# When to Allow Free Roam



## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

This question is tied to my other one about needing perspective. 

Brady is currently crated overnight (8/8:30PM - 5AM [6AM on weekends])...and, 3 days a week, he is also crated during the day (6AM-4PM w/30 min walk at lunch). For monetary rasons, we are considering easing off of using the dog walker.

That being said, I understand that he is crated an awful lot. Our eventual goal is to allow Brady to have free roam of half of the apartment (the cat gets the other half) when we are gone during the day.

When is an appropriate age/time to begin easing him towards being allowed free roam?

How do you go about doing so?


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

I would start as soon as you think he's potty trained well enough to hold it, even if not crated. Try it on a day when you don't normally work all day. Leave him out free for 10-20 min and see what you come home to. Don't forget to put away anything he could chew up! If that goes okay, try it again later that day for longer, then longer and so on (if it goes well). Be sure to treat his "roam-alone" time like crate time, with potty breaks just before and after, just like if he were going in the crate. 

Or perhaps you can try letting him sleep out of the crate, so that his crate time is lessened but you'll also be home to ward off any issues. Then his crate time would be just those 3 days. We let our dog go uncrated at night at a few months, though we gated him off in the living room/kitchen area (no carpet) and he surprised us by being pretty much accident free. Now he's free to wander the house all night, since we trust his housebroken-ness 100%. Unfortunately, we can't let our dog go uncrated while we're gone, though, since he's got a touch of SA and scratches at the windowsills and slobbers all over the windows w/anxiety at where we went.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Do you have a webcam? Videotape him for 30 minutes home alone uncrated and see what he does. If he does well, go for an hour, then two hours. You can also use the webcam to check out potential problems, for instance, maybe he never gets on the counter when you're home, so you never even knew he could, but on the webcam he's caught red handed figuring out a way to get on the counter you never even thought of! That's how I caught Basil... lol :biggrin1:


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I think crating up to 16 hours a day is acceptable. That's the amount that a dog normally sleeps anyway. I know people with adult dogs who work, and the dog is crated overnight and during the day while they are at work. That's 16 hours a day 5 days a week. The dogs go happily into their crates when asked, so they are obviously not worried about it.

You could always get a bigger crate, so that he has the option to move around a little bit, just for your own peace of mind. I know people usually say the dog should only just be able to turn around in the crate, but I have used a HUGE crate for my puppy since day one, and he has never had accidents in it. Even now that he is much bigger he still has room to move around a bit in it.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

I have an extra bathroom that's pretty big... Cadence goes in there whenever I'm not home. At night he sleeps in his crate beside my bed. He'll be turning 2 soon and is 100% potty trained but I still won't have peace of mind if I were to let him have free roam around the house! There's just so many hazards that a dog can get into 8 hours everyday. Plus Cadence loves eating whatever crap he finds around the house so at this point, I can't see myself letting him have free roam when nobody's home, ever.

There are other things to keep in mind other than potty training. Does your dog chew? Are there exposed cables around your home? Remote controls? My friend's dog died playing with the TV remote. He somehow managed to get the batteries out, and swallowed one. He choked to death.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Lots of different opinions!

Brady was once accidentally left out in our bedroom for 5 hours before the dog walker got there.... He ate the feathers off of a stuffed animal that was on the floor, but otherwise destroyed nothing. He just slept on our bed. He did not have any accidents. So I think if we just puppy proof the bedroom, he can remain uncrated in there for a little while when we just go out to run errands. Might be a good way to start.

I guess I'm torn between thinking to myself "gosh he's crated a ton" and "but he still seems pretty happy." I mean, he's not a destructive, bored dog.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

Questioon:


> When to Allow Free Roam?


Answer: Never. Period. 

Too much a dog can get into.. electric out lets to chew on, cords, things that if ingested can kill the dog or cause a blockage that can kill the dog. NOT worth the risk.

