Run of the house

[otolith]

The Dogbeast is a year old now, and has become noticeably much more civilised over the last few months. We've been experimenting with leaving him alone out of his crate for short periods. I've just got back from the supermarket having left him loose in the large kitchen/dining area of the house. He's got his crate in there, and a couple of sofas he's allowed upon. I found that he'd opened the baby gate to the living room (mea culpa, he can only open them if you don't click the handle down properly) gone upstairs, bust into the bedroom (he's good at opening doors), traumatised the cats who spend the day in there and eaten their food. The little st! On the plus side, he has not yet done any of the things I worry about, like emptying the kitchen bin and eating garbage, rooting through the cupboards or actually getting at and hurting the cats. Obviously him getting unsupervised access to the mogs is what bothers me most about today's adventure.

Obviously people who don't crate train have had this from day one, but for those who do, when did you start leaving your dog loose in the house?

(Should add, I work from home, so most of the time he is loose in the office with me)

[bexVN]

Our Jimmy always had free run of the house and was fine, eventually I plan to let Bryn do the same but he's not ready to be allowed that yet! I don't want a crate in our lounge forever (it's big enough for a full grown lab!!) but our house is too open plan to allow him out and about yet.

I'll probably just do it one day (when the house is tidy enough!!) and see what happens! I don't tend to think too much about this sort of thing it just sort of happens


Also why would he hurt the cats? Surely he's grown up with them and mixed with them enough by now not to be a problem?

Edited by bexVN on Tuesday 1st July 21:53

Edited by bexVN on Tuesday 1st July 21:55

[otolith]

Sadly, no, he doesn't have an understanding with the cats yet. It would have been fine if we just had Ella, who put him in his place from day one, but Lou has always run from him, and running = chasing. They arrange their time to avoid him. If they are hiding in a room and he is aware, he won't let them be - he sticks his nose in and gets bashed. If they are out in the open, he barks and chases.

[bexVN]

That's unfortunate and now he is almost a yr old I'd be suspicious that it may not change easily. I've never had that problem, Bryn chases Lucy occasionally but generally Lucy just lies down and he sniffs her etc. If I do witness him about to chase he is shouted at and stopped pretty damn quick. She wasn't great at telling him off as a pup she was too tolerant but then he never wanted anything more than a playmate so I don't think she felt particularly threatened by him . Lucy isn't a brave cat.

Dogs Trust may have some good info re cats and dogs mixing that may help but the fact he didn't hurt them today is a good start.

[otolith]

It's just worrying because he is so big and powerful now. Their opportunity to clatter him has passed.

[TheBALDpuma]

Mable was crate trained and at about a year we started leaving her out. First off we shut her in the spare room, under the (false) illusion that there wasn't a lot in there she could damage. She chewed a wicker chair into about 1 million pieces. The next day we just left her in the living room where her crate was usually kept and she was fine - I think the new room was the muistake first time around! She chewed a remote once that we left on the sofa but that's been it.

We do limit her to the living room, as it means only one room has to be Mable safe, i.e. stuff that could hurt her/she could swallow etc. The exception to this is when we are looking after our friends cats (either woody a standard moggy, or Marvin a Snow Bengal) and then both cat and pooch get the whole house. This is because they get on really well, and play and chase each other like a pair of dogs do. The reason for the whole house being given is so that when the cats inevitably get sick of mable they can go jump on top of a wardrobe or similar to get some peace!

[bexVN]

Hopefully one day you can see similar to this in your home

Edited by bexVN on Friday 4th July 21:31

[otolith]

Hope so!

[StuntmanMike]

From about six months we let him have free reign, he isn't a chewer though, that makes a big difference.

[bakerstreet]

we've had herbie for about four months now and during the day when we are at work he has the run of the kitchen, dining room and the back lounge. We don't let him upstairs. The only time we have let him upstairs is when he has a bath.

We built up his time alone from about the first week. We give him a kong before we go everyday and that distracts him. The only damage he does when we are out is he pulls the pillows off the sofa to make himself comfy!

I should add that herbie is 3.5yrs old and retired greyhound.

[Antony Moxey]

Archie has the kitchen, hallway and upstairs landing when we're at work. When he was smaller he chewed the walls and almost through the fridge plug (the only low level socket in the kitchen - eek!), but as soon as they were repaired he left them alone (we plugged the fridge in elsewhere) and has been fine since. We're having a new kitchen fitted at the moment so we're a bit up in the air however the builders think he's ace and my boy's just finished is GCSEs so is home with him most of he day.

We've moved his bed into the hall for now which he's fine with and once the kitchen's done he'll be back there. The only rooms he doesn't have access to normally are the lounge, bedrooms and bathrooms. He also has a good walk before we go to work so he can do his business and next door pops in during the day with her KCS to make sure he's alright, which, all bar literally one or two occasions, he has been. Archie's a two and a bit year old collie.

[Chilli]

Both my Bulldogs go where they want, when they want. They both know what they are allowed to do, although I have been having problems with the "puppy" going to the toilet in a spare room in the mornings, but this is entirely my fault for getting up late.