When can I stop crating my puppy when I'm not home?
Puppies often behave inconsistently when given free roam, acting like angels one day and chewing up wallets, doormats, or plants the next. This makes it hard to know if a few hours of freedom is an earned milestone or just a gamble that leads to property damage.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a crate while at work with a partner coming home at lunch to let the puppy out
- 2keeping a strict crate routine
- 3tethering the puppy in the main flat or at a pub with a chew
- 4starting with one room at a time for short stretches (e.g., 10 minutes) and slowly expanding access
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“yesterday, we decided to leave him out of the crate for only 3 hours in the afternoon after lunchtime, because we would much rather him have free roam and be trusted rather than him staying in the crate... but he destroyed plants, doormats and destroyed my boyfriends wallet!”source ↗
“we were out all day saturday and left him out of the crate the whole time and he was as good as gold, not a thing out of place! so disappointed!”source ↗
“so i was wondering if anyone has any tips, or if maybe we are trying to let him have free roam outside of the crate too early?”source ↗
“if anyone has had a similar experience and how/when they transitioned to free roam?”source ↗
“mine was the same at 5 months, couldn't be trusted alone for 30 seconds without finding something to destroy.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 12How to handle a young puppy alone during sudden schedule changes
- 16How long can you safely leave a dog alone at home?
- 2How to move abroad or travel without leaving your pets behind
- 2Puppy refuses to go back in crate after night potty break
- 4Why does my puppy lie down and refuse to walk on a leash?
- 7How to stop a dog from escaping the crate while at work