When to leave crate open at night?

[gritsar]

At what age did you start leaving your dog/puppy's crate open at night? Or do you still close it even though your dog is grown?

The reason I ask. Last night DH went to bed early. As soon as Jax saw DH going to bed, he went and got in his crate. Since I was staying up, we left the crate door open. Jax came out to the living room around 2 AM and I took him out. When he came back in, he went back to his crate. The door stayed open until I went to bed around 3:30.

I'm wondering if it would be okay to start leaving the door open full-time, but at the same time there are things I wouldn't want Jax to get into at night while we're sleeping.

 

[Cornychick]

We crate our dog during the day(while we are working) and at night. He never has accidents except if he gets into something that upsets his stomache. But....I like the insurance.

 

[Dar]

my dog is 11 and i still close the crate door at night... that way I know she is not going to get into anything and end up eating something that she should not.

When we put our coats on or turn the TV off she goes to bed on her own... there has been times that i have turned the TV off and put the radio on because i was going to read for a bit... she will put herself to bed, and I have fallen asleep while reading only to wake at 4am.. well she is still in her bed

another thing... my crates are close to the door... in the event of a fire (I live in a 150 yr old farm house) i know where my dogs are and can easily grab the crate and get the dogs out safely crate and all. I dont have to look for dogs hiding under beds or in other rooms... just IMO

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Excellent idea. Jax's crate is in our bedroom. The new puppy's day crate will be in the living room to start and we have a smaller crate that he can sleep in, next to Jax's crate, at night. Once he reaches the sleeping all night stage we'll move his permanent crate to the bedroom.
My DH sleeps with a CPAP machine and oxygen at night. I'm afraid if Jax wakes up and is bored in the night, he might want to chew on the oxygen tubing.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt I could lift Jax's crate, with or without him inside, to carry it anywhere. The crate is huge and Jax is up to 85 lbs.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
Excellent idea. Jax's crate is in our bedroom. The new puppy's day crate will be in the living room to start and we have a smaller crate that he can sleep in, next to Jax's crate, at night. Once he reaches the sleeping all night stage we'll move his permanent crate to the bedroom.
My DH sleeps with a CPAP machine and oxygen at night. I'm afraid if Jax wakes up and is bored in the night, he might want to chew on the oxygen tubing.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt I could lift Jax's crate, with or without him inside, to carry it anywhere. The crate is huge and Jax is up to 85 lbs.

with both my dogs in the crate and the weight of the crate will not go over 50lbs...lol one dog is 9lbs the other is about 15lbs, I could add our 3rd dog (which we get in March) and it still will not reach 50lbs...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Excellent idea. Jax's crate is in our bedroom. The new puppy's day crate will be in the living room to start and we have a smaller crate that he can sleep in, next to Jax's crate, at night. Once he reaches the sleeping all night stage we'll move his permanent crate to the bedroom.
My DH sleeps with a CPAP machine and oxygen at night. I'm afraid if Jax wakes up and is bored in the night, he might want to chew on the oxygen tubing.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt I could lift Jax's crate, with or without him inside, to carry it anywhere. The crate is huge and Jax is up to 85 lbs.

with both my dogs in the crate and the weight of the crate will not go over 50lbs...lol one dog is 9lbs the other is about 15lbs, I could add our 3rd dog (which we get in March) and it still will not reach 50lbs...

Weighing Jax involves my getting on the scale and DH picking Jax up and handing him to me; then subtract my weight. We can't do that anymore, because I cannot hold 85 lbs. of dog in my arms.
DH can't hold him and weigh, because our scales doesn't go up that high.
Only time Jax is getting weighed anymore is at the vet's.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

Don't rush it.

I don't start even thinking about it until past 12 months. Doing it this way, I almost never have to backtrack because a puppy made a mistake and chewed something it should not. If a puppy makes such a mistake it can set your training back MONTHS.

Also keep in mind you have another puppy coming, and that will engender more activity and possibly inappropriate chewing behavior on the behalf of the older dog.

I would wait at LEAST until the new puppy is there, crate trained, and settled in.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks. Sometimes I tend to forget that Jax is still a puppy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You probably do not want my take on this. On the rare, very rare, extremely rare??? occasion I let my dogs sleep in their crates in the garage (almost always weather related) I I lock them up. Partly I don't want them destroying anything else and partly I don't want them getting into anything that will hurt them. Trudy, the one that will eat a lot of everything, has a fairly delicate stomach.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Now why would I not want you take on it? I appreciate your input very much Ridge.