Mmm wondering if Bailey has earned free-roam ?

[chelle]

I should be able to answer my own question, I've been thru this twice with my other dogs, but I'm more nervous this time for some reason.

Bailey has never been crated in the overnight. Never had a single problem with pooping or chewing anything up. He's always slept in the bedroom. He prefers to sleep under the bed or in his dog bed. Occasionally when I stay up late on weekends, I'll doze off on the recliner and wake up at some stupid time, like 4AM, and he's just right there, crashed.

I should clarify, by free-roam, it won't actually be free-roam -- it'll be freedom in the spare bedroom. I am in no way ready to even attempt to leave him out alone with my two others.

Bailey has some separation anxiety. It is pretty mild, but it's there. Or at least my bf tells me this and tells me Bailey gets upset for awhile when I leave in the morning for work. Pacing, checking out both the windows. Truth is, I don't know just how bad it is, since I'm not there to see it and not sure how much I trust the bf's interpretation.

I come home at lunch on the days that the bf goes to work early and it's a long drive. I've been doing this since he came home. It's expensive and tiring. Winter will set in here very soon and there could be days the weather is bad enough I won't be able to come home, and then he'll be stuck crated for nine hours. Not cool.

OK, so sorry to ramble, just want to be as detailed as possible.

HOW do I begin here? Bailey is very familiar with the spare bedroom. We sleep in there together all the time. The room is empty besides one dresser, a nightstand and a bed.

I was thinking I might move his crate in there and start by crating him IN that room and go on with our regular schedule for a few days. (I can't decide if I should leave the door open so the other dogs can come in and out? As it is, he's crated in the dining room and the other dogs can pass by his crate all day.)

Then on a weekend, put him in the room, along with some safe toys and a chew and pretend to leave the house; keys jingling, doors closing. Then sneak back in and see if he freaks out? Maybe give it 15 minutes the first time and repeat a few times and up the time? Soon I'm off for Christmas break for nearly two weeks, so I can continually do this. The end goal would be that by the time I'm back to work after the New Year, that he has free roam of at least the bedroom.

Please find the flaws of my plan.! Any other suggestions very welcome. Thanks.

[Razzle J.Dazzle]

Curious to hear answers on this as I am getting to the same point with Razzle as well.

[MaggieRoseLee]

I wouldn't change anything with crate placement.

Instead I'd just take the opportunity for a SHORT amount of time to leave the house and see how he does. Truthfully, not locking him in a room either, but roaming the house the way you allow him to (or not) when you are home.

Don't make a big deal about leaving the house, make it normal and matter of fact.

[GSKnight]

Originally Posted by chelle

Then on a weekend, put him in the room, along with some safe toys and a chew and pretend to leave the house; