How do I know if it's alright to leave my boxer out of his cage at night?

Question

He's 15 months old and does pretty good, he has plenty of toys around the house so he knows what to chew but once in a GREAT while he'll find something hes not supposed to chew. I really want to let him have a little more freedom, but i'm afraid he'll chew something up or go to the bathroom in the house and im not going to be up to correct him. What do i do?

Answer 1

This is what I always do, close him in with you in the bedroom and pick everything he could destroy up. Make sure he has some toys and that way he can't really get into anything major without you knowing. After you feel comfortable with that for a few nights, try closing the doors to the rooms and letting him have access to the common areas of the house and go run a short errand. Then build up to longer and longer trips away with more and more freedom until you feel comfortable.

Answer 2

I agree with the previous answer confine him in your room initially, to much freedom to soon will cause problems some times. Make it gradual. If he is in your room you can hear him get into something and be able to correct him. Does he sleep through the night with no problems if so he should do well knowing its time to sleep not play, if you do hear him get up and start moving around the room. Correct him say no and go lay down. Bedtime. If he does not settle down put him back in his crate for the rest of the night. Try again the following night until you can leave him loose in your room with no problems. Then try opening your dog your dog should stay and sleep all night if he doesnt correct him again. close the door and try again the next night. At 15 months he should be able to deal with this with no problem. My 5 month old boxer does well loose in the house at night, no problems and my older ones (4 and 2) were the same as puppies by 5 to 6 months i could trust them at night now its no problem at all.

Answer 3

My boxer is 5 mos old and i leave her out at night now, she doesn't chew on anything while i'm in bed, she knows when i go to bed its bedtime cause she goes and lays down for the night, i have other dogs out with her too ! I only put her up if i have to go to work now! so i guess it depends on your dog and only you know your dog well enough! I also have news paper down in the launder room were my small dogs potty at and if she is sick or can't wait she can go there. most of the time she does hold it til i get up but sometimes i sleep in later and thats when she'll use the paper, theres no carpet back there so thats helps. I think if your dog is trained to go outside and you get up early to take it out to go potty then he may hold it. You'll have to try it once and just see what happens. your right they are in the cage long enough and need a break!! so good luck to ya and try it once and see how he does! You might be surprised !!

Answer 4

All I can tell you is how I've handled my own boxer. We got him when he was a little puppy and he slept with us for awhile, which was so sweet. He'd wake me up during the night and I'd take him out, so he never had accidents.
When he got too big to sleep with us, we put a really big dog bed in the corner of our room and he'd sleep there all night. Sometimes he'd wake up and I'd take him out and then he'd go right back to bed.
He's 18 months old now and his dog bed is in a corner of the living room. He's perfectly fine there all night. If he gets lonely he goes in my son's room and sleeps at the foot of his bed.
He's also fine all day while we go to work and the kids are at school. He just chews on rawhide and his toys.
We've never even owned a crate.

The key to keeping them from chewing up your house is to make sure they have plenty of toy and chewy things to keep them occupied. They chew when the get bored.

Good Luck. Boxers are 100% worth getting used to.

Answer 5

Best for now to keep him crated at night. Work on the freedom thing when you are home and able to train him as to what he can and cannot do. Also, you might want to try puppy proofing your house. Take up all things on the floor that he could get into. Going potty in the house happens with all dogs now and then, but once he has a grip on going outdoor, and you make sure he gets out just before bed, he should eventually know the score..

Answer 6

Well, how long can he be left out during the day?

That is a good indication for how long he is good for at night.
The only way to know for sure is to try it.

Expect some accidents. It will happen on occasion.

My dogs are 7, but on very rare occasion, there is a night accident. Usually when one has an upset tummy for some reason.

Answer 7

you know - we wondered the same thing.

We noticed that once the dog was sleeping through the night in her kennel, that it seemed to be safe to allow her out.

The other thing you can do - take him on a long 30-40 minute walk a little before bedtime. That will get him tired and make him more likely to sleep.

You can also put his leash on, have it secured to something in your room or sleep holding it (I did that when my dog was ill so I would know when he woke up). Also, if your dog has tags, they jingle jingle and tend to jingle jingle louder when they are getting into stuff, which, if you aren't a rock hard sleeper, you will hear (I can't tell you the number of times I woke up to my dog digging through the bathroom trash to rip apart tissues ;)

Answer 8

At 15 months old, he is still somewhat a puppy. I would not give him run of the house at night but what if you let him have free access to your room? Put his crate in your room and leave the door open but shut your bedroom door so he cannot roam the house while everyone is sleeping.

Answer 9

Take him for a loooong walk and tire him out... Leave him sleeping on the floor and get up and go to bed.. If you wake up and there is a mess, then you can't trust him.. If all is well, then your little boy has grown up.

Answer 10

Keep it inside it is still a pupp!!Make a bed for it wherever!!