# When can you leave your GSD alone in house and they don't destroy anything?



## Littleone (Feb 18, 2014)

Right now, when I leave, I have to crate our 16m GSM. She gets a walk every day and is decently calm(ish) after that for the whole day. There is no way that I could leave her free roaming in the house if I have to leave to work an 8 hour shift. Our yard is not a safe alternative. She has a large crate and spends max 4 hours during the day time in there when I have to leave for a half day of work.
If I one day need to work an 8 hour shift, I was wondering when that might be when I could leave her free-roaming in the house and come back to everything in one piece. Are we talking years from now? lol


----------



## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

Every dog is different so you'll just have to use your best judgment. 

Mine hasn't been crated since she stopped teething. She doesn't get into anything which really surprised me. Oh boy, I hope I didn't just jinx it!


----------



## CroMacster (Oct 23, 2013)

It can depend on the dog. The usual progression is to start leaving your dog out when you leave for short trips. If that goes well try a longer time away and so on.

I still crate my 2 year old when I leave for the day. For short trips I usually leave him out and so far has done fine those times. I don't know if I will ever just leave him out for an entire day, but who knows. He enjoys his crate and will just relax in there when we are home, so that helps.


----------



## RobBlueMaro (Jan 15, 2015)

I have been nervous about this same thing. I have never left Ollie out to free roam while I was at work. I have done it when i go to the store or something, but never at work. That's 12 hours of him being home alone. Instead of being in a crate, he has a room of his own and that has worked out so far.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

All 3 of the GSDs I have had over the years obtained "full roam " privileges within a year and a half or less. I felt comfortable enough about this as long as the house was dog proofed for safety reasons. I know I had an occasion or two with all of them during the process of trusting them alone in the house...but none where the dog(s) got into anything which might have threatened their well-being. A section of carpeting was gnawed on by my current girl and I know they say...if you don't catch a dog in the act, there is no benefit in trying to make a correction or getting the dog to connect the dots...I somewhat disagree with this. I remember standing over the carpet area which she worked over and expressed my "disappointment"...never touched the dog...but the dog seemed to know I was not pleased...she showed it with her standoffish skulking attitude...simply knowing I wasn't my normal happy self upon returning home to see her. She never messed with the carpeting again.

I think what has helped me the most getting my dogs to the stage where I could trust them alone in the house was really getting the "leave it" command and behavior ingrained into their brains. Perhaps the reason I worked on this so hard was my reluctance to ever use a cage granted I have a wonderful large area outside the house with a dog house accessible through a port in the back door to the garage. My current GSD spent the least time of any in this area in the beginning and now the area is unused.

Slowly up the time you allow your dog unattended in the house and in the beginning make certain anything which might be a health hazard is neutralized. 5 minutes alone can easily lead to 30 minutes...which can lead to hours. Perhaps, when you start the process...a well exercised more tired dog will get you better results.



SuperG


----------



## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

I leave my dog in the backyard when I go for work in the morning and come back at night with everything intact. Trick is to "dog-proof" the area so they can't be destructive.

If you can't trust your dog outside, then crating is acceptable. If trained properly, a dog can be left in a crate for 24 hours at a time no problem. They will learn to hold it in and only let go when they get out.


----------



## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

My male was a year old. My female.. probably never.


----------



## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Stella was always put into a room until she was just over two.. She was a pain in the butt, destroyed a couch, chair, ate several phones and remotes. Then one day I gave freedom for a couple of hours..nothing out of place. After that, total freedom. Fritz always has freedom from day one, nothing ever ruined..I do not crate. The maximum he (@ 5 months old) has been alone was 6 hours, and its only been once.


----------



## Apoolutz (Jan 19, 2013)

Gunner is 16 months, he's been out of the crate now for 3 weeks and no problems at all but he also gets tons of exercise and he's never been one to chew or get into stuff.


----------



## Apoolutz (Jan 19, 2013)

Nezzz- can you hold your pee for 24 hrs, that's just cruel and stupid


----------



## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

Norah the GSD, was fine at 18 months, she won't even eat the cat food when she's left alone. Red the dobie is nearly 5, he will chew his bed and I wouldn't trust him in a bedroom or the lounge because of the soft furnishings, kitchen any laundry are fine, cat food is gone the SECOND I turn my back on him!! Bismarck still gets crated as he's only 6 months old, but I have a feeling he won't be a chewer..


