# When is the right age to let them have free reign of the house??



## Rugerboy (Dec 27, 2015)

I have a 12 week old GSD and he is crate trained. I want him as a guard dog for our house especially at night. He sleeps in crate at night and doesn't have access to room when is the right time to start acclimating the dog to the whole house?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

It depends on the dog. Some dogs are good by about 6 months. Others. Never.
It really is a matter of you watching the dog and determine when he is no longer likely to "get into" things.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

It depends on the dog. My female was done with a crate at 6-7 months, my older male came to me at 8 months or so and I kept him in a crate for a month just in case, my youngest male really was never in a crate. I tried with him and finally when he was about 5 months I put the crate away.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Yeah, and I decided to test my 1+ year old GSD and he rearranged the drywall in the hallway and we spent the weekend fixing it.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

My dog will be two in the spring. She still does not have free run of the house when we're not home.

We have been experimenting with one of us sleeping on the couch while she has free run of the upstairs all night, and she behaves well. I keep hearing that age two is the magic number, so we'll see how it goes.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Mine was ready at 5 mos. By that, I mean ready to start learning about the house and what she could and could not do. I had to make sure to keep an eye on her as she did get into some stuff - but how can you train them if they don't? I started leaving her with free run of the house when gone at 5 mos. But I was gone only for short periods of time and then built up to longer periods. 

Mine will yowl when I leave but she settles down and sleeps by the front door waiting for me to return. 

I think some people have problems when they don't build up gradually to this freedom. You're still training and that takes time. If you go from zero freedom to 9-10 hours loose after only a day or two you are setting the dog up to fail.......


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

He's not going to be a guard dog in the sense you mean until he's older, so you have time. For my dogs, it's usually around 12 months but if they climb or chew or destroy, maybe never. Once he stops chewing and destroying things, check it out then, but do it gradually. You don't know what will interest them when you aren't around to watch. I had an adult male rescue, never crated and came home one day to find out that he suddenly decided a big kitchen waste basket looked interesting. I had to get rid of the trash because he couldn't tolerate a crate or confinement of any kind.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

our first dog was crated when we were not around until a year old. We were in a rental home and did not want to chance damage. When we moved into our new house we decided it was a good time to try him with freedom to explore. It worked well. 

Our pup will be crated for at least a year. She has to earn her freedom and with two dogs in the house, it may take awhile.She is still young and wants to play play play and I really don't want rowdy play in the house.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Stonevintage said:


> I think some people have problems when they don't build up gradually to this freedom. You're still training and that takes time. If you go from zero freedom to 9-10 hours loose after only a day or two you are setting the dog up to fail.......


I could see that.

We tested the waters by leaving her alone for 10 minutes while we walked to the coffee shop, and that seemed to go well on several separate occasions. My husband then tested the waters further by leaving her for 20 minutes to run to the grocery store. (She swore up and down she was a good dog but he found evidence indicating otherwise. ) Conclusion: At that time, she wasn't ready to be left for more than 10-15 minutes, and we will try the 20-minute test again later.

Because of the cats, she will likely never have free run of the house. The cats get stressed just by the presence of this large, galumphing beast who stares and wags its tail and tries to toss stuffed animals toward them, so they need the basement master suite to remain a dog-free zone. But it would be nice to work her up to free run of the upstairs.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

jocoyn said:


> It depends on the dog. Some dogs are good by about 6 months. Others. Never.
> It really is a matter of you watching the dog and determine when he is no longer likely to "get into" things.


 This!!!

Sabi was just fine by 4 months. 
Shadow is fine, but makes poor decisions. Like climbing up bookshelves to see the shiny things and standing on my dresser to fight with that darn mirror dog.
Buddy subscribes to the 'if I can't eat, pee on it' theory, so never.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Yep, it definitely depends on the dog.

At the same time, is equally dependent on _your_ house - _your_ belongings - and especially _your_ tolerance level.

Some homes have more inherent dangers & temptations than others. Example - we heat with a wood burning stove. Neither of our dogs touch it, or have ever made stupid choices around it, but I don't trust my puppy not to roll a toy under it or something equally risky if I'm not keeping an eye on things. Some houses have electrical cords all over at ground level, and so on. You know your own home best.

Also, it depends on what kind of furnishings you own, and how tolerant and patient you are. If you can shrug off an "oops" chewed up couch cushion, shredded shoe, or some drywall repair, give it a try. If you own custom leather furniture, have a home littered with Great-Grandma's antiques and children's irreplaceable artwork, it's not the same. Only you know what kind of risk you're willing to accept. Also, if you have a spouse, make sure you're on the same page. 

One of my dogs proved herself 100% trustworthy around 1-1.5 years old. I probably won't start testing my younger dog until she's a year old. That being said, on two separate occasions I've fallen asleep on the couch without crating her for the night, and both times when I woke up she had put herself to bed and the house was undisturbed. I think this bodes well for our future, but the crate isn't going away any time soon.


