Good Girl Meg!

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Today we had to be gone from home for several hours and decided for it to be the first time we left Meg out of her crate while we were gone.  We gate the top of the stairs at night and let her have the run of upstairs (bathroom door closed...don't like her drinking from toilet...keep a cleaning agent in it), she always does well up there.  We gave her a peanut butter bone so we could slip out the door but that didn't fool her for one second.  She watched us leave and when we came home nearly four hours later she was watching in the window and wiggling all around in circles as we came in the door.  We made a huge production of her being a good girl and glad to see her.  I am so pleased that she did well, no chewing and nothing knocked down or torn up.  Pretty good for my 11 month old girl.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Good girl Meg!

That was about the age when we started letting Luna have the run of the house when we're not home.  I think she's more comfortable if she can watch what's going on outside and change sleeping spots every once in a while.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Good Girl Meg!  this encourages me, we have not left Quincy uncrated while not home.  He otherwise, including all night, has free range and has not chewed or gotten into mischief so I guess we will have to be brave and give it a try!  I would LOVE to get rid of the huge crate we have set up. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Congratulations to Meg. What a good girl!

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

Good for all of you! Shaggy is a year old and can be left out of the crate most of the time with no problem. Then out off the blue I come home and find - a finger missing on my favorite leather gloves or the fifteen foot leash has been chewed into many smaller chunks or a nice leather collar has been reduced to a 3 inch chunk of leather with a buckle. So I'm still careful about how long he is left out of the crate when I'm gone, how much freedom to roam he can have and what he could reach on tables, cupboards, and the floor ;>}

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

LOL! hate those fingerless gloves!  We have our share of missing chunks of leash with a buckle and that is done while we are walking him!  

[Margaret Erwin]

Ella and Harry are now three, but I remember the first time I left them uncreated. I think they were about a year and I dismantled the crates as they were getting too big for them. I went to the Y for an hour and found they had chewed two inches off the wooden arm of a living room occasional chair. Back out came the crates for a few months.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

We did it!  we went out for dinner last night and put Quincy in his crate with a filled Kong BUT we did not latch the door.  Our compromise on our indecisiveness.  He does not push open doors when they are slightly ajar, so i did not think he would leave the crate.  He did!  He was at the door when we came in, wagging his tail.  No chewing, no mischief that we could see.  We will start longer alones and keep our fingers crossed.  Thanks to Meg for the inspiration.  

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Good for Quincy.  Meg has never, ever had a problem with her crate, if I just lay my hand on it she walks in,  but DH hates that we put her in there.  I am glad to give him some piece of mind even though I hate that it means she is growing up...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lori, That is exactly how we did it with Vern and Fudge. I would put their kongs in their crates and they would go in and I just didn't latch the door. They figured it out, too, but I did it that way for months before I took the crates down. Good job, Quincy!!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Lori, this is so cute!  "Waiting at the door" for you made my husband I laugh this morning!  We are working with Libby right now on leaving her out of the crate while we are gone!   Good job Quincy:)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Way to go, Meg!!