----------



## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Pyrate was trustworthy in the house alone after about 10 months. He never chewed up anything except an old sandal that he got when he was only 12 weeks old. Raina was a completely different story. She chewed the lawn furniture, the ignite button off the grill, the grill cover, more stuff than I can list for months when unsupervised. She is still supervised most of the time. I work at home but she quit chewing stuff up a long time ago and today she turns 7 years old. I do crate her when I leave the house for more than an hour for cat safety. Raina is in a gated room but I don't trust the sneaky cat to not try to visit her and then get hurt and blame it on Raina. LOL! The gated room is my office/bedroom/TV area where I spend most of my time and Raina is loose in that room most of the time. I would never leave my dog in a crate for 24 hours unless it was some kind of emergency. Raina flew in from Germany and was crated for 17 hours before we got her home and the pee pad they put in the crate must have weighed 30 pounds when I pulled it out to clean the crate. They can't hold it for 24 hours no matter how mature they are.


----------



## audiophilitis (Mar 4, 2014)

I setup a 5' x 15' pen/dog run with a dog house and small section with sand where he does his business. Although I have a fenced yard, I don't feel safe leaving him out all day. My male is 14 months old.

When inside the house, I have an area that is semi dog-proof where he has his bed and feeding bowls. He can still cause damage if he really wanted to but for timeframes < 5 hours, I feel pretty safe leaving him inside. He stays there at night.

His most destructive period is when I play tug with him, and then leave while he is still so in to it (which could take hours). I usually have to give him a bully stick to calm him down or keep him occupied before I leave.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My female Robyn was just under 7 months when she was no longer in a crate. Midnite was about 9 months, I kept him in a crate for about a month after I brought him home, he escaped a couple times. I predict my pup Apollo (he is between 5 and 5.5 months now) will be out completely in about a month or so.


----------



## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

My Newlie was a rescue and we think he was about two when we got him. For quite some time, he had free rein in the house. However, after we had had him for a bit, long enough perhaps to feel attached, he would occasionally have a temper tantrum if he thought we were gone too much. (Usually, my husband was in a hospital or nursing home during these spells and so he wasn't home and I didn't get home till later than usual. I think his tantrums resulted from a little separtion anxiety. At various times, he took bites out of my eggcrate mattress, the laundry basket and dustpan (very politically incorrect), four of my husband;s littlle footstools and took a bite out of the couch.

Newlie is older now and more settled, so he hasn't destroyed anything in a while. When my husband got so unsteady on his feet, I started using a baby gate to confine Newlie in the litchn/dining room area when I was gone, and that has worked so well, i have continued that, even now that my husband has passed away. I also found that giving Newlie treats when I am going to work does the trick. I put some treats in his Kong and some peanut butter in his little puzzle toy and now, I swear, he almost holds the door open for me to leave now so he can have his cookies!


----------



## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

If I leave and can't take the dogs with me, (too hot or too cold) both dogs get crated. Usually 3 to 5 hours at a time. It's the only way I'm sure I won't be coming home to a mess.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

If you can't trust your dog outside, then crating is acceptable. If trained properly, a dog can be left in a crate for 24 hours at a time no problem. They will learn to hold it in and only let go when they get out.[/QUOTE]

That's insane.


----------



## mauser1 (Feb 24, 2015)

nezzz said:


> If trained properly, a dog can be left in a crate for 24 hours at a time no problem. They will learn to hold it in and only let go when they get out.


You've got to be kidding me! This is seriously cruel. I really don't think people like this should even own dogs. Puppies shouldn't have to hold it more than however many months old they are plus one hour. I could never, ever leave a dog without a bathroom break for over 12 hours, and that would probably be in some sort of emergency. If you're going to be gone so long that you literally won't be back an entire day, you need to have someone let them out, or take them to a kennel, or an overnight daycare. This is horrible, and I'm pretty sure you could classify it as abuse. Especially if done as a regular thing. Why even own a dog if you aren't going to see it more than once every 24 hours?!


----------



## Axel13 (Jun 23, 2014)

All of mine have had free roaming privileges since they where toilet trained. All but one (of 5) are great but my youngest shepherd who is 2 years old is a brat. He will rip up anything that remotely smells like food but luckily he has stopped destroying the floor and the couch. My sheltie and 2 oldest shepherds never ripped anything up. They have never taken anything of the line or chewed the floor or chair. Every dog is different and some grow out of it and some never do!


----------



## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

mauser1 said:


> You've got to be kidding me! This is seriously cruel. I really don't think people like this should even own dogs. Puppies shouldn't have to hold it more than however many months old they are plus one hour. I could never, ever leave a dog without a bathroom break for over 12 hours, and that would probably be in some sort of emergency. If you're going to be gone so long that you literally won't be back an entire day, you need to have someone let them out, or take them to a kennel, or an overnight daycare. This is horrible, and I'm pretty sure you could classify it as abuse. Especially if done as a regular thing. Why even own a dog if you aren't going to see it more than once every 24 hours?!


I'm not saying you should do it on a long term basis. Cruel or not it is definitely doable still. All I was stating was this is something that can be done and suddenly I am some maniacal dog dictator???


