When is the crate no longer needed

[chickenz]

Right now, Maggie is almost never in the crate. Between me, my wife, and my grandfather, someone is always home, and she has been allowed to sleep in our bed. My Grandfather is planning on moving back with my father in a couple weeks. Maggie will have to go back in the cage for the 3 hours between when my wife leaves for work, and I come home.

How did you know when you could give your pooch free rain of the house whn no one was home? What age? I know that now Maggie would get into trash cans or someting. She wouldn't go the bathroom though. Iwas hoping around 6 months old, I could let her loose. Is that too soon?

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Maggie - flashy fawn, born 4/2000, natural ears, part human.

 

[JoAnn]

That is a very good question. I have heard others on this board say that they were able to trust their boxers at around 2 years. I think your pup is too young to be left out alone, you are asking for trouble, also for its safety it should be crated in the time that you are gone. My Samson is just over a year and there is no way I can trust him alone for 10 minutes let alone the 2 hours I am at work. Good Luck, and don't feel guilty, it really is for the pups sake.

 

[Badassboxer]

I am LOL! Hee-hee, yeah my baby was "trustworthy" then he hit six months ~ all h*ll breaks loose! I was going to post on this very topic later today too!

About a week or so ago my living room was styrofoam heaven

Dad's shoe is now garbage, my daughter's undies are missing, and some books off the shelf are now missing chapters!!!!

Keep your crate! They go through phases! We didn't use ours for a while, but lately, we have been. We don't "puppy proof" any more, we now have to Boxer Proof! That's harder!!!

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Asy
Debo's Mom
01/23/2000
Brindle, male, nat. ears

 

[Linda]

In general, I've heard that NO dog should have complete run of the house until they are 2.

I would also keep the crate forever. Even if you're not using it to confine your puppy in the house, it becomes her special den and should be available. If she needs to "escape" the rest of the family, she'll have her own place.
And it's wonderful for traveling, camping, etc.

 

[Krikkit]

All ours have been trustworthy at different ages. Of our current Boxers, Layla was totally trustworthy from around 4 months of age. Ruben at 12 months and Amy at 18 months. Bella, at 6.5 years of age, still needs parts of the house blocked off if we are gone for more than an hour or so

I guess it comes down to knowing your Boxer

 

[Gabi]

My Amy was never crated as puppy , but we had to pay the price. You name it she chewed it. *Amy tought me to be very tidy*. I think it stopped from about 16 months. Mainly this only happened when she was disturbed by phone ringing etc... during the day. She slept mostly when we were out.
I am always at home with her these days and there are definitely no problems at all when I go out shopping and leave her for a few hours. But we are in the habit now not to leave anything "boxer interesting" around. And I am thankful that she cant open and is not trying to cupboards.


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Gabi
Amy/01.01.97/tan,black mask/spayed/natural ears

 

[Jennifer(Jenny)Jones]

I got Baxter at 2 and he is fine alone,if...mom emptys the trash cans and de-toys the floor. He thinks all toys are to be shared...(don't tell him he is a dog). He will put stuff on my bed or move it to the living room just to tell me he dosn't like to be left behind.
My sisters 6 year old boxer Happy trashes the house and is ALWAYS crated when they leave.
I guess to each his own? You'll have to wait and see, but yours is still a pup and boxers are babies until about 2.

Baxters mom : flashy brindle boy

 

[ChrisM]

I think each dog is different but in general around 2 years seems to be good. In my opinion, 6 months is asking too much of an adolescent pup...no chewing, no tearing up stuff and no pottying in the house. Tess is 7 months old now and she has never had free roam when we were not here. As a matter of fact, just in the past two weeks has she been allowed to roam the house unescorted or not under strict survelience. SHe is really great about not pottying but likes to steal stuff and chew it up still. I think that in a couple of more months when Zelda grows into the larger crate, we will try Tess in the "dog room"/laundry room and see how that goes.

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Mom to:
LADY - White female, natural ears. Rainbow Bridge February 2000

TESS - Flashy Fawn female, born Dec, 1999, natural ears

ZELDA - Semi-flashy Female, natural ears, born May 31, 2000

 

[brindlemom]

Yeah I was wondering the same thing.

Striker is 7 months old, and he is still in the crate while we're at work.

If we're only going to be gone for a couple of hours I will leave him out provided there is nothing on the ground or anything he can get into, and he has done his duty! He has never chewed up anything yet, or gotten into trouble.

I still wouldn't want him out the whole time we were at work, but he could probably handle it. I'm afraid that since he's soo curious still he will get into something after that long!

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Cindy
Striker's Mom
Christmas baby, born 12/25/99. Brindle with white "socks", chest, blaze. Cute as can be!!!

 

[nanabear]

I think the kindest thing you could do for Maggie is to start crating her at night......
We did not start crating our male for bedtime until he was 6 months old/60 lbs. He started getting into trouble in the wee small hours, and when I asked for advice, I was patiently told "maybe we should take him AWAY from the temptations." This by the smug vet tech that had suggested we crate him from the beginning.
Any way, it was not hard and his crate soon became a pleasant place to be, a place he took himself for naps during the day and sometimes a place to take a chew toy. Make the crate Maggie's own retreat.

We started leaving him for short periods, after making sure he was exercised and pottied - in the house alone at about 1 year.
We give him the kitchen and family room, separated with a baby gate. He is now 20 months and I think he would be fine with the whole house...........but then I look around and think to myself "how mad would you be if he destroyed such and such?" Those 2 rooms are just fine.