# When do you stop using a crate?



## Bugsy (Jul 2, 2009)

I've been crate training my puppy since we got him about 4 months ago. He's 5.5 months now and very very reliable in the apartment... with the wee wee pad. Should I continue to keep him in the crate whenever i'm not at home and when we sleep or should i just leave him in an x-pen or gated area at this point? I originally thought I wouldn't stop crate training until he was a year old but he seems to be so trust worthy.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

You can do either. Sometimes, transitioning to an X-pen sets them back...they miss their safe, secure crate...they don't sleep as well and might have more accidents.
An X-pen is really intended to be just that......an eXercise Pen while the crate is intended as a sleeping area. Both however keep the pup out of trouble.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

One problem that can occur when you trust too early is that you have a small breed pup that pees, lets say for conversation sake under your bed. You don't catch it right away and your pup has the start of a bad habit. 2-3 weeks or however long it takes one day you smell the urine but by that time you have a big problem. This has happened before when people jump the gun. A large breed pup can't sneak under beds etc (or at least it's harder) to relieve themselves. But it's your choice, to trust or not to trust. Good luck.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Our dogs always sleep in their crates and stay in their crates if we are gone for more than an hour. There is jsut too much stuff a dog can get into around the house...wires, chemicals under the counter and vanity, garbage cans, medications left out on a night stand, ...


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## Spirit_of_Cotons (Jun 21, 2009)

We've just begun to take our puppy out of the crate and he's not even 5mon yet. I still say to wait till he's older, but we've seen him hold his bladder before all night when we had to stay up with him a couple of weeks. 

So right now he's in my parents bedroom, but as for your puppy I would say keep him in the crate when you go anywhere. And if you're still unsure about it, I would keep him in. Better safe than sorry I say.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

Always better safe than sorry. For one thing your pup hasn't gone through the adolescent chewing stage yet, nor the adolescent "I've forgotten everything I learned" stage. One thing you could try is putting the crate inside the ex-pen with the crate door open. This way the pup would have a place to go in and sleep but have a bit more room than in the crate while still being kept safe. If you do this I'd set it up in the kitchen or someplace without carpeting or hardwood floors just to be safe.


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## Maggies_Mum (May 15, 2009)

We keep Mag in the kitchen with a babygate up at the doorway and the basement door shut, we have never had any problems except once she chewed a bit on one of the legs of our dining room table. I patially blame that on myself because we usually put a few chew toys or a kong in with her and forgot that time. I'd say as long as you can confine him to a certain space where there isn't much to destroy he should be ok.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

Never.

All of our dogs have and had free access to their crates - open - at all times. Some of them rested and/or slept there in preference to other places and others just went in when the mood struck them. 

Our dogs have always been put in their crates -closed - when no one is at home. More restful for them and much more safe. 

We often fed our terriers in their crates since they had a tendency to be a bit scrappy at feeding time but were much less so when each was fed in its own crate.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Poly said:


> Never.
> 
> All of our dogs have and had free access to their crates - open - at all times. Some of them rested and/or slept there in preference to other places and others just went in when the mood struck them.
> 
> ...


When you're right, you're right.


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

wvasko said:


> When you're right, you're right.





> Never.


Absolutely!!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Esther was crated at night and, when we'd say, "Bed-time, Esther" she'd trot over to her crate, go in and lie down.

At some point, she decided she didn't need the crate any more. I had just turned in when I heard her galloping up the stairs and thought, "How strange. Someone has broken into my house and un-crated the hellhound. " It seemed like a bizarre form of vandalism and a foolish one at that.

I took her back to her crate and, assuming I just hadn't latched it properly, I put he back in. Five minutes after I climbed into bed, she was at my side again.

She was springing the steel latch, so I secured it with a couple of those heavy rubber bungee cords. It took her about five minutes to break (not chew) through the bungees. I was impressed and alarmed, and made the strategic decision, on the spot, to let her sleep outside the crate. I haven't had any problems since then and the only time I use the crate is to transport my dogs.

So, in my case, I let the dog decide. I wouldn't recommend it (though it turned out fine.) It seems as unwise as allowing a child to decide when he'd like to start driving a car or drinking or carrying a sidearm to school.

On the plus side, I have absolutely no concerns about anyone breaking into my house at night.


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

RonE said:


> Esther was crated at night and, when we'd say, "Bed-time, Esther" she'd trot over to her crate, go in and lie down.
> 
> At some point, she decided she didn't need the crate any more. I had just turned in when I heard her galloping up the stairs and thought, "How strange. Someone has broken into my house and un-crated the hellhound. " It seemed like a bizarre form of vandalism and a foolish one at that.
> 
> ...


I have the opposite experience. One night Cherokee was sound asleep on a pile of pillows next to my bed. He looked so comfy that I decided that he didn't need to go in his crate, he could just stay there.

So, I snuck off the opposite side of the bed to go brush my teeth. The second I got to the bathroom, he got up and went in his crate. He just can't figure out why he should sleep all night anywhere else.

Dogs are funny........

He did earn daytime free reign of the house at about 1.5 years. But, it is good to keep a dog comfortable with a crate in case there is any need to crate in the future. I would hate for my dog to be stressed when crated.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> So, in my case, I let the dog decide. I wouldn't recommend it (though it turned out fine.) It seems as unwise as allowing a child to decide when he'd like to start driving a car or drinking or carrying a sidearm to school.


I love it. With life comes choices, choices, and more choices. Some you make, and some the occasional smarter than average dog makes for you.


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## Bugsy (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks for all the helpful advice guys. I think the x-pen with the crate in there might be a good choice... eventually. But I guess I decided to keep him used to the crate for a while, especially with adolescence coming up. It'd be good to make sure he's always comfortable in a crate if anyone else has to watch him for us....


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## Adustgerm (Jul 29, 2009)

I used to have a chihuahua. He was crate trained. After he became reliable, I still kept his crate, but i left the door open so he could come and go as he pleased. Worked out great. Except when I was gone, he would stash all of my pencils in his crate.


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