# Increasing puppy's access to the house?



## DaveD (Oct 6, 2012)

Penny is 15 wks old (today!) and crate training has gone extremely well (never an issue, no whining at all). She has been confined to our living area (kitchen and back sitting room) with a baby gate. She has a crate in that area that she loves. She sleeps in it during the day and evening, and when its our bedtime, we bring her up to our room and she spends the night in another crate up there. 

She loves her crates. We dont let her on the furniture in the sitting area or on the bed in our room, so the crates are, by far, the most comfortable places for her to lay down. Given her desire for human contact, this has led us to spending a lot of time on the floor ourselves!

Yesterday we decided to let her on the couch in our living area and quickly found that it suddenly became her preferred place over her crate and she was much less interested in her crate. We quickly rethought our decision and while we sacrificed a bit in the consistency department, she's not allowed on the couch anymore. Poor Penny, but we need to keep the crate going smoothly.

I can imagine that the same will happen when she can clear that baby gate with ease (she has gotten over it a couple times already) and she learns about the joys of the rest of the house.

I think that her crate has gone so well because it has been Penny's best option. How do you introduce a puppy to more attractive options than a crate without taking a step back on the crate? How do you keep the pup loving the crate? Is ~4mths too young to increase access to the home?

All advice is appreciated!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

You have simply done beautifully so far, IMO. A few more months and all will be good. 

Indeed, the crate is your best option, for now. It offers safe, clean, secure place. Depending on where it is placed, it can be the only place the dog can truly rest. 
While over time you Will break all rules, no doubt, try and do not break them too early. Let her form good habits first. 

Our boy is 23.78 months old today, he called the crate home well into his 15-16 months. While we allow him to sleep at night with us on top of the blankets, we can still opt to crate him at any time without problems. 

His crate is located in the master bedroom, though. 

As far as having access to the whole house, don't. Introduce one room at a time through interactive play and frequent potty breaks. The idea is the dog has to develop a clear sense of indoor and outdoors. 

In conclusion, there is only personal experience, no two dogs are the same, no two owners are the same. Know what you want to achieve, and your ability to judge what works and quickly adjust what does not, is your biggest asset. The dog will never be mad at you for keeping it in the crate, but would always choose to sit beside you, given a choice.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Our pup is 19 weeks old and he has mostly been in the crate or living/dining area when he can be closely supervised. He definitely doesn't have free reign of the house and while he has gotten into the bedrooms a few times, they are mostly off limits for him. We do have a rec room on a separate floor that he is allowed to go to with us - but closely supervised. And, the couch there he is welcome on. Our living room on the main floor where we entertain, etc.. the couch is off limits, but he is allowed on the chair. We put these boundaries in place when we got him at 11 weeks and he really does understand them. Sometimes he'll jump on the forbidden couch and we know it's to get attention!

Our puppy is still in the crate when we are not home and at night -- he is also crated when we eat dinner. Otherwise, he's allowed to roam the main level (living/dining/kitchen). He used to start trying to head up the stairs on his own towards the rec room, but he now clearly knows that's only when he's invited up. he will sometimes forget and go up on the landing, but a quick recall and he comes back down.


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## candi30 (Jan 2, 2013)

Our 12 week old only has access to the main floor for now. Eventually we are going to start introducing her to one room at a time. I don't think she is quite ready yet. But hopefully over the next couple months we can start. Still plan on using the crate until 18 months or so after which I am hoping we can leave her to roam freely full time (with her crate left open to go in and out freely)


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

One more thing, ...you can tether the dog to your waist and that way the two of you can supervise each other  almost 100%. Fool proof, easy way to train any dog. 

That's how we did. Outside the crate 100% supervision, play training, tethered heel, follow me, sit, down, stay. Inside the crate 100% peace and quiet, at that age. 

Later, once the dog understands and starts to obey, at that point earns a little more freedom. Key is to supervise. These dogs seem to mouth, chew, swallow things like no other dog I ever met. But they get the point through countless repetition.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Our trainer also recommends using a door knob or some kind of tether in the wall to attach the dog if you are in a room for long periods of time. It's an easy way to teach down stay if you work from home and want the pup in your study... Haven't tried it ourselves because we have a rambunctious child to chase around too


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

YES the door knob... slip the lead under the door and attach on the other side... smart. As an added bonus, place a day bed and make the dog go to "place" and "stay" there. 

Smart training  


Tether the kid also.. haha


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

4 months was when we started letting Miles roam the whole house with supervision and no more crate at night. 7 months no more crate during the day, gave him access to kitchen and dining room with crate in it to sleep in. 9 months access to entire downstairs and upstairs hall and office (bathrooms and bedrooms doors shut). This worked for us. Our home is very minimalist in style, no trinkets or decor he can choke on so we didn't worry. 

I think each pup is different, we have been told that Miles is atypical in how very little destruction he made as a puppy, and he does not jump on tables and never counter surfs. Lucky us  My friends think my Vizsla Karma is coming for us with our next puppy.


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## smurfette (Jan 14, 2013)

Strangely enough I never once thought to limit Dugo's access to our house - downside of being a new owner and not growing up with the concept of crating etc. When we moved (he was about 3 and half months old) we only used a few of the rooms during the first week due to renovations but after that the whole house was fair game. We did however move his bed throughout the house in order for him to associate the house being his "den" and not only our room. 

He only peed about 5 times in the house (always on the same spot) and haven't till now chewed anything but his chew toys. We started leaving him for an hour or two alone in the kitchen/dining area from about 4 months and so far so good. Wondering whether this may change when he hits the teenager stage  But I share MilesMom thoughts that our Vizsla Karma is going to come back and haunt as if we get a second V :-\


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## Tina Bendzsa (Apr 11, 2012)

We did the same thing the first 4 months - limiting Zsiggi's access to only the living room and kitchen with baby gates penning him in. Once he got big enough to jump the barricades, we slowly gave him access to the rest of the main floor but it was always with us leading him into each room (rather than letting him roam freely). Other floors he knows he needs to be invited before he can go up or down the stairs and at 12 months and it's seemed to work as he's never once wandered to another level without us inviting him (he'll sit at the bottom of the steps patiently waiting for an invite). 

Couch is another story, however, with 2 kids that love to invite him onto the couch (whereas we prefer he stays on his dog bed), he knows who he can manipulate and get his couch time. The mixed messages haven't seemed to affect his preference for his dog bed or crate at all. As soon as our kids have to go upstairs for bed, he automatically moves to his own.


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## EastBayer (Aug 17, 2012)

Milo is 8 months old today and still in the family room/kitchen/sun room area and backyard. She has wandered into the living room and study already but with supervision. We're thinking of "toddler-proofing" the house soon so she can have full run by spring. Baby steps -- that's how it has been since she's entered our lives! It's funny that when the pocket door is open from the kitchen to the living room, she sometimes still sits in the kitchen area looking out, as if there is an invisible wall and she cannot cross over!


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