Trusting Puppy Out of Crate

hnhammond

New member
Aug 20, 2012
470
33
Los Angeles, CA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Matilda (Tilly)
Matilda has been crate trained, but we haven't used the crate in months. She's about to be a year old, and she is such a good girl.

Until today.

I leave her in the house all the time with no problems, and out of NO WHERE, I come home to her having RIPPED A HOLE IN MY COUCH! I could KILL her.

I just don't understand. She hasn't had issues with chewing in months! I guess we have to go back to crating her when we leave, but I feel so badly about it. I like that she has her freedom. When will I ever be able to trust her out of crate?
 

RaRett

Oogle Me on Google
Community Veteran
Apr 15, 2012
1,475
194
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Missi -- With Gizmo and Hershey never far from my heart
awww, I'm sorry she did in your couch, Hershey was working towards his freedom, until about 2 weeks ago, he got bored and dug into the wall in his Xpen area. Well...it was daddy's fault, you see I didnt leave a chew toy in there with him, his older sister Gizmo likes to go into his Xpen and steal it when he is out and about.

Will you be able to ever trust her out of her Crate? that's hard to predict, but Gizmo has been out for a year now (she earned that when she turned 2) and we havent had an issue with her. You just never know with kids and pets. Sorry I can't be more helpful than that :(
 

Ftse 100

Bully lov'in wonder from down under
Mar 25, 2012
6,731
421
Qld Australia
Country
Australia
Bulldog(s) Names
Ftse
Oh sorry to hear that, and I have been thinking of starting to leave Ftse out but after this I am a bit scared of him chewing my lounge 😬


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FORDE'SMOM

New member
Jun 17, 2011
861
32
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Forde
same with me........i hear so many stories about them taking bites out of the couch, chewing through the wall etc.......don't want to chance it!
 

KMARINO

I couldn't make this sh*t up if I tried!
Jul 21, 2010
7,219
728
Bradenton Fl.
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
VEGAS and REBEL
Vegas was a little over a year when I started letting him roam free for short periods of time to test him. He passed the test and has had free roam ever since. Thank God he has never chewed anything he wasent suppose to since he was around a year old. He loves his crate and goes in on his own, I just never have to lock the door.
 

RazrRila99

New member
Mar 24, 2013
193
5
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Colossus
Im starting to let Colossus out more and more. When Im at the house hes always out, but now Im letting him run loose when I have to go run an errand (Lowes, lunch, etc), so far so good. He goes to either his bed or where I sit on the couch. I have let him "free" at nights the last few, and so far hes proving himself. Hes just over 4 months so Im being VERY trusting. He still goes to his crate when I go to work though.

As for you trusting your pup, it will return.
 

Lauren31287

New member
Nov 8, 2011
1,004
38
Rhode Island
Bulldog(s) Names
Winston
I wish I had an answer to this. We started leaving Winston out after he turned 1...he was good for a few months and then he chewed the air conditioning wire! So back in the crate he went. Luckily he loves it but now that he is almost two we are slowly starting to leave him out for shorter periods when we are not home and he has been doing great so we will see! He always has free roam when we are home but I still crate him partly for his own safety because of his "interest" in wires! Good luck!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,567
3,653
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Some are just better left crated..... Banks and Nitshcke always had free roam of the house since they were about 2 or 3 yrs old. Our Frenchis is 2 yrs old and I do not see freedom coming his way any time soon... he eats everything, and LOVES to :poo: in the house, will not go in his crate, but if out -- he will.
 

Baconator

.........
Apr 12, 2012
2,969
127
Northern NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Bacon
We are going through the same thing with Bacon, we gave him freedom during the day, he was good for about two weeks then one day [MENTION=4676]thesspa[/MENTION] came home to the couch cushion on the floor. Fortunately he unzipped it instead of tearing it hope and began to tear apart the foam cushion. So it's back in the day pen for him now. I was thinking of doing a day out then a day in just to keep him behaved perhaps.
 

JeannieCO

Queenie
Mar 11, 2011
12,680
873
Tip of the Mitt, Michigan
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Emma, Charlie, Milo, Peekaboo and Jack
Oh that's a bummer about your couch. Sounds like she may be bored or just entertaining herself while you're gone. Do you leave the radio or tv on for her? Emma has just received freedom during the day while we're at work. She stays out with Wilson. Wilson chewed the corner of a wood window ledge but he did that when we were home.
 

Telly03

New member
Community Veteran
Mar 31, 2010
1,848
179
Maryland
Bulldog(s) Names
Moses
We lost so many shoes, and my son had his school backpack torn into on a few occasions... I believe all this was between 1 and 2, but we no longer have these issues... I'm sure it is an age thing, but we would also get all dramatically upset when he ruined anything, so he might have finally caught on that chewing on anything other than toys brought sorrow.
 

kazzy220

..........
Jul 31, 2010
8,556
441
Grafton, OHIO
Country
England
Bulldog(s) Names
Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
With all our fur-kids ... bulldogs and otherwise .... I've always been tempted to leave them out of the crate, but my hubby has always stood by the belief that until they reach the age of 2 that they should be crated if we have to leave. He has been proven right on too many occasions to take the risk of leaving one of them out.

As of now, the two miniature schnauzers are still locked up in their crate when we are both at work because they like to pee and poop in the house. Linus is in his crate because he likes to eat EVERYTHING. And Daddy is locked up in the laundry room only because he and Bear like to get into little squabbles occasionally!!!! :down:
 

Leatherneck

New member
Apr 3, 2013
79
2
Youngstown, Ohio
Bulldog(s) Names
Gomer & Vince
Geez, gives me something to think about. I have just recently started leaving my guys out of their crates at night and now completely while I am home, unless they are full of mud or wet - then they go to their crate till they dry and then I'll let them roam freely. I tried leaving them loose in the house while I went outside to the trash can, all they did was get in my recliner and shred my blanket (small price to pay). Hope with time I can leave and no worry.
 

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