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## mjackson0902 (Sep 14, 2015)

Bergen is not crated at night and he doesn't bother a thing. Do you think he would be fine left out for a three hour stretch during the day while my husband and my schedule overlap? Not trying to thread boost, but just curious


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## DaisyDaws (Feb 28, 2015)

Brando has been fine out of his crate at night since 6 months old. He is 11 months now, and I will leave him out if I'm gone for short 1-2 hour stretches if I know he's been exercised, pottied, and the house is picked up. My only real concern about leaving him out longer is if someone rings the doorbell. I don't see him practicing the place command in his own.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

My last GSD, I was working full time but from 5 mos to 1 year of age, I would go home for lunch every day so the pup was outside in the yard from 8-12:15 than in the house from 12:45 to 5:15 (so he slept because he had been out all morning). Then he was older he could be out all day. That worked well until he got over 10 years and I was worried about his aches and pains so for the last 4 years he was a house dog. 

But I guess nobody has yards anymore they can dog proof or put in a decent kennel?


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Stonevintage said:


> But I guess nobody has yards anymore they can dog proof or put in a decent kennel?


I'm sure some people do. My breeder certainly encouraged those of us who could do that to consider it, and gave great tips for features and supplies to use in outfitting a dog run.

I let my dog hang out in the fenced yard by herself when I'm home. There's nothing she can get into that would harm her; we got rid of all of that before she came home. Chances are I can see her at all times from the kitchen or dining room, and I can hear her bark to come in from anywhere in the house. Most of the time I'm on the main level. This also means I can be on top of her in a matter of seconds if she starts barking at a random passerby or a squirrel or a rabbit that she can see but that refuses to play with her (for real, this dog tries to play bow and invite rabbits to romp with her).

No way could I allow her to be out in that yard without one of us home. No way. Between risk of theft and the nuisance factor, that's a giant NO. I could never ask my neighbors, with city lots being practically on top of one another, to tolerate barking at any or all times of the day. It would be completely unfair to them.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Yeah. After dealing with ignorant people's behavior toward my livestock, I cannot and will not leave my dogs outdoors alone. 

A few years ago on the fourth of July weekend, I fed all of our animals and then headed to a picnic. I realized I'd forgotten my phone. Turned around, drove back, found a group of teenagers poking Cheetos through the fence - at my donkey - taking selfies. Up went the trail cameras. 

Also, a few years back, a different group of kids broke into the padlocked enclosures at our local wildlife rehab facility and stole an owl. Drove it around, took selfies, it escaped, and it nearly died before staff were able to recover it. People just cannot be trusted, and I love my dogs too much.

Edit, added link: http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukes...ieves-steal-horned-owl-qj31jmf-133779948.html
Even enclosures that seem secure aren't a match for determined morons, sadly.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Dependent on the pup you would have to feel that out based in his behavior. Max was left out of his crate 5-6 months I never left temptations out all good away. Garbage in the closet. Bedroom doors closed little chihuahua put away. Max was left by himself for a small amount of time then then 7-8 months full reign. We went away for 1 week no damage to house. I knew he would be good and couldn't imagine confining him. It was a risk I was willing to take and more then proud of him. My mom said he just got hold of the roll of paper towel and she just let him go for it!!!!this was at 10 months of age.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

WIBackpacker said:


> Yeah. After dealing with ignorant people's behavior toward my livestock, I cannot and will not leave my dogs outdoors alone.
> 
> A few years ago on the fourth of July weekend, I fed all of our animals and then headed to a picnic. I realized I'd forgotten my phone. Turned around, drove back, found a group of teenagers poking Cheetos through the fence - at my donkey - taking selfies. Up went the trail cameras.
> 
> ...


That's horrible and the definition of stupid in my opinion. You do not need to steal an owl and play Flat Stanley with it. Obviously they didn't think through the potential consequences to the owl. Just dumb.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I looked this up. Here's "the rest of the story":
Teens get probation, service time for owl theft

Just so stupid. Dumb kids not thinking when they should have known better. Luckily the owl survived.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

WIBackpacker said:


> Yeah. After dealing with ignorant people's behavior toward my livestock, I cannot and will not leave my dogs outdoors alone.
> 
> A few years ago on the fourth of July weekend, I fed all of our animals and then headed to a picnic. I realized I'd forgotten my phone. Turned around, drove back, found a group of teenagers poking Cheetos through the fence - at my donkey - taking selfies. Up went the trail cameras.
> 
> ...


Yes I saw on a go fund me page awhile back there were owners collecting reward money if anyone knew who stoled her miniature horse they kept in the front yard and was a favorite member of the town. That someone tied the mini horse to the back of a car and dragged it leaving it to die-not to be graphic but it can happen.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

When Fritz was apx 3 months old, my husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital. We left Fritz alone, a neighbour came over and let him out. When I came home a few hours later, everything was in its place! He has had free reign since then.


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