I never leave my dog loose when I am not there. Dog is crated or kenneled outside or, for real long times away, boarded.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

My dog does roam free, so does my boyfriend's. We've not had an issue, yet I can't say that my next dog will be the same. I think a certain level of trust can build over time with some dogs. Willow was never much of a chewer after the teething stage. This is the #1 thing I hear about retrievers, but not her- she just carries objects. To be fair, I no longer work and I am not the most social person. Besides shopping, errands, the odd family function, I'm home most of the time and have been through Willow's entire life. Most people have different lives.
I think it is something you can work towards if you wish- if he's not ready- fine- if he's not a dog you can ever trust for his own safety- fine. From all of your posts, I know Brady is very high priorty, and you'll do right by him.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

I don't know, 2 questions, how brave are you and how much extra money do you have to repair or replace damaged goods. If you're bound and determined to take the big step start short and gradually increase time. If you're religious prayer while it may not help won't hurt.

Just suppose for conversation sake you get home and you have a hole in your couch/recliner/wall or all of the above. How are you gonna feel about your dog then. Some people will dump dog immediately some won't and all the variables in between. There are people who would laugh at the damage and others that would damage the dog. It's a personal thing.

Let's say the dog swallows something and dog damage or worse occurs, more to think about.On the other side you may make the decision to turn pup loose an he may be world's greatest in home dog. Now that I possibly have you confused good luck.


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

My pup is about the same age as yours albeit, much smaller. Personally, I don't think a dog that is crated all night should be crated more than 4 hours in the day. I don't give mine free roam of the house when I'm gone, just the bedroom. Our bedroom is the most puppy proof room in the house though it has carpet. To keep her from going on the carpet when we're gone longer than she can hold it we leave a piddle pad for her to use. Her crate is always by my side of the bed with the door open so she can choose to go in her crate and sleep or zoomie around the bedroom or play with her toys, kong or bully stick. She seems to view the whole bedroom as an extension of her crate and isn't destructive in the bedroom even though she can be when left alone elsewhere in the apartment.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

wvasko said:


> I don't know, 2 questions, how brave are you and how much extra money do you have to repair or replace damaged goods. If you're bound and determined to take the big step start short and gradually increase time. If you're religious prayer while it may not help won't hurt.
> 
> Just suppose for conversation sake you get home and you have a hole in your couch/recliner/wall or all of the above. How are you gonna feel about your dog then. Some people will dump dog immediately some won't and all the variables in between. There are people who would laugh at the damage and others that would damage the dog. It's a personal thing.
> 
> Let's say the dog swallows something and dog damage or worse occurs, more to think about.On the other side you may make the decision to turn pup loose an he may be world's greatest in home dog. Now that I possibly have you confused good luck.


I'd most likely come home to carpet ripped up.

Any holes in the sofa are caused by the cat. 

This is why we have old furniture LOL.

But point taken. I'm feeling the nighttime freedom will be plenty.



Fuzzy Pants said:


> My pup is about the same age as yours albeit, much smaller. Personally, I don't think a dog that is crated all night should be crated more than 4 hours in the day. I don't give mine free roam of the house when I'm gone, just the bedroom. Our bedroom is the most puppy proof room in the house though it has carpet. To keep her from going on the carpet when we're gone longer than she can hold it we leave a piddle pad for her to use. Her crate is always by my side of the bed with the door open so she can choose to go in her crate and sleep or zoomie around the bedroom or play with her toys, kong or bully stick. She seems to view the whole bedroom as an extension of her crate and isn't destructive in the bedroom even though she can be when left alone elsewhere in the apartment.


Yeah, we're gonna nix the nighttime crating. That way at least we're PRESENT when he's uncrated.

Piddle pads are chew/tear toys for a lab mix 

We used to confine him to the bathroom when he was really little. Every evening we came home, swept up the remnants of the pee pad, then mopped the floor. oi.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> Yeah, we're gonna nix the nighttime crating. That way at least we're PRESENT when he's uncrated.


Good move, it's a common sense place to start and at least give Brady more freedom while you're at home. Now while you're sleeping you may not hear him chewing but at least if he starts throwing the furniture around you will wake up and put a stop to that silly stuff. I'm just sayin'.....


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

I think he's still too young yet. I dont remember the ages at which I felt comfortable letting the dogs free roam, but they all do it. I close any windows they could jump out of, close the pantry and the only problems I've ever had is when the pantry was left open once and Gracie ate about 20 lbs of dog food, and once I left Christmas candy within their reach and they ate that. Oh, and a few times they got into the trash when Remy was young. Put the trash can on the counter, problem solved. Maybe I've been lucky, I know many people would never let their dog's alone in the house, but I've always done it, for 20 years of owning dogs. Now, ET, she's a different story. I dont know what's up with that dog! Demonic posession perhaps. 

