# Crate Free



## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

we're crate free here with the exception of one i keep for a place for whichever dog wants to snooze in for the most part. the door stays open. i do block off the kitchen with a baby gate to keep the dogs from counter surfing and getting in the trash.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Congrats! 

My IG will never have free run while we're away for any length of time because she's a sneakypooper. The corgis are fine. My pup is just a little younger than Jet and Seely, and though his house training is solid, he's no where *near* being trustworthy not to seek-and-destroy various objects. He still has to stay in the puppy-proofed and chew-toy-supplied laundry room when he can't be supervised.

--Q


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## LizIsLame (Jul 2, 2012)

Yay! That's always a pleasant surprise, when you realize your dog is house trained!


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Quossum said:


> Congrats!
> 
> My IG will never have free run while we're away for any length of time because she's a sneakypooper. The corgis are fine. My pup is just a little younger than Jet and Seely, and though his house training is solid, he's no where *near* being trustworthy not to seek-and-destroy various objects. He still has to stay in the puppy-proofed and chew-toy-supplied laundry room when he can't be supervised.
> 
> --Q


"Sneakypooper" - love it! 

3 months ago he was barely housetrained and would chew stuff up. I'm surprised by hiss sudden grown-up-ness.

I have to live with a little bit of chewing for now. He is learning retrieving objects and objects names, but we are a few months away from him learning that he cannot put his mouth on items when I don't ask for it. I can't do that until I've gone through ALL the retreive items. So right now, there are items (like kleenex) that he has been taught that it's good to put his mouth on. Without supervision he'll still shred the whole box. He's still retrieving medication and a water bottle when he's bored. But I can wait. His target is getting awesome and I can get him to target and retrieve new and unsual objects with a generic retrieve command and finger point. So excited, my last retrieving SD struggled with targeting.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I'm also following that philosophy on the picking up things. I really don't want to scold him for picking things up, for several reasons: from the idea of having him be able to retrieve anything, to the idea of NOT inadvertently training him to be a sneakychewer.  But yeah, it does mean extra vigilance for now on the chewing things up!

--Q


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## Meg (Aug 1, 2010)

I vote "sneakypooper" to be added to the next edition of merriam-webster. ":_noun_, one who does his/her business with a high degree of stealth, furtive". Let's start collecting signatures!!


:rofl:

Seriously though, what an awesome surprise for you tortoise. We are still a few months off from that milestone, lol.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

So happy. I've never bought into the idea of the dog "telling me" when it needs to go out.

Last night the dogs were out last at 10, which is a little early. Jet woke use up at 3:30 a.m., pawing at the bedroom door. I let him outside and he pottied right away.

Very nice. Never expected it.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau was also about 9 months when we realized all he could be trusted to have run of the house at night and even when we have to leave him alone for a few hours. Loosing the crate and gates made all of lives better! Besides, he reserves snatching and chewing on "bad things" for when we're home, cause what's the use of being mischievous if you can't show mom or dad that you have something you're not suppossed to, then get them to chase you and maybe play the "trade" game? :aetsch:


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## cavon (Aug 10, 2010)

*Really??*



tortoise said:


> So happy. I've never bought into the idea of the dog "telling me" when it needs to go out.
> 
> Last night the dogs were out last at 10, which is a little early. Jet woke use up at 3:30 a.m., pawing at the bedroom door. I let him outside and he pottied right away.
> 
> Very nice. Never expected it.



tortoise, I am quite astounded by this statement. With all of the reading, video research, experience and expertise that you have in the area of dog training, you didn't believe that a dog would let you know when it needed to go out??

Why would you think that you could train a dog to be a service dog, but that it would not have the intellect to tell an owner that it needed to relieve itself and request to be let out so it didn't do so in the house which is obviously his large den?


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

No, it's about people (pet dog training clients) that expect their 7 week old puppy to be totally loose, accident free and "tell them when he needs to go out". :argh: :argh: :argh: It was so much easier (and successful) to teach people to potty their dog on routine before it needs to go out. Otherwise people trust a dog far to young.

I have bell trained my dogs in the past - most did not "get it" except as a way to get attention. I did not bell train Jet so I'm surprised he did anything at all.

I've been scarred by housetraining-disordered rescue dogs in the past.  Normal dogs still sometimes surprise me. :lol: 

I stick to a schedule so there's no need for a dog to say it needs outside. Jet never had a chance to learn so I think it's pretty cool that he figured something out on the one time I mess up the schedule.


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Its good to missed a schedule because this way you discover that Jet has grown up. So happy for you.


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## msminnamouse (Nov 4, 2010)

Congrats! It feels great to be able to have dogs who are safe with the run of the house, doesn't it? Good behavior deserves pay offs.


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

Omar tells us when he wants out. Unfortunately he wants out about every half an hour. He wants out if he has to pee, if he is bored, if he is excited, if he sees something, just generally all the time. He always puts on a show and pees so he gets his treat. He would be a great one for a doggy door if I could trust him to be out alone. Too little with hawks and eagles and coyotes and such behind us.


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

congratulations!
Yesterday was the first time I left the dog in the house uncrated for the day. When I checked in on him at noon, he was sleeping in his crate!


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