# When to know if it's okay to leave pup alone unkenneled for the first time?



## ruhroh (Dec 26, 2013)

So my German Shepherd mix mutt who will be 4 mos in two days is a model of good behavior. He had some nipping issues at first but they're almost totally gone. We've had him for two months and he hasn't pooped or peed inside for a month. He doesn't chew on furniture or cables. He walks past piles of laundry without batting an eyelash. Etc. Etc. 

In other words, he exhibits no bad behavior. When we leave him alone in the house (which is almost never, since I work at home) we kennel him. He sleeps in the kennel, naps in the kennel, etc. He has no problem being in it. He kennels up right away and doesn't try to eat metal to get out of it when we get home. 

So I'm wondering - at what point is it safe to say he's okay to be left alone unkenneled? Do I just have to do a test run? 

What I'm afraid of is he'll scratch the f out of the door we exited or something. Any tips? 

Thanks!


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

At 4 months, I would not trust him uncrated just yet. He is doing very well in his house training, and personally I wouldn't risk a slip up right now.

You can start out by letting him out for longer, maybe leaving him unkenneled once or twice while you're working. See how it goes.


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## ruhroh (Dec 26, 2013)

He's unkenneled all day long, basically. In fact, I said he naps in there, but that's not even true anymore. He just sleeps under my desk next to me. He'll sleep on the floor in the next room, too.


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## kelly528 (Feb 13, 2014)

If you are really worried that he might get into something dangerous or destructive, maybe try bridging the process with a collapsible pen? Until he was about 2 years old we 'kenneled' our dog in one. They cost maybe $60 and are usually made out of wire. Very common sight at any sort of dog show. We found them great because our dog was injured as a pup and could not 'fit' into a crate with his buster collar. Furthermore, there is enough 'wiggle room' for him to stretch out a bit, kick a ball around, rearrange his bed and all that fun stuff.


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## WonderBreadDots (Jun 26, 2012)

When I go through the transition from crate to no crate when home alone I usually start off by blocking the dog into one room, for me it's the kitchen, if it goes good, then the kitchen and dining room, and I will keep adding more space or rooms until full access is gained. 

I usually don't start that until after my dogs are at least 8 months old. The reason being is the dog will be going thru the ugly teenage stage where sometimes (like human teenagers) they forget what they learned and/or decide to try out the old 'let's see what happens if I do this'. Some of my dogs teenage stages were just fine and some were not, but you never know until they get to that age. You may never know your dog has hit the teenage stage and he may transition into adulthood seemlessly, or you may come home after running errands and find the dog has chewed the leg of your great grandmother's table up and you won't have time to fix it before the holiday party. :redface:


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

> When I go through the transition from crate to no crate when home alone I usually start off by blocking the dog into one room, for me it's the kitchen, if it goes good, then the kitchen and dining room, and I will keep adding more space or rooms until full access is gained.


 This is a good idea.

We started leaving Pepper uncrated at a year old. She gets to stay in "her" room, which is the spare room that has her crate in it. She's been doing well so far but I wouldn't trust her anywhere else yet. Not unless she was totally played out and tired. She still gets into stuff when I'm there!


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

For a pup that young, I would definitely start by leaving him in a small puppy proofed room where he can't get into much. As he is teething, and growing into adolescence, his behavior might change and you want to limit the possibility of bad habits forming. If he has the whole house and suddenly decides to get into the trash and destroy your pillows, then you haven't managed his environment enough.

Personally, I prefer to crate longer until I know the dog is past that stage. My pup was very good at 4 months, but was much worse around 9 months. On the flip side, I have friends with a 4 month old GSD pup and they leave him gated in the kitchen without too many issues. He's chewed up a chair, but they didn't care too much, and overall he's been good. So different things work for different dogs, but I would still start slow since he is very young.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

To add to the mix:
When a puppy is about 5 mos, he will lose his puppy teeth and his adult teeth will grow in. Because his gums are sore, he will start teething and chew on anything that soothes them. If you are there and he is free, then he will choose what to chew.

Having you In the house is very different than having you Gone. While you're there, he can check periodically and then relax. But, if you are gone, and he gets anxious ... then he might start chewing...

I suggest giving him another 2-3 months. If his personality has been calm and consistent until his 7th mos, you might test him.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Our dog started getting left out at around 8 months old when he figured out how to escape the expen. He didn't get into anything while he was out, so we started leaving him in the living room more often, and the crate when the living room wasn't clean.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Kris is 13 months old and is still crated at night or when I am not home. She is actually worse at getting into things now than she was when she was younger. She is always loose when I am home and will probably get better when the weather warms up and she can get more exercise. She loves her crate, never a problem going into it so rather safe than sorry.


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