At what age do you trust them?

Sharon7

Sharon7

Moderator
Obviously all our Shelties are individuals, but I realized today that Meadow earned unsupervised freedom in the house quite early. Started probably at age 9 months or so, I'd feel OK if I was out front doing something and she was in the house with nobody watching her. I'm talking brief periods, not hours. That is MUCH earlier than I'd trusted other puppies, and she has not let me down. I was out back just now for an hour, Elijah was with me, and Faith is off with my hubby. She just snoozed in one of the beds and didn't bother a thing. What a good girl.

Heck, due to Elijah's chewing, it wasn't until he was over 3 years old that I felt I could leave him loose in the house while I ran an errand or something.

So what experiences have the rest of you had?
 
As you note, they are all different! Flurry, at 3 1/2, still gets crated if I leave the house. Not because she isn't trustworthy, but because she delights in tormenting her housemates. Sprite was about a year before she graduated from her pen to total freedom. Ruffles was an early learner who had house privileges before 12 months, although I don't remember exactly how old she was. Checkers and Lacey came to us as adults, but Lacey still goes to her crate on her own which she loves. Her vice was chewing windowsills if I left her out!
 
Piper was my first puppy in years so he didn't get freedom until 2, not so much because of bad behaviour I just didn't know if I could trust him (and he was still having accidents in the house). Finnie was at 1 1/2 again because of accidents. They still get put away to freedom on second floor but not first but that's because I get a home care worker for my mom.
 
Fillion was let out of baby gate jail well before a year old, I think...he really was a very good puppy. Of course I was home with him almost all the time, so he couldn't burp without me knowing about it.
 
Sharon7 said:
Obviously all our Shelties are individuals, but I realized today that Meadow earned unsupervised freedom in the house quite early. Started probably at age 9 months or so, I'd feel OK if I was out front doing something and she was in the house with nobody watching her. I'm talking brief periods, not hours. That is MUCH earlier than I'd trusted other puppies, and she has not let me down. I was out back just now for an hour, Elijah was with me, and Faith is off with my hubby. She just snoozed in one of the beds and didn't bother a thing. What a good girl.

Heck, due to Elijah's chewing, it wasn't until he was over 3 years old that I felt I could leave him loose in the house while I ran an errand or something.

So what experiences have the rest of you had?
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I think Luke has some coyote in him with food he can't be trusted if it's people food, but outside he is trustworthy to stay close by us and obeys command's
 
I have always crated my dogs if I need to be away for any but the shortest amount of time. All my dogs have liked or loved their crates and have always gone in willingly. Willow isn't a chewer or a taker of things not clearly hers but I'm of the "better safe than sorry" crowd. I think an abundance of caution is better than even a moment of regret. It's not the house or things I worry about but rather if my dogs might get hurt.
 
Idk. My Toby was loess than a year prechildren in a small apartment i just shut doors to limit space.

Post kids, i don’t remember. 2 with limits on rooms when gone at work? Crated for shorter trips sometimes but not if gone for work.

current girl is spoiled since we are home but gets crated while I am live via computer. She will be penned for awhile, date unknown with more limits than i want due to her climbing in the table potential. We will play it by ear but probably 2 ish with limits on rooms after that
 
Honey was around 7 months originally, although she liked her crate and didn't have any problems being in it. We ended up needing to return to that for a while though when we moved in with my in laws and then into our house in the space of a few months. All the moving around regressed her.

Mango was even earlier than that, although it wasn't by choice. She's just never handled being restrained well, and would completely freak out in her crate the entire time she was locked up. It was painful watching her dig at the bars for hours over cams. She'd also lose control of her bladder. I was talking to the vet about the issue when she was around four months and the vet recommended just letting her out and seeing what happened. So we started taking short trips ... and it worked. She didn't have any accidents, she didn't chew anything... (to date she's only chewed up one item she wasn't supposed to her entire life.)
 
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