Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:06 pm Post subject: letting go of the crate? what age?
Genie is 14 weeks and is coming on a treat! she and Lula (1 year) get on really well and they play gently with each other.. I can go out the room for a few mins and know nothing's going to happen now... I would continue to crate Genie at night definitely but I'm wondering when any of you let go of the crate containment during the day with your 2 dogs...? I'm taking about 20 minute school runs etc... I beleive they would either both sleep on their day beds, play with their kongs or a toy... it seems unnecessary to lock Genie in her crate for these 20 mins or so... what do you think? many thanks Lisa
I think the thing to remember is that a lot of dogs don't start chewing with avengance until they are about 6 months old....So if you risk leaving her out of her crate while you are on the school run....she maybe OK at the moment but this doesn't mean she will continue to be good in the future.
Having said that, Mojo never chewed and was without a crate and loose in the whole downstairs from 5 months old...But she was very much the exception, not the rule.
TBH I will never beable to take the crate away from my Annie, she is now 18 months old, and I can not trust her for a second that she will not chew things when left.
Mine stay out of their crates during the school run but they are in the conservatory that is virtually empty and already ruined by chewing. I am out 15 mins tops but I don't trust them beyond that amount of time.
As for any other time I'll be using crates until they are old & grey.
I'd say go with the dog. Alfie is fine when we are around even at night and the crate door is open. However, he gets very anxious when one of us leaves the house even there are still people here. He has about five mins of naughtiness whne one of us leaves which I put down to anxiousness. Until Alfie doesn't worry about us leaving him then he'll be crated. Although he is still very young at 6mths anyway.
I'm only usually at the shops around the corner or doing a school run but it's long enough for him to do damage.
I've decided when I think he's ready to build up the amount of time I leave him out of the crate - 1-2-3-5 mins, etc.
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