# Outgrowing crate



## pwoodward54 (Apr 19, 2014)

Gunner is 5 1/2 months old. He is fully house trained but I still crate him for bedtime. However this past week he seems to have had a growth spurt and looks rather uncomfortable in his crate. I honestly can't fit a bigger crate in my room, so I was wondering what tips people had for transitioning from the crate to an unconfined dog bed? When he goes in the crate he knows it's time for bed. Not sure how he will take to just laying on the bed and sleeping through the night


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## Diesel7602 (Mar 12, 2014)

pwoodward54 said:


> Gunner is 5 1/2 months old. He is fully house trained but I still crate him for bedtime. However this past week he seems to have had a growth spurt and looks rather uncomfortable in his crate. I honestly can't fit a bigger crate in my room, so I was wondering what tips people had for transitioning from the crate to an unconfined dog bed? When he goes in the crate he knows it's time for bed. Not sure how he will take to just laying on the bed and sleeping through the night


With Perseus I let him out one night to sleep in my room, I made sure there is nothing down for him to chew up. ((My boy loves paper and books)) do it one night that you don't work the next day, just incase you couldn't sleep worrying about him. See what he does. I wAs worried too, but he surprised me. He just slept. Woke me up with kisses to go out to pee. Some nights he will be be a brat, so I would put him in the cage. He realizes if he is good he can stay sleeping out of his cage, be a butt, in the cage he goes. He likes Sleeping out side of the cage. Now when I walk to his cage and tell him bed he will hurry and jump up on my bed and lay down. =) 
Long story short..... Just jump right in. You will find out if he is ready or not by trying it out.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I did what Diesel did, only my Sting was a year and actually made the decision. One night when he was a year-old, he didn't want to go in his crate - I was too tired and he was too big to push so I told him " Okay, but you have to be good - no chasing the cat." So I turned the light off and went to sleep. He did fine. It is important that you dog is used to the dog bed, so be sure he comfortable laying on it. If you . have room, try to fix up a small den area - maybe a table he can sleep under that.


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## Apoolutz (Jan 19, 2013)

Gunner has been out of the crate at night time since he was about 12-13 weeks, I just started letting the crate door open with is bed right in front of it and he would just lay on the bed awhile then back in the crate and then eventually I just put the crate up.


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## Katy1985 (Nov 16, 2013)

At about 4 mos Liesl still fit in her crate but gotso hot at night sleeping in her plastic crate that she panted. Nonstop.. So, I introduced her to a big bed from Costco, she loved it, we moved the bed into the bedroom, kept the crate with the door open, after about a week she just slept on the bed. No more crate in the bedroom. We have to put all chewables away. It works great. The crate is now in a large bathroom with a tile floor. When we have to be away for 6 hrs or so for work, we put the crate in the bathroom with the door open, when we come home she is usually sleeping in the crate. So... she is still crate trained even though she sleeps at night without it in our bedroom.


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## Diesel7602 (Mar 12, 2014)

I got a really big cage. On Amazon. Midwest iCrate Double-Door Home Training and Travel Series
It was around 60$ I keep his cage still in my room. I use it if I leave the house. (Stay at home mom) it fits my boy and he is 77# and 26 inch from Withers. His is getting tall, so when he sits his ears poke out on top.


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