Huge day for Meg

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Meg recently turned one and we have been giving her a LOT of freedom in the house, when we are gone and at night...we no longer gate her upstairs at night and she has not been put in her crate for quite awhile now.  I do gate the bottom of the stairs so she can not go get hubby up in the morning but that is the only restriction she has had for some time.  So today I folded her crate up, covered it and it goes to the garage.  I must say she thought that was strange, when I folded it down and put the tray and her carpet piece on top she tried to lay on it and found it too slippery for her comfort.  She wonders about that space now but I don't think she is going to miss it at all.  I hope I have not been in too big a hurry to put it away.

Next step is working with a trainer on her leash skills and her exuberance at meeting other dogs and people. He does a lot of work in public areas where they get used to traffic sounds, people milling around and other distractions.  My daughter used this trainer a few years ago and his class usually does a pile up of dogs before they are done, they learn to walk past without paying attention, walk over or be the under one for that exercise without paying attention to the other dog, down stay next to each other for periods of time and then they actually lay across each other.  I really want her to be the gorgeous dog that other people envy when we go for a walk.  So looking forward to these classes. Just waiting now to hear from him when we can start.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I'm so proud of Meg! You are doing a great job with her. It certainly sounds like you can consider her reliable without the crate. Have fun with the classes you two are going to take. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Congratulations on having a dog who is reliable with the run of the house! 

I always kept my dogs crates out with the door left open after they no longer needed them for confinement purposes. The dogs used them as indoor dens, secure places to rest or chew on a bone. If Meg seems to be missing her crate, you might consider that.

Good luck with the training, I hope you'll keep us updated on her progress. It really is wonderful to have a well-mannered dog who is a pleasure to take anywhere.

[DJ & Chance]

Meg, you are the best!

[Sarah and Willow]

Awesome Meg!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Good for Meg!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Good girl Meg!  We had a slight relapse the other night when we went for dinner and left Quincy out-he stole a baseball cap off the counter island and had a chew fest.  I don't think he is quite ready for full roam when we are not home.  Otherwise he does have the freedom of the whole house.  I hate the big old clunky crate sitting in our LR, but not yet!  So again, Good for Meg and for you!  

[Jen W]

My puppy is 7 1/2 months old and the only time she goes in her crate now is to check for treats. After she stopped sleeping in it I moved it to a different spot and for a time she would go to its old place to check for treats, but I think we're done with it, too. Though I suspect that if I gave her free roam of the house while I was away she would simply sit in front of the door the whole time, I'm not ready to give that a try. For now she has kitchen-only privileges. I hope by the time she is 1 she is as good as Meg!

[nira rajavasireddy]

Good for Meg! That's amazing. I'm not sure if I'll ever get rid of our crate,  Laila is 14 weeks and still needs to be confined at night and when we leave the house, but when she gets older and no longer needs it for these reasons, I'm still planning on keeping it around. She's a shy dog so I think her crate will be a place of comfort and security.

[Adrienne]

Great accomplishment Meg!!

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

.  Many years ago we had a smaller dog and she was very dependent on her crate for comfort and if kids came around, she was not fond of being handled by little kids and kids were not allowed to even talk to her if she went to "her room" so I know the security of it.  We have been extremely lucky with Meg.  She has never fought going into the crate, you can touch the door and in she goes, but the only time she ever walked herself in was if she knew she was getting in trouble.  She did not go there any other time so it was time for it to go

[Darcy & Millie]

Aww, congrats!  What a great milestone!