----------



## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

newlie said:


> My Newlie was a rescue and we think he was about two when we got him. For quite some time, he had free rein in the house. However, after we had had him for a bit, long enough perhaps to feel attached, he would occasionally have a temper tantrum if he thought we were gone too much. (Usually, my husband was in a hospital or nursing home during these spells and so he wasn't home and I didn't get home till later than usual. I think his tantrums resulted from a little separtion anxiety. At various times, he took bites out of my eggcrate mattress, the laundry basket and dustpan (very politically incorrect), four of my husband;s littlle footstools and took a bite out of the couch.
> 
> Newlie is older now and more settled, so he hasn't destroyed anything in a while. When my husband got so unsteady on his feet, I started using a baby gate to confine Newlie in the litchn/dining room area when I was gone, and that has worked so well, i have continued that, even now that my husband has passed away. I also found that giving Newlie treats when I am going to work does the trick. I put some treats in his Kong and some peanut butter in his little puzzle toy and now, I swear, he almost holds the door open for me to leave now so he can have his cookies!


Good lord, I was in a hurry to post this because my lunchtime was almost up so (obviously) I didn't check it. Sorry for all the mistakes.


----------



## Tankin (Feb 7, 2012)

Tank had free access to the first floor of the house @ 8 months with no issues. Gave him free access to the second floor of the house when we were sure he and the cat got along well enough, which was at about 1 year.


----------



## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Littleone said:


> Right now, when I leave, I have to crate our 16m GSM. She gets a walk every day and is decently calm(ish) after that for the whole day. There is no way that I could leave her free roaming in the house if I have to leave to work an 8 hour shift. Our yard is not a safe alternative. She has a large crate and spends max 4 hours during the day time in there when I have to leave for a half day of work.
> If I one day need to work an 8 hour shift, I was wondering when that might be when I could leave her free-roaming in the house and come back to everything in one piece. Are we talking years from now? lol


Just like everything else with a puppy she will need to be trained to leave her free roaming. We usually start small and work up the amount of time we leave them home alone. We start with leaving the crate open at night and if they don't tear up anything in the house then we move on to letting them out when we are not home. Maybe go outside for 10 min and leave her out of the crate and see what happens... Then go out to dinner for an hour and so on. You can't just do it in one shot. IMO.


----------



## mauser1 (Feb 24, 2015)

nezzz said:


> I'm not saying you should do it on a long term basis. Cruel or not it is definitely doable still. All I was stating was this is something that can be done and suddenly I am some maniacal dog dictator???


Leaving a dog out in a car with the windows up on a hot day is doable. Keeping them outside when it's 15 below Fahrenheit is doable. Kicking them, deliberately fighting them, or not feeding them for several days are all doable. Cruel or not, these are all doable.

To be honest I don't really see a difference.


----------



## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

When Donner was a pup we would leave him in the house where he had access to the kitchen, family room, living room and dining room. One day when he was about 5 months old he went through the house and took every house plant he could manage and brought it to the living room. Then he dumped every house plant out of it's container onto the carpet in the middle of the floor. When I returned home a couple hours later and found what he had done all I could do was laugh. He only did it once but he made his point about being alone!


----------



## RiverDan (Mar 22, 2013)

Baron is just over 2 now. We started leaving him out for short periods (1-3 hours) around 10 months old. We slowly increased it until at a year he had free roam of the main floor. Now he has full access to the house at all times. Zero problems. I can leave chicken wings out all night, and they will be there in the morning. He's a good dog.

Edit: We have a female Alaskan Malamute that I barely trust one room over for longer than 10 minutes. Like a few people said. Knowing your dog is a huge part of your decision.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

RZZNSTR said:


> When Donner was a pup we would leave him in the house where he had access to the kitchen, family room, living room and dining room. One day when he was about 5 months old he went through the house and took every house plant he could manage and brought it to the living room. Then he dumped every house plant out of it's container onto the carpet in the middle of the floor. When I returned home a couple hours later and found what he had done all I could do was laugh. He only did it once but he made his point about being alone!


This is quite the visual and I found myself laughing as I read it


----------



## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

Honest answer is actually never... You could do it.. But you cant guarantee no damage. Also the more they damage things and get conditioned to like it... I.e. have fun doing it.. The more they will do it.

There is always a chance they might get up to no good.
Leaving for less hours is easier, and build up to it... 

But unless you dog proof. (Basically some sort of play-pen or play room, or somehow dog proof the whole house) There is always potential, or at least a chance for destruction..

You could get away with it with older dogs with less energy to be naughty. Less incentivising things in their reach... I.e. A rubbish bin they can get to is a no no.

