# Transitioning from crate to open in bedroom at night



## intothevoiddd (Feb 11, 2014)

Is there a right/wrong time to do this? Right now my boy is 100% crate trained, no problems when he is in the crate during the night or when no one is home during the day. When we put him in there he goes to sleep without a peep. 

I would like to transition him from sleeping in his crate at night to sleeping on his own dog bed in our bedroom. Is this something that needs to wait until he is a certain age? He is not 100% house trained yet, but I am hoping that if he sleeps in my room I can hear him when he needs to go out and let him out. Right now his crate is in the basement and I can't hear him when he cries to go to the bathroom at night which has led to a few accidents. My bedroom is puppy safe, nothing out for him to get into. Would it be ok to try it out and see how it goes? He's only 9 weeks old right now...


----------



## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Personally I think 9 weeks is too young for a baby. You would be surprised at what they can find to get into. 

Why don't you move his crate to your bedroom? Or get a second crate for your room. 

My boy started getting free night when he was about 5 months. When we had a few months of sleeping through the night with no accidents. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

My 20 month old is still crated at night, only because I know he'll get into something and destroy stuff while I'm sleeping. 
I think it's up to you to know when your dog is ready to sleep out of the crate at night.


----------



## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Move a crate into your bedroom, when he is over his soon to come crazy chewing and getting into everything then he can sleep outside the crate.
Dexter had a really good run at 16 weeks off not having accidents, so I trusted him to sleep on the floor without a crate, I woke up to dexters version of renovation..the carpet was pulled up and eaten and the door had some chewing marks in it so did the wall. It did not pay off to trust the little brat at all. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

I've had the crate right next to the bed ever since I brought her home. She was house trained by 10 weeks but I didn't let her start sleeping outside the crate until around 5 months old or so. I would try a night every once in awhile, but all she wanted to do was play with her toys or me when out.

Once she was around 5 months, she settled down during the night while out of the crate and hasn't been in it at all for about 3 or 4 weeks now. 

I think 9 weeks is way too young to trust loose at night. Puppies tend to find the darndest things to get into so still need to be supervised.


----------



## scout172 (Sep 14, 2013)

Just try moving the crate into your room for now.....


----------



## Tratkins (Feb 15, 2014)

Our 6 month old started at 5 months. He always starts in the bed with us at night when we go to bed but always gets down in the middle of the night (I think he gets hot). He will move to the bathroom to sleep on the tile. He has never had an accident and only once have I woke up to find him chewing on the wrong thing...our bed post! Urrggghhh. Since then I always make sure I out out several chew toys including his favorite antler and we haven't had any problems. We do close the bedroom door to prevent roaming. For the most part though he sleeps through the night.

He still does great in his crate when we leave and still goes in there even on his own for a nap during the day. My husbands travels sometimes for work so I like having him out with me during the night (him and my pistol of course!) lol I understand why some leave crated at night, but for me what good is a locked up GSD in the event of an intruder?


----------



## Tratkins (Feb 15, 2014)

It won't let me edit my last post, but to make it clear...I only have one husband! Lol


----------



## RedIndae (Oct 19, 2013)

My boy was never crated in the nights but he only did get bed privledges when he hit 5 months. 9 weeks seems too early in my opinion. They have yet to hit the landshark stage. I'd wait longer.


----------



## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

I'd try moving the crate into your bedroom for a another week or so. Then try to transition to a confined part of your bedroom. We were able to transition our pup to my daughter's bed. Its a platform bed, a little bit higher than your typical bed and our pup was afraid to jump off, so she stayed on my daughter's bed for a couple weeks.


----------



## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

My pups crate was/is always in my bedroom. He slept in his crate well have he was house trained. He is really, what is the word...IDK, he used to like to really get into everything and chew stuff up. 

He slept in his crate until he was about 5 to 6 months old. I could have a bed in the crate, because he chewed that up too. Once he got larger every time he rolled around or moved his legs it made a lot of noise. I finally just left his crate door open. He only chewed the leather panel off one dresser drawer. After that he's been very good. He's almost a year now.

Can you move the crate into your room?


----------



## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> I woke up to dexters version of renovation..the carpet was pulled up and eaten and the door had some chewing marks in it so did the wall. It did not pay off to trust the little brat at all.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My puppy pulled the carpet up in three places during the day when he was not crated. I heard this strange ripping noise.....silly dog. 

Riley was never crate trained. He slept on the bed with us until he got so big he would stretch out and push us off the bed. Then he slept on a dog bed on the floor. Riley was very mellow. I Think because he was sick for much longer than we realized. 

Kaleb is the opposite. He is a typical german shepherd puppy. Everything I read about and expected with Riley, Kaleb did, and some I had no idea about. He is much better now. No more counter surfing, ripping carpets up or spilling my coffee every single morning. He sure kept me on my toes...lol


----------



## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

I think It.depends on the puppy. You could potentially have a major setback in potty training though so Id give it til he's atleast five to six months and out of the teething stage. I really don't believe any room can be completely puppy proofed if there's carpet and furniture. They can swallow anything too. :/ Id wait. 9 weeks is way too young in my opinion. My eight month old is just now being trusted to be out every once in a while. 

*-*Summer*-*


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Ha, ha, I tried this a few nights ago with my 6 month old, thinking/hoping that it would work. It did until 5.30 AM and he was a wake. Jumped with his front paws on my bed and pulled the blankets off me and looked at me with a question mark on that big wolfy face. Then tried to open the old dog's crate as well. I wish he had started the coffee machine instead. Will try again next year.


----------



## Angelina03 (Jan 9, 2012)

Personally, I would wait until the pup is fully potty/house trained, sleeping through the night, and older. It was about 5 months for Rocco as well. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

15 months and we are on night 4 of no kennel at night. I sleep on the couch ...(back problems)...and so Roxy and I have been out here ever since I brought her home. Her kennel is still up and door open for nights she wants to go in there. Otherwise I have blocked off the hallway and the kitchen at night so she has access to the tiled dinning room floor or carpeted living room floor...I put her pillow bed next to the couch and part of the night she sleeps there..other times I hear her up moving to the tile floor. She's been great...but she hasn't been a dog that gets into much...she will never have full access to the house at will...she still chases the cats.


oh yes and ps ..I get the cold wet nose in my face when it's time to get up and go out ...around 6am.  I love that part!


----------



## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Delgado was 2 before I fully transitioned him out at night. He would wander at night and drive both Jazzy and I nuts. He was in a crate at night from 9 weeks to 6 months then a xpen at night from 6 months to 2 years

I like the xpen because it's much more flexible then a crate for a bedroom setting, Delgado never tested it or tried to knock it over so it worked perfectly

It really depends on the dog, some do great from day 1 and some need longer


----------

