At what age did you first let your dog have the house while you were gone?
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Meg was safe loose in the house from the time I got her at about a year; Gusto was probably 6 months or so before he was left loose. I probably would have continued crating him longer if it weren't considered cruel by some in the house. He wasn't really trustworthy at that point, we just had the house puppy-proofed pretty well by then.
Abrams, it was around 12 months? Once we moved to our house, we stopped crating. At first he was loose in the garage, then when it got too hot he was loose in the house.
Chloe was around 10 months, I think. Although she was never crated, just gated off in a smaller portion of the house. And at night she was loose in my room.
Chloe was around 10 months, I think. Although she was never crated, just gated off in a smaller portion of the house. And at night she was loose in my room.
Gael female BC, around 5 months. Kep male BC, around 7 months. Have never given me any reason to doubt their freedom, same with their 2 female BC predecessors. Scout the Brittany...3.5 years old and I still crate her while I have a bath etc let alone while I leave the house 
occasionally see if I can trust her, it always ends badly. She likes to rearrange stuff and chew stuff up.
occasionally see if I can trust her, it always ends badly. She likes to rearrange stuff and chew stuff up.
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yeah, never.
I could trust him to be loose, but he'd probably bark at the window and might get himself kind of worked up. Chances are he'd just go back and lie in the bedroom anyway if no one was home so he might as well be shut in there.
I think about 2 years old was when I COULD leave him unsupervised (AKA leave him loose while I'm in the bathroom or in the front yard or something)
I could trust him to be loose, but he'd probably bark at the window and might get himself kind of worked up. Chances are he'd just go back and lie in the bedroom anyway if no one was home so he might as well be shut in there.
I think about 2 years old was when I COULD leave him unsupervised (AKA leave him loose while I'm in the bathroom or in the front yard or something)
Well Auggie is 9, Pepper 6, and P will be four next month and all three are still crated.
Auggie is the only one who can sometimes be left out, but with his urinary problems it's easier to put him in the crate - he will not pee in his crate even with a bad UTI.
The first time I left Payton out of his crate he locked himself in my bedroom, sooooo...
And Pepper and Payton just really need to be crated apart.
Auggie is the only one who can sometimes be left out, but with his urinary problems it's easier to put him in the crate - he will not pee in his crate even with a bad UTI.
The first time I left Payton out of his crate he locked himself in my bedroom, sooooo...
And Pepper and Payton just really need to be crated apart.
Crossbone has been loose since we brought him home at a year and a half. We did confine him to a room for a few months, but it wasn't necessary.
Pox has had run of the house since 11 weeks....that was the time he was 100% reliable using the dog door and when he could reach the top of the ex-pen and chewed a hole in the mesh roof. He has been reeeeally good (knock on wood--when we first bought our couch someone was telling me how brave I was for leaving the puppy loose and I went on and on about how good he was. I came home to a chewed corner on the ottoman.)
Pox has had run of the house since 11 weeks....that was the time he was 100% reliable using the dog door and when he could reach the top of the ex-pen and chewed a hole in the mesh roof. He has been reeeeally good (knock on wood--when we first bought our couch someone was telling me how brave I was for leaving the puppy loose and I went on and on about how good he was. I came home to a chewed corner on the ottoman.)
Jackson's been loose since like 5 1/2 months old. Lola probably since 5 months too. We tried the crating/expen thing with both, it just didn't work and they've proven to be reliable when we're not home. Now when we ARE home is when they get into trouble. Lola still has accidents in the house but she's my parents dog so I blame them. Jackson had stopped having accidents by her age (she's now 7 1/2 months old).
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Frodo, uhhhh....that was too long ago, I have no idea. I wish he was in a crate while we are away, but his SA prevents it, and I'm too lazy to work harder on it...
Siri, never. I will never trust her uncrated while I'm gone. She would never be allowed uncrated with other dogs in the house anyway, so...never.
Siri, never. I will never trust her uncrated while I'm gone. She would never be allowed uncrated with other dogs in the house anyway, so...never.
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Same for Roxie. Of course, for her it's three expens and a crate combined because otherwise it's too little room for her liking... She's weird though- can't have too much room (like being loose) because she'll tear stuff up if she gets bored, and if she doesn't have enough room, she flips out and can break out of pretty much anything.
The way she's set up now, she doesn't try to break out and actually likes her space. Still give her loads of Kongs, toys, and a bone, but she gets after them instead of leaving them while planning her escape or destroying everything but things I've given her to destroy, lol.
The way she's set up now, she doesn't try to break out and actually likes her space. Still give her loads of Kongs, toys, and a bone, but she gets after them instead of leaving them while planning her escape or destroying everything but things I've given her to destroy, lol.
We started leaving them loose for small time intervals about the time that Watson was two and Menchi 18 months.
Now they are usually always loose when we are gone...
Menchi probably could have been allowed free range by the time she was 8 months or so...but to help with Watson's sad she was always crated next to him until he was house safe.
He is a lucky basenji...some of his kind can never be allowed to roam the house unattended (many are way to naughty).
Now they are usually always loose when we are gone...
Menchi probably could have been allowed free range by the time she was 8 months or so...but to help with Watson's sad she was always crated next to him until he was house safe.
He is a lucky basenji...some of his kind can never be allowed to roam the house unattended (many are way to naughty).