I think you'll know when he's trustworthy. Let him have freedom when you're home now and see what he gets into.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

wvasko said:


> Good move, it's a common sense place to start and at least give Brady more freedom while you're at home. Now while you're sleeping you may not hear him chewing but at least if he starts throwing the furniture around you will wake up and put a stop to that silly stuff. I'm just sayin'.....


Actually, I am a wicked light sleeper. Chewing WILL wake me up. As will movement. And breathing LOL. It'll be an interesting thing to see. But we'll have plenty of chewies in the room, which he tends to prefer (bully sticks, trachea, bison cartilidge)


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

I also do not allow freedom at night. Atka HAD earned this and was loose nights for awhile until I found her lsleeping on the new couch. Done. Dogs are confined at night too (Atka more loosely.. but she will be 5 in December). 

I just do not believe in loose dogs in the house unless you are present and accounted for (not asleep).


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Elana55 said:


> I also do not allow freedom at night. Atka HAD earned this and was loose nights for awhile until I found her lsleeping on the new couch. Done. Dogs are confined at night too (Atka more loosely.. but she will be 5 in December).
> 
> I just do not believe in loose dogs in the house unless you are present and accounted for (not asleep).


Brady is allowed on the couch as long as he's laying down or sitting (It's not a toy).

He's not allowed on our bed... but I'm preeeetty sure that's about to be challenged.
Dan really wants Brady to be allowed free at night, and I'm ok with it as long as he's in the same room with us and does not become a terror. He's usually asleep ALL night though, so we'll see.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

lisak_87 said:


> Brady is allowed on the couch as long as he's laying down or sitting (It's not a toy).
> 
> He's not allowed on our bed... but I'm preeeetty sure that's about to be challenged.
> Dan really wants Brady to be allowed free at night, and I'm ok with it as long as he's in the same room with us and does not become a terror. He's usually asleep ALL night though, so we'll see.


Rule #1 in my house: NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE. 

If the dog wants to go on the furniture refer to rule #1. 

Heck.. I barely allow PEOPLE on the furniture (the few I let in past the front door LOL). I work too long and too hard to trash the furniture. Fact is, the couch I earned by taking care of the house next door after the resident there died (kept the driveway cleared of snow and the walk so the Realtor could get in.. Cleaned the carpets.. and did a number of other things to keep the place neat, clean and looking occupied). When they finally sold the place they gave me the couch (which was brand new) as payment.. and sold me a brand new chair for $25). 

While you are investigating all this there is one more thing you should think of. IF you come home to a sick dog (from ingesting doG knows what) or a dead dog (from chewing thru an outlet) how will you react? I know you are looking at uncrating him nights.. but think past that to days as you are also discussing. At 6 monhts old, no dog is housebroken enough to let loose.. but it is your dog, your house training program and your property (the dog, not the apartment) so you go ahead and do whatever you want. Good Luck.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

A couple of suggestions to help your decision:
1. From 4 - 5 mos, a puppy is teething.
2. Around 6 mos, a puppy is gaining independence and sexual maturity.
3. ~ 10 mos full hormones kick in and puppy license with adults can expire.
4. ~ 3 years, most Labs fall into a reliable routine, which includes sleeping ~18 hours/day.

An unexercised puppy may chew cables out of frustration, but usually won't start out-of-the-blue after 9 mos, unless attempted a an earlier age.

A lonely or frustrated dog, who wants or needs to go out, can scratch or chew doors or doors in an attempt to get outside. A healthy, 'house-trained' dog with no problems, usually won't start out-of-the-blue. However, a change in diet or a little diarrhea can result in a lot of destruction in an attempt to avoid messing up the house.

A puppy that tears up a bedroom cannot go back into that room unsupervised.

Re: Elana - My 10 yo Lab mix sleeps loose at night. He will also sleep on the couch or bed, if allowed... but he won't if I block him with pillows. Not sure why. He is also allowed to roam the house loose when I'm home during the day.... However, at this age, he's usually sleeping.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Elana55 said:


> Rule #1 in my house: NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE.
> 
> If the dog wants to go on the furniture refer to rule #1.
> 
> ...


