Almost a year old. Crate or not to crate?

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nkowacich

Boxer Buddy
My puppy is going to be 1 in a month, i am so very excited and i can't believe he's grown soo fast! He's been crated anytime i leave for work or to fun errands. He's very good at going in when i tell him, and he knows the work schedule.
Since he's going to be 1 soon, i was thinking about starting to leave him out of his crate while i'm at work. Is it too soon? Does anyone have any recommendations or experience with this? What should i do?
 

CoraBoxer

Super Boxer
IMO too soon. Especially if you're going to let him roam the whole house. Good idea to limit the space and try if you're going to do it. Maybe set up a webcam to see exactly what went on while you were away so you're not left guessing. Mine were always very good dogs but couldn't be fully trusted and left safely until around 2. I think its more beneficial to avoid them getting into trouble rather than disciplining after the fact.
 

larrygs

Super Boxer
I agree. One isn't that old, still very much a pup. All of ours were at least 2 before we stopped crates. There really isn't a need to rush, and you will know when it is time. LOL, actually they let us know.

Jack and Layla love their crates and still use them. They almost always know when we are going somewhere and go in the crates without being asked. Pretty funny seeing them stick their heads out the door waiting for us to get on with it and close the door.
 

nkowacich

Boxer Buddy
ok, thank you very much for your feedback, i greatly appreciate it.
i just wasn't sure if it was too young.
i am thinking about putting him in 1 small room , just so he has more room to stretch when he lays down.
 

johann

Boxer Insane
I think that was around when we started letting Johann have a bit more freedom (then he ate our rug and couch :LOL:) We finally trusted him to be free around 18 months or so, with daycare 2 days a week (so he was tired on days he was home).

Definitely don't start when you are going to work, but you can try for short errands. Make sure he is exercised and give him a kong/bone/something to keep him busy while you are gone. Start with 15 mins and work your way up from there. If you have a dog proofed room, that is a great place to start- we have an open concept house and had to give him run of the kitchen/dining/living/family rooms (aka, where all teh good stuff to chew on was)
 

brodieboxer

Completely Boxer Crazy
I'd start with a small room first, like a master bathroom, a spare room (with tempting items removed), or a large laundry room, if you have one, and see what happens there. Better safe than sorry. Some boxers can be trusted when they get older, but some will always be destructive. Dempsey's 5, and I still crate him when I leave for awhile. He's okay while I'm working in the yard or run to the grocery store in our neighborhood for just a few minutes, but I'm still afraid to trust him for a long period of time. I can't afford to redecorate my house...or pay for obstruction removal surgery...
 
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