# Crate Graduation



## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

So, Oso is almost 15 months now and still has not graduated from the crate. 

In fact it wasn't even on mind until I was reading some of the guard dog stories posted by rbd. 

If we were robbed, little Oso could bark, but only from the inside of a cage. That may keep him safe though. 

Anyways, the few times Oso has been left out he has gotten into mischief (destroyed pens, ripped up paper, etc.). Did you ever crate your dog? When did he/she graduate from the crate, if ever?


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

We started testing Riley for short periods outside of her crate when she was about 10 or 11 months old. By the time she turned 1 we could completely trust her not to destroy anything or go potty in the house for 4-5 hours. Cooper on the other hand.... I don't know if we'll ever be able to trust him outside the crate. He grabs everything he can to chew on, even when we are in the same room! I think it really depends on the pup and their level of maturity.


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Ruby is only in the crate at bedtime. Around 16 months we started leaving her out for small periods at a time and worked up to longer hours. Now at almost 2 yrs old she is fine. She has a spot she sits when we leave. Ruby is very ritualistic so when she sees us leaving she already heads to her spot. We haven't left her for more than 4 hours or so.

The first few times we closed all of the doors so she wouldn't get into trouble. Try small periods of time like a quick trip to the store and go from there.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

No crate from 10 months for my boy. We tested him for bits of time and built it up until we knew he would be good. 

I have to say we have been very lucky as he has never destroyed a thing.


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Am I lucky? :

Elza had a crate but she was never happy to be left in it with the door closed. Almost from 8 weeks old she slept in her crate with the door open. We have a corridor where all the rooms open into and that's where she stays. The only thing she has ever damaged is the wall behind her crate where the pipes coming out of the wall to the radiator. I have blocked that off and she never bothered it again. There's a shoe rack in the hall with all her stuff on top of it, she has never touched it. We don't leave anything out on the floor though. At 6 months old we put the crate away and bought her a basket and that's where she sleeps every day. It's right in front of our bedroom (she doesn't sleep with us) so if she cries we will hear it straight away. 
At the end of the summer I started to leave the living room door open so she could sunbathe and she never touched a thing. Occasionally I forgot to put my walking boots away and she hasn't touched those either. 

I do believe we are very lucky, she does like to chew but happy to do so on her nylabones and antlers.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Like Elza, Boris hated being in a crate with the door closed - and we did really try ??? In the end we had to leave the door of the crate open and he was then happy to sleep in his crate in the kitchen with a child gate in the door way. We bought him a large Tuffies nest which he has had in the living room since he was 12 weeks - so he was well used to it.

As he has never chewed anything other than his own toys we put the crate away at six months and he now sleeps in his Tuffies nest at night - in the kitchen, but unfortunately we have to now close the kitchen door as he would jump the child gate and I would wake up in the mornings and find him curled up on the carpet by my side of the bed. Something to do with being a velcro dog!!!

He has been such a good puppy that when we go out for a couple of hours and have to leave him at home, he now has the run of the house.

I do think, like adrino with Elza, that we also got lucky 

Tomorrow, I will probably come home and find he has chewed through one of my couches and feathers will be everywhere :'( :'(


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## Bellababy (Mar 31, 2010)

My dog Bella was 16 months old when I started leaving the crate door open if I was just nipping out for an hour, but she was confined to the kitchen, and still is. The time increased until eventually I realised I could trust her, and then we got rid of the crate and now she just has a bed in the kitchen. We always had to clear our benches though, because she would have taken any food, and developed a taste for paper for a while, so she chewed a few letters left on the bench etc, but that was the extent of her chewing and she soon grew out of that.


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## Kdwyer915 (Oct 23, 2012)

We graduated from the crate at 1 year. We still "milo proof" the house before we leave (close the laundry room door, pantry door, hide remotes, and put baby gate up to block the stairs). It's very rare that we come home to find anything destroyed except his toys.


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

I think maybe we should start trying to graduate Oso. Lots of encouraging stories here! I would love to retire the crate (or at least put it in storage). We probably haven't "oso proofed" the room enough before leaving. While a chewed up pen or piece of paper isn't all that bad, it always signalled to me that he wasn't ready. 

If pens and paper were more difficult to access, then perhaps he couldn't destroy them. hmmm. We will try it out.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

luv2laugh said:


> I think maybe we should start trying to graduate Oso. Lots of encouraging stories here! I would love to retire the crate (or at least put it in storage). We probably haven't "oso proofed" the room enough before leaving. While a chewed up pen or piece of paper isn't all that bad, it always signalled to me that he wasn't ready.
> 
> If pens and paper were more difficult to access, then perhaps he couldn't destroy them. hmmm. We will try it out.


The test I did with my pup was treat on the counter top. He didn't touch em so I knew he was ready.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Mine all graduated at different times. When I'm gone they mostly just rest. It dosent matter if they are in our out of the crate. During the day they are great watch dogs but at night mine snore. They can sleep through people coming and going from my house.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

Our oldest V. Sophie graduated from her crate when she was right around one year old. Our little Pacsirta has been staying home with Sophie since she was about 9 months old. They just sleep most of the day on their V. couch and don't do a whole lot. However, we have to make sure we remove shoes and books/paper because those are the two things they WILL chew on if left out. Sophie goes for paper (last was some of my sheet music) and Pacsi will eat shoes. They actually help us keep the house tidy at all times


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## OttosMama (Oct 27, 2011)

Otto has been out if the crate since the middle of July - so almost at 11 months old. The only issue was a couple weeks ago when he got sick in the house. Other than that he doesn't seem to do much while we're gone. I think he conserves all his energy for us!

That said, he was never a big chewer at all. Like Suliko, I don't leave shoes around the house. 

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Miles graduated from his crate to the downstairs hall at 7 months, then dining room/ kitchen at 8 months, and then at 9 months we gave him the whole house. We keep our bedroom door shut and the bathrooms shut. We have had a few instances of chewing but nothing major.


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