I don't think he will get free roam while we're gone to work until he's near 2 YEARS old, depending on how he turns out. If he has a tendency to eat things, then he stays crated. Right now, him being allowed out at night is enough for me. I honestly think he will stay in the crate all night anyway, though. I know my dog. The crate is his safe spot.


It's my boyfriend who wants him to have more free roam in general. I understand why, and agree that the ultimate goal will be a little more freedom (though building a "run" in our yard once we get a house seems like a good idea to me too), but for me... reducing the hours in the crate from 18 to 10 sounds good enough. My goal is to have him free more than he is crated, ya know what I mean?


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

I dont think I will ever be able to leave Ziva alone outside of her crate. She can find anything....recently I found her chewing an electric wire, a barely visible wire that runs down the wall behind the couch and into the carpet.....its behind the couch, with large endtables on each end and heavy boxes behind the endtables to block entry behind the couch for the dogs...yet she was back there, had pulled up the carpet and gotten the wire in her mouth. Because I left her alone for five minutes while I was in the bathroom. I cant imagine what she might do if I left her alone all day!! A friend of my brothers lost three dogs at once bc they all chewed on a wire while no one was home. It scares me. Both my dogs chew things....left in a bathroom alone, they would chew on wooden cabinets, or door frames, and probably other things too, they are crafty and sneaky!  
I think that if you have older dogs who can handle it, and they are fine left out alone, then thats great. But those who do NOT have dogs who can be allowed free roam shouldnt be made to feel bad bc they are trying to keep their pet safe when they arent there. 
Also, personally, I think its good for a dog to get used to being in a crate, esp to sleep, bc when we go places that arent home, they have a safe place they know is theirs to sleep and hang out in......I wouldnt leave dogs out and alone, for instance, at my moms cabin, or in a hotel room.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

lucidity said:


> There are other things to keep in mind other than potty training. Does your dog chew? Are there exposed cables around your home? Remote controls? My friend's dog died playing with the TV remote. He somehow managed to get the batteries out, and swallowed one. He choked to death.


Yea I worry WAY more about chewing than potty training. Not that I want to or that I want an unhousetrained dog, but I can clean up pee or poop. I can't undo a dog chewing through an electrical cord.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

hanksimon said:


> A couple of suggestions to help your decision:
> 1. From 4 - 5 mos, a puppy is teething.
> 2. Around 6 mos, a puppy is gaining independence and sexual maturity.
> 3. ~ 10 mos full hormones kick in and puppy license with adults can expire.
> ...


This is good to know... Brady is not a furniture chewer. He's done very little damage ever. He prefers to chews animal parts... thus why we have quite a variety. He'd MUCH rather chew on a piece of cartilidge than on wood. So I'm glad to know he's probably not going to start being a really bad chewer LOL.

Guess he's getting enough exercise then 



osdbmom said:


> I dont think I will ever be able to leave Ziva alone outside of her crate. She can find anything....recently I found her chewing an electric wire, a barely visible wire that runs down the wall behind the couch and into the carpet.....its behind the couch, with large endtables on each end and heavy boxes behind the endtables to block entry behind the couch for the dogs...yet she was back there, had pulled up the carpet and gotten the wire in her mouth. Because I left her alone for five minutes while I was in the bathroom. I cant imagine what she might do if I left her alone all day!! A friend of my brothers lost three dogs at once bc they all chewed on a wire while no one was home. It scares me. Both my dogs chew things....left in a bathroom alone, they would chew on wooden cabinets, or door frames, and probably other things too, they are crafty and sneaky!
> I think that if you have older dogs who can handle it, and they are fine left out alone, then thats great. But those who do NOT have dogs who can be allowed free roam shouldnt be made to feel bad bc they are trying to keep their pet safe when they arent there.
> Also, personally, I think its good for a dog to get used to being in a crate, esp to sleep, bc when we go places that arent home, they have a safe place they know is theirs to sleep and hang out in......I wouldnt leave dogs out and alone, for instance, at my moms cabin, or in a hotel room.


