Training to be free roaming

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

A Brief History

Cooper is 1 yr 4 months. When we go to work she is left in her X-pen which is attached to her crate. She is more than happy with this - she goes in voluntarily. She always has a few toys and chews in there, and gets fed in there too. Before and after every meal, for about an hour in total she goes in there to calm down and let her tummy rest (Im paranoid about bloat).

The Issue

We are moving house in 3 weeks, to a smaller place where there will not be space for Coopers X-Pen. So she needs to learn to be free roaming.

Whats Happening

 For the last week we have not been closing the X-Pen gate at night and Cooper is being great at being free roaming. We close the doors to the bathrooms, lounge and computer room, so she just has access to her area, the kitchen and our bedroom. I wake to find her fast asleep on the floor beside the bed.

The Challenge

Cooper is so used to going into her X-pen to be fed, and then to lay down and rest. However, trying to get her to rest NOT in the X-pen is a challenge. She is a very energetic, bouncy doodle, and having been alone sleeping all day/night she does not want to rest even for 5 minutes. She is good with "going to her mat" and "waiting" but has to be told to "wait" every 20 seconds or so. She has never caught on to "stay". I guess we didnt put enough effort into it when she was little. She has always been very easy to train, but with "stay" she is terrible (she would never sit still for even a minute).

What To Do?

Im not sure whats the best way to teach her to rest. Practice "stay" at random times, increasing the length of time? Tether her when she needs to rest?

What methods have you used and what did/did not work?

In the new house, she will have access to the kitchen and lounge/computer area, but the bedrooms and bathroom will be closed off. We also have 2 cats - I dont want to have to shut them in a room when we are gone, but I need to know Cooper wont go crazy with the freedom and terrorize them (she is usually very respectful to them).

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

UPDATE

Cooper is doing really well with 'stay" and now knows she has to rest after dinner

Today was the first day she was left alone ALL DAY in the new house - i peeked in the window as i arrived and she was fast asleep! Only a little bit of stuffing was removed from a new toy. No damage, No potty inside :)

[Adina P]

Awesome!