When Did You Dog Become Trustworthy?

Diego was around 7 months when we started letting him sleep outside his crate. He has the run of the apartment (not big!). He has a bed, but he takes after his big sis and likes to sleep on the floor. Occasionally he'll sleep in his "big boy bed" and we make a big deal out of it! He never had any accidents at night. It was so hot in the apartment at night and he seemed hot and restless in his crate...that was part of the reason we let him out so soon. He's done great!
 
At 8 months we have given him the run of the bed room and while we are at work. He's been fine. He'll be 9 mo the end of August. I don't used the crate at all any more.
 
I think Lizzie will be fine at night IMO. I think she'll do fantastic! []
 
 

I usually don't fully trust mine until about a year.  My issue isn't having accidents in the house, but actually them chewing on things.  I have a cluttered house, so there are always things they could chew up.  I guess if I kept a different style house, they would be fine before that!

As I've never crated, I have no advice, but I will say, my 3 sleep the entire night. They never get up and go look around. If they do have to potty, which is hardly ever since they all go before bed, they have the dog door.

I've had my foster dog Sport (he's about 7 months old) for about five weeks now and he's allowed almost complete freedom at night. I've actually had the problem of him peeing in his crate (long story[8|]) but he does fine at night loose. I had started him out sleeping in the crate in my living room during the night and he would always whine a little before falling asleep, and then when I started working longer hours I didn't want him in the crate during the day and at night because he hates the crate, so I started letting him sleep loose in my bedroom with the door closed and he hasn't had a single accident. After about  two weeks of him sleeping in my bedroom with the door closed I decided to see how much freedom he could handle. So, I started by only letting him in my bedroom and the kitchen/hall way (my bedroom opens right up to the kitchen and is easy to partition off from the rest of the house); he did great with that for about four days so I then opened up the living room and bathroom and he is still doing great. The only room left to open up would be the spare bedroom and then except for the basement, which he'll never have access to without supervision, he's be completely free to roam at night. Honestly though, I think this freedom means more to me than him because he's quite content to sleep on his bed,blankets, and pillow (yes, he's a tad spoiled[]) and he pretty much stays right there all night long. I think you should try letting Lizzie sleep free in your bedroom with the door closed and see how it goes, if she chews something up or has an accident then you know she's not ready, but if she does as I suspect she's going to and just sleeps the whole night then you'll be pleasantly surprised and on the road to freedom!!!!

Marley started sleeping outside his crate at 1 year. Usually, he makes it through the night, but we just came back from Hawaii and he is having a hard time getting back into the routine. There have been a couple nights he started to wander and I just crated him!

I only crated mine during the night for a few weeks(the crate was next to my bed).I have always taken my dogs for a walk of around 30 minutes before we got to bed at night,so having to get up at night to go potty isnt really an issue,and besides we have a dog door if they have to go.
My dogs  get free run of the house as soon as they are potty trained,usually at 3mths or there abouts of age,before that they stay in the kitchen and dining room part when i go out,which is huge!
Lizzie should be well able to hold on all night at her age.Mine go to sleep when i go to bed,they've never got up to investigate and i imagine most dogs wouldnt??Ofcourse i make sure they are ready for sleep by giving them a big knuckle bone to work on after dinner each night and then the before bed time walk.

Long story short [8D] My dogs get free run day and night at 3-4mths old.Crate ONLY used at night time in the first few weeks.

Peanut (mix) was crate trained when we adopted her, she was 4months.  We took her out just before bed, then crated her, by the third night she slept through 7 hours.  At about 10 months, we stopped locking the door & she'd come out, sleep beside the bed & crawl back into the crate when the alarm sounded.  Now she goes in when we say goodnight, but comes out & sleeps beside the bed.
 
We were told Draico (GSD) was about 9months when we rescued him, we started to crate train him.  Again, by the third night he slept through 7 hours.  He continues to sleep in his crate, but is the last one to sit up & acknowledge us.  We leave him crated O/N to prevent any wild play sessions while we sleep.

Rupert has never been made to sleep in his crate...when he first came home he slept in bed with me. He would wake me up when he had to go out. Then he just chose where he slept...most of the time it's his crate with the door open, or at the top of the stairs in the hallway. He is only crated when I leave the house. I don't trust him to be left home alone yet. He's almost 7 months, so maybe in acouple months.

You're lucky he let you know he had to go out. BTW, he's adorable!  Peanut had a few accidents in the house when we first got her, so we couldn't trust her.  Draico, my friend who found him & I thought he was most likely left outdoors at all times, he didn't know how to behave.  But, with some training & time/patience he learned.  I can leave them at home for up to 6 hours, uncrated.  I leave lots of toys & chew toys around though.

Madi was just over a year and the crate went completely away at two years old.

My dog couldnt stand her little cage/crate thing so after the first 2 nights we let her sleep in her own room without any crate/cage since then she has been fine and doesnt really mind going in there at night!

My dogs get free run of the house as soon as they are potty trained,usually at 3mths or there abouts of age

 
Oh my god, Edie, next time I get a puppy you are coming over to housetrain it! [sm=lol.gif]