Oh I definitely see and understand both sides. My mom's dog is very reliable and can free roam easily. My dad's dog, however, cannot...and she is crated when needed. Both are great dogs, both are different dogs.

And puppies just simply should not free roam. I wouldn't let a toddler run around my house when I'm not there, I won't allow my puppy to either 



Elana55 said:


> Rule #1 in my house: NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE.
> 
> If the dog wants to go on the furniture refer to rule #1.


This was my rule when Brady first came home......

I changed my mind in like a week. He gets off when I tell him to, has to sit or lay down otherwise he's off... and then he has to ask to get back on (down/watch me)


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

I don't think there is really a right or wrong answer here. It's all a matter of you, your home and your dog. Our last dog was wonderful in the house and was free roaming by 6 months old. But we were home a lot more with her when she was young. With Aggie we haven't been home as much and while when she was younger she was wonderful and could be left for hours alone in the house now that she's sit sexual maturity she's a little more destructive. She's not too interested in furniture but loves paper. IE my books. It's just so much easier on me to put her in the kitchen which is dog proof if we are going to be gone. Running down the street to the store real fast no biggy but if I'm gonna be gone a few hours she goes in the kitchen and doesn't mind it at all. In fact she's usually in her crate when we return. One day I hope she will have the run of the house but it's not going to be any time soon.


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## Irishman (May 13, 2011)

Elana55 said:


> Questioon:
> 
> Answer: Never. Period.
> 
> ...


I completely disagree. This depends on the dog. For safety, of course I don't leave things on the counters they can reach that are dangerous - even when I'm home with them. However, I have one dog that is completely trustworthy, one that occasionally gets into things, and one I have to crate even if I'm going to just lay down for 30 minutes. Some dogs mature enough and are trained enough to handle the open range of your house. Some aren't. To say that a dog should *never *be left to roam is a bit too definitive to be credible. Very few things fall under the category of "Never. Period."


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Well, elana said that with her dogs the word "never" does fall under that category. Sometimes dogs live their whole lives and die trustworthy and some are just trustworthy till the day comes they are not. There's no right or wrong here, people do what they got to do. The particular pup replied about here is 5 months old and with most experienced dog people would not be left free to roam the home.


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## IWlover (Sep 4, 2009)

It sort of depends on the dog. With puppies I've raised myself (3 wolfhounds, a maltese and a cavalier) I start with short periods when I see that they are no longer chewing things they shouldn't and that they are solidly house-trained. With my first wolfie, she was about 18 months old when I was able to leave her loose in the family room/kitchen area for a fairly long period of time--like 4 or 5 hours. I started leaving her for a short period--one half-hour--and when she was good with that, I'd leave her for gradually longer and longer periods. The wolfie I have now will be 5 months old tomorrow and I can already leave him for a couple of hours loose in the family room/kitchen area (the rest of the house is baby-gated off) for a couple of hours. He's been a very easy puppy from the time I brought him home at 10 weeks old. I think I'll be able to leave him for several hours in a month or so. I need to add, though, that most of the time, when I leave a dog, there's at least a cat for companionship, which I think might help them be alone.


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## adamaki (Apr 8, 2011)

I think if you leave a dog in a crate every time you're asleep or out you lose one of the big benefits of having a dog - as a guard dog/burglar deterrent. I doubt many burglars would break into a house with a big dog wandering around loose but if it's locked up in a crate then they'd be more tempted.

We plan to let Chewbacca loose in the house as soon as we can trust him (I'm guessing this won't be for at least another year though). He's never been crated at night or when we're out. We just shut him in the kitchen where there's nothing dangerous he can get hold of and he's never done any damage. He's never really chewed anything while we're out anyway. He only seems to chew things he shouldn't when we're around, just to get our attention! He doesn't even play with his toys when we're out. He just sleeps in bed and waits for us to come home.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

adamaki said:


> I think if you leave a dog in a crate every time you're asleep or out you lose one of the big benefits of having a dog - as a guard dog/burglar deterrent. I doubt many burglars would break into a house with a big dog wandering around loose but if it's locked up in a crate then they'd be more tempted.
> 
> We plan to let Chewbacca loose in the house as soon as we can trust him (I'm guessing this won't be for at least another year though). He's never been crated at night or when we're out. We just shut him in the kitchen where there's nothing dangerous he can get hold of and he's never done any damage. He's never really chewed anything while we're out anyway. He only seems to chew things he shouldn't when we're around, just to get our attention! He doesn't even play with his toys when we're out. He just sleeps in bed and waits for us to come home.


