# Bear @ 7 Months - Sleeping outside the Crate!



## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

Bear is seven months old now, and with this School Holidays I thought it was time to see if we could phase out his crate for sleeping at night. He is well past teething now, and doing well with all his other behaviour, so I could spend a few nights out in the living room on the couch as Chaperone.

The first night Bear was so thrilled! I don't think the other two dogs or I got much sleep. I would nod off for about 20 minutes and then get a nose in the ear.

"Daddy! I'm so excited! Are you awake?! I'm sleeping on the quilt with Fred!"

Hi Bear, yes it *IS* exciting isn't it? Go lie down, it's Sleepytime now.

"OK Daddy!" *stompstompcirclecircle*stompstompcirclecircle*stompstompcirclecircle*

"Flop-Snooooooze"

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.....

Night Two was quieter, so much so that I thought that Night Three he could go solo. He did, and the cat was noisier than the dogs were.

He has been out of the crate at night for a week now with no issues at all. I think he might have graduated to a couch away from the quilt with the other two Mutleys though.

Success!

I think it might have even improved his temperament as well. He seems more relaxed and easygoing this last week. If that's a bonus, I'll take it!


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## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

I thought too late that I should put in a couple of the recent pictures of Bear as well... 

Bear just clocked in at 69.5 lbs and 26 inches at the withers on his 7 month birthday, and *still* has huge ears! Is there any way to tell how big my boy will end up being? Ear ratio or some such? I see GSD's with these little dainty paws, and then there is Bear. His feet are *way* bigger than Fred, my 88lb Lab/Pitty cross. See the last photo!



















No prizes as for which paw is Bear's...


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## Sir Bear (Mar 9, 2012)

Your Bear looks so much like my bear! He's only 4 months but on the same schedule of about 10 lbs per month...and those same huge paws/ears. His breeder said to expect around 100lbs....good luck to us both! Haha!


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## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

Have you got a photo album up anywhere? What does your Bear look like?

There are lots of Bears in the photo albums, we should start a Bear Club!


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

i love the 2nd picture, beautiful boy!now my lexie is 9 mos old and i havent let her sleep outside of her crate, she is still not trustworthy


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> i love the 2nd picture, beautiful boy!now my lexie is 9 mos old and i havent let her sleep outside of her crate, she is still not trustworthy


Its a girl thing


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

good luck with the out of the crate experience. i gradually started
leaving my pup out of the crate at 4 months. from 4 months old to
8 months old it was going well. then at 8 months old my pup
realized he had sucked me into a false sense of security. at
8 months old he decided to eat the house and everything in it.
so being the expert dog trainer that i am i decided to crate him
24/7. i was going to cut holes in the bottom of the crate for his
legs to go through so he could be constantly crated and mobile
by my more expertly expert GF thought the constant crate was
a bad idea. so i went to plan B and started house training again. 
i also started crating him when we weren't home.


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