put a treat in it, then when he goes in I close the door. |
|
|
| We started letting Merlin sleep out of the crate and in our room when he was about 6-7 months old. We put a gate up in our room and also had his crate in there as well. Most nights he went into the crate on his own anyway. Now we no longer need the gate and his crate has been moved into the laundry room, but he will still sleep in the spot where the crate was!
Merlin is now almost 2 years old. I know I can't leave him during the day unless he is in the crate. My chow was able to be left alone out of the crate at a year. Only you know your dog. But I think at 4 months that is very young to leave uncrated for 8 hours while you are gone. At least in the crate you know your puppy is safe. Just my $.02 Hugs |
| I agree - I think 4 months is still too young. It's more a matter of safety (they can't get into something they shouldn't in the crate) - than housebreaking.
I would give him some more time in the crate - at least keep him in there during the day. JMO. Kristen |
| Pooh knows that he goes in the crate when we are gone, and for sleep time. He's now 6 1/2 months and I too have been thinking about the freedom of leaving him not in the crate during the day.
Remember, these guys are puppies until 18 months or so....and even more importantly, at 4 months, he is just now starting to teeth...best bet: Wait. It really is too soon. Even thought you may feel there is nothing for him to get into trouble with if you gate in the kitchen, kiss the bottom of your cabinet doors goodbye, the fridge, and anything that can be chewed. As said earlier, only you know your dog. I did it once....htought I had everything safely put away. 15 minutes and Pooh completely shredded a New York Times. Good luck! |
| We made the mistake of allowing Jack and Annie out of the crate around 6-8 months old because they hadn't had an accident in a while and also no normal puppy destruction in awhile. They were not ready, and in my opinion it set back the training we had already done. They had to go back in the crate and a little over a year old, we tried again, but this time would gradually allow more freedom during the day, but not during the night. Then eventually they got the freedom of day and night and when we were gone too. I would recommend waiting until the puppy is around 12 months old before trying to give more freedoms. At least in my experiences.
Good luck and keep us posted. 
Stormi and co. |
Thanks to all for the replies about maintaining the crate. I agree and was especially concerned about possibility of setback in training. I would however like to eliminate coming home for lunch to leave him out. Presently all he does in pee and in 5-10 min. he's back in the cage. Maybe he can hold it during the day for 8½ hours like he does at night.  My vet said the problem would probably not be with the bladder so much as being bored. I do leave his favorite bone and toys in the cage with him and he has plenty of water. |
| If he is clean in his crate he probably can hold it that long, but if he doesn't right away then give him more time, so that you don't create a bad habit of him soiling his crate. I came home at lunch for my girls till they were about 14-16 weeks I think... Sky did great with it, Dancer didn't until she was about 7 months old. |
| While Pooh can make it 8 hours through the night, and we are somewhat sure that he can make it through the day (our walker thought he was off one day that he should have been on) we still think he's too young to be in the crate for that long during the day.
If yours can make it now, GREAT! That's fantastick, but at 4 months the bladder is still developing as well as the sphincter muscles. If you don't make it home during lunch and he has to spend another 4 hours in the crate with waste, 2 things could happen: Clean crate setback, and dirty puppy. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|