I don't think my 35 pound puppy who doesn't bark would do much as a guard dog LOL


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

Don't underestimate your pup! Mine doesn't make much noise either, and is a 16" 30lber, but he's protective as can be  They will defend their mommas ;-)


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

Buffy still doesn't have free roam of the house, and I don't think she ever will. This is mainly because I have two cats and half of the house is blocked to Buff to allow them their freedom/a means to escape.

She has been sleeping out of her crate since about 4 months old. It started when I went away on a weekend trip and she stayed with my parents - my mom felt bad making her sleep in the crate, and she was good sleeping in their basement (with my mom ). So, when I got back from my trip, I stared sleeping on the sofa with her allowed to sleep on it with me (previously I had been sleeping on the sofa with her crate on the floor, within reach). 

Once summer came along, I kept sleeping on the sofa with her, since that's where my air conditioner is. Once the fall got here, she was allowed in the "cat half" of the house, but only at night, upstairs in my bedroom. It worked out pretty well at first because she was afraid to jump off the bed, so I knew where she was all night. Once she was able to jump off the bed, I started closing my bedroom door - I don't want her bothering the cats at night.

Now that it's summer again, I actually have my AC in my upstairs room this year, so I've started having to use a baby gate to keep her in my room since I need to leave the door open now. She's never given me a reason to not trust her at night, but I feel better knowing she can't get to the cats (or to the basement through the doggie door - where the cat boxes and all kinds of stuff are).

As for daytime, I started by leaving her alone in the kitchen - she doesn't bother baby gates, and I have metal furniture/cabinets, so there was no risk of chewing. Eventually I would leave her in the living room area too when I went out on errands, and just worked on upping the time (sturdy baby gate between the kitchen/living room and the "cat half" of the house). She does like to tear up toys, but is pretty good with leaving other stuff alone. I make sure to pick up all her stuffed toys when I leave her alone, but I think she mostly sleeps. She often won't even eat whatever treat I leave for her.


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## tuffycuddles (Sep 25, 2008)

lil_fuzzy said:


> I think crating up to 16 hours a day is acceptable. That's the amount that a dog normally sleeps anyway. I know people with adult dogs who work, and the dog is crated overnight and during the day while they are at work. That's 16 hours a day 5 days a week. The dogs go happily into their crates when asked, so they are obviously not worried about it.
> 
> You could always get a bigger crate, so that he has the option to move around a little bit, just for your own peace of mind. I know people usually say the dog should only just be able to turn around in the crate, but I have used a HUGE crate for my puppy since day one, and he has never had accidents in it. Even now that he is much bigger he still has room to move around a bit in it.


16 HRS A DAY!??? on a regular basis... that leaves....8 hrs out of the crate...?!?!?! WTF! How would like to be kept in box for that much of your day? even if you were sleeping the whole time!!!! Why do people have pets if they are just going to leave in a box and take it out once in a while to play with it and let it pee... As a kid i'd apologize to my stuffies for leaving them in boxes for that long!!!!!!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

tuffycuddles said:


> 16 HRS A DAY!??? on a regular basis... that leaves....8 hrs out of the crate...?!?!?! WTF! How would like to be kept in box for that much of your day? even if you were sleeping the whole time!!!! Why do people have pets if they are just going to leave in a box and take it out once in a while to play with it and let it pee... As a kid i'd apologize to my stuffies for leaving them in boxes for that long!!!!!!


If I was asleep I wouldn't care if I had to spend that many hours in a box each day, just so long as I got to spend those 8 hours being active. There are very few dogs that get as much as 8 hours of exercise a day, crate or no crate. Keep in mind you can also provide dogs with mentally stimulating toys and chews while they're in a crate to exercise their minds. This is coming from someone who does not crate their dog at all. I have no problem with people crating their dogs. Your objections are purely anthropomorphizing IMO.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Mine are not. Summer probably could be but Mia is 2 and it's not even a sane thought to think about leaving her loose. I doubt Mia will ever be given free roam privileges. 