If I am not home, dogs are outside.
Dogs sleep in my room. sometimes one dog in a crate.
They are inside when I am home most of the time.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Not exactly sure how old everyone was when I started leaving them loose in the house, but it was between 12 and 18 months. The most damage (past the teething puppy stage) has been throw pillows from the couch tossed around the living room.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

dogfaeries said:


> Not exactly sure how old everyone was when I started leaving them loose in the house, but it was between 12 and 18 months. The most damage (past the teething puppy stage) has been throw pillows from the couch tossed around the living room.


I woke up today to the pillows not where they were when I went to sleep....


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

llombardo said:


> I woke up today to the pillows not where they were when I went to sleep....


Yeah, what's up with that? Are they having pillow fights while we're asleep? I have ONE throw pillow right now in the living room. My couch is a sad, lonely looking sight without a bunch of throw pillows.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

dogfaeries said:


> Yeah, what's up with that? Are they having pillow fights while we're asleep? I have ONE throw pillow right now in the living room. My couch is a sad, lonely looking sight without a bunch of throw pillows.


They don't like the blankets on the couch either. They remove them and then go to sleep


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

llombardo said:


> They don't like the blankets on the couch either. They remove them and then go to sleep


Darn dogs. This is why we can't have nice things.


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

My Sailor was an angel in the house. When i first got him he was crated. He soon started breaking out of the crate. Finally one day I was fed up and I was like, okay, you don't want the crate!? Fine!lets see how well you do loose in the house. I went to work during the day, came back home, and the house was perfect. Since then I started leaving him loose. I think he was trying to tell me he didn't want no stinkin crate! Haha

Disclaimer: this worked for ME, this very RARELY will work for most people and should NOT be a crate training method. Hahah.

Captain: is doing very well. He is up to 20 minutes alone loose in the house. I used a hidden cAmera on him one day when I went to pick up some fast food. Came home, house was fine. Watched the video, he whined a bit and then went and slept by the front door until I got home. If I leave the house for more than 20 min. He is crated. My biggest advice is to start small as far as time they are loose, and work your way up. Even start as small as 1 minute. Next time I have to leave the house For 25-30 minutes I will leave captain and see how he does. 

Good luck to you and your pup!


----------



## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

llombardo said:


> This is quite the visual and I found myself laughing as I read it


:laugh: Yeah it was a scene reminiscent of the scene in Close Encounters of a Third Kind where Dreyfus was shoveling dirt into the house to build the Devils Tower replica! :laugh:


----------



## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

I didn't leave mine alone in the house (out of a crate) until he stopped trying to destroy things when I was home. I would even crate him at night. He was a terror as a puppy. He stopped trying to destroy stuff at about 8 months.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Apoolutz said:


> Nezzz- can you hold your pee for 24 hrs, that's just cruel and stupid


Agree. And it is unhealthy as well.


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

wolfy dog said:


> Agree. And it is unhealthy as well.


Double agreed. Sorry nezzz, looks like you are in the minority.


----------



## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

I think Nezz just said 24 hours to exaggerate that it is possible..

I dont think he meant he did it or is doing it or recommending it.
He was just trying to say that dogs generally don't pee in their crates.
To all those that said it is cruel.. That goes without saying. Dont do this!

I can see how the misunderstanding arose.
It was a strange way of communicating what he wanted to say. But I think people are misunderstanding why he said that.


----------



## EMH (Jul 28, 2014)

I haven't crated my little guy (now big) since he was 5 months old. He always sleeps next to the bed at night, follows me everywhere, etc. He's the poster boy for Velcro dog. I will say that it took a ton of work redirecting him and showing him what is and isn't appropriate to bite and chew. He's 9 months now, but ive fully trusted him in the house alone since I stopped crating him. I can leave for 6+ hours at a time and he will be right there by the front door laying down right where I left him.


----------



## Arlene/Archer (Mar 7, 2013)

I never crated Archer, he had free roam from 13 weeks. It helps that my husband and I work from home, so it was a doddle to redirect him when he was teething and looking for something to chew on. He was never a destructive dog, but I think we got very lucky with him.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo is either outside or in a crate when I'm not home. This has nothing to do if he'd behave or not. I've no doubt he'd sleep all day. But - I have large, low windows. If someone came up my drive and to my door, I'd be very concerned that Hondo would hit the windows and go through them. He's done it once already (not a scratch on him) when we weren't home. 

So in my case, I'm not concerned with the contents of my house and my dog. I'm concerned with my low windows and a dog who takes his job a bit too seriously.


----------



## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've found that each of the Hooligans has been different. Honey never did anything wrong from young puppyhood until she died a couple months short of her 14th birthday. Slider, who was 9 months old when I got him immediately earned freedom of the house. Bruiser will celebrate his 10th birthday next month and he still can't be trusted even when I'm at home and in a different room.


----------