PERSONALLY, I've let some dogs free roam. My shelties once they were about 3-4. Never a problem with them. My papillons... eh... devious devious little minds.

I can't imagine leaving a 5 month old puppy out loose. I would not recommend it.


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## tuffycuddles (Sep 25, 2008)

.......ok ya i admit...my comment was a bit over the top...And sure it's not the end of the world to crate your dog. (I crate my 1 yr. old pup at night so she doesn't swallow socks whole...no matter how hard i try and hide socks...she find them, swallows them and throws them up WHOLE!) but i feel ALOT better about leaveing my dogs tied up/kenneled outside with a 12x12foot space each with their own dog house and water pail, free to wander around a bit and relieve themselves whenever, while i'm not home. And it just bugs me how many people think THAT is Cruel. becasue omg they are OUTSIDE of all places!?


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

tuffycuddles said:


> .......ok ya i admit...my comment was a bit over the top...And sure it's not the end of the world to crate your dog. (I crate my 1 yr. old pup at night so she doesn't swallow socks whole...no matter how hard i try and hide socks...she find them, swallows them and throws them up WHOLE!) but i feel ALOT better about leaveing my dogs tied up/kenneled outside with a 12x12foot space each with their own dog house and water pail, free to wander around a bit and relieve themselves whenever, while i'm not home. And it just bugs me how many people think THAT is Cruel. becasue omg they are OUTSIDE of all places!?


Personally I am MUCH more comfortable crating a dog than leaving it outside unsupervised. Just different points of view.


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## Britt & Bello (Apr 14, 2011)

Mine both get free roam of the house. Brittany is seven years old (Jack Russell) and Bello is somewhere over one (husky/terrier). Bello has been sleeping out of his crate since a week after we brought him home. He ended up being potty trained and he hated being in his kennel. So he got to sleep on the bed or on the floor. It was up to him. After about a month we were trusting him with some free roam while we were gone provided most things that could be chewed on were out of reach and he was only in the living room, kitchen, and dining room. He ended up having some stupid genetic problem that caused him to limp for a few months so he was confined to an exercise pen (because he DID start chewing out of boredom when he couldn't be walked,etc) for a few months until he got better. Now he's better and has been for a few months. He's back to free roam of the house with Brittany and our four cats (who can escape him since they are allowed on the counters, yeah our house is like a zoo, animals everywhere).


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

tuffycuddles said:


> .......ok ya i admit...my comment was a bit over the top...And sure it's not the end of the world to crate your dog. (I crate my 1 yr. old pup at night so she doesn't swallow socks whole...no matter how hard i try and hide socks...she find them, swallows them and throws them up WHOLE!) but i feel ALOT better about leaveing my dogs tied up/kenneled outside with a 12x12foot space each with their own dog house and water pail, free to wander around a bit and relieve themselves whenever, while i'm not home. And it just bugs me how many people think THAT is Cruel. becasue omg they are OUTSIDE of all places!?


Unfortunately, when you're in an apartment... this is not an option.

Anywho, I've been a wimp this week and not started letting him out during the night yet. But, Dan's been off work like every day, so he's been uncrated a lot this week.

I'm so nervous to let him out at night!!!


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

@lisak_87--- I remember when we first let our dog roam free at night and I was so nervous, too. He wasn't 100% housebroken quite yet and though he was never a chewer, I just had fears of waking up to find the couch turned to a pile of string and fluff and pee and poop all over, LOL. But we didn't have any success w/his crate as a pup, so we really didn't have a choice. It was free roam or 5 hours of beagle howling (much worse than regular barking IMO). So I gated him off to keep him from carpeted rooms, put away anything I could that would be tempting to chew, and took away his water 2 hours before bed and took him to pee right before bed. I fell asleep anxious, worrying about the mess I'd find early in the morning. But there was no mess. He just seemed to find a snuggly spot to sleep (or in his open crate) and was a good boy all night.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

lisak_87 said:


> Unfortunately, when you're in an apartment... this is not an option.
> 
> Anywho, I've been a wimp this week and not started letting him out during the night yet. But, Dan's been off work like every day, so he's been uncrated a lot this week.
> 
> I'm so nervous to let him out at night!!!


Are you planning on keeping him in your bedroom with the door closed? If you do that, you should wake up if he's getting into anything.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Labmom4 said:


> Are you planning on keeping him in your bedroom with the door closed? If you do that, you should wake up if he's getting into anything.


Yes....

But I'm still scared! LOL


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

lisak_87 said:


> Yes....
> 
> But I'm still scared! LOL


LOL! Dont be. The sound of chewing drywall is quite noisy. Put furniture in front of your electrical cords, pick up your valuables and go to sleep  Well, not now, of course. Tonight.


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

Yeah, he'll probably be so happy to get to sleep in your room with you guys that he'll curl up somewhere cozy (or with you!) and snooze all night through.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

It just depends on the dog.

Jackson was 5 months and I knew he was trustworthy enough to leave uncrated. He always proved to me that he would not trash or destroy anything.

He started sleeping in my bed at, like, 15/16 weeks or so. It was the first night since I got him that I had a full nights sleep... and the rest is history!

I guess we've been lucky. Literally all of our family dogs have had free roam for most of their lives. Of course we usually started with a crate and/or expen but they quickly "graduated" to free roam. This includes my aunt's Pit Bulls, my grandma's Lab, our old Golden Retriever and German Shepherd, my moms cocker spaniel mix, and the list goes on and on.

I dogsit two Boxers however and one of them is 6yrs old and is still crated, he just can't be trusted for long periods of time (they do leave him out if they are only going to be gone for like, 3-4 hours).


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## LenaCara (May 11, 2011)

Josie is 3.5 months old and she has free run of our bedroom. She always did and once she got big enough to jump off the bed she started crying loud enough to wake us up when she wanted to use the restroom. She hasn't had any problems in the last month or so. The only thing I suggest is no toys. She gets none in our bedroom because that room is for sleep. She tries to sneak them in sometimes but I always remove them because as long as she doesn't have anything to play with she goes to sleep. I'm worried that if she doesn't, she will get bored with her toy and find something else she shouldn't have instead.


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

We allowed free roaming as soon as they were reliable for S long as we needed to be gone. We tarted out w trips to the store and errands then built from there.


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

So, Lisak_87, have you let him roam at night yet? We're waiting on the results, LOL!

Speaking of free roaming again, I tried letting mine roam free today while I ran an errand (10 min) and there was _much less _slobber on the window than the last couple of times I tried it! 

So maybe, just MAYBE we're getting somewhere. In fact, if our windowsills weren't painted, I don't think I'd even noticed any "disturbance" while he was left home alone (that's because he scratched at them and there were paint flakes on the floor :doh. So I'm going to build on this and just ignore the windowsills (they can be repainted whenever, I don't really care so long as he doesn't tear curtains, break glass, or scratch the walls). I think I'll leave him home alone for a few minutes every day or two and see if he can eventually mellow out completely.


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## IWlover (Sep 4, 2009)

I just, for the first time, left my IW puppy (and his 2 yo Cav buddy) free in the family room/kitchen area for about 6 hours yesterday. He's never been much of a chewer (doesn't even tear his toys) and he definitely seemed to have a clear idea of not going in the house, so, I had my fingers crossed on the way home. 

Success! I'm very impressed with him--he's showing himself to be so smart. The youngest I dared to leave my other wolfhounds for that long was maybe 14 months. 

But it truly does vary a lot depending on the dog.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Maggie Girl said:


> So, Lisak_87, have you let him roam at night yet? We're waiting on the results, LOL!
> 
> Speaking of free roaming again, I tried letting mine roam free today while I ran an errand (10 min) and there was _much less _slobber on the window than the last couple of times I tried it!
> 
> So maybe, just MAYBE we're getting somewhere. In fact, if our windowsills weren't painted, I don't think I'd even noticed any "disturbance" while he was left home alone (that's because he scratched at them and there were paint flakes on the floor :doh. So I'm going to build on this and just ignore the windowsills (they can be repainted whenever, I don't really care so long as he doesn't tear curtains, break glass, or scratch the walls). I think I'll leave him home alone for a few minutes every day or two and see if he can eventually mellow out completely.


Brady got to free roam last night, and it went wonderfully...well...except that he stole my spot on the bed 

See the thread "Brady Update!" for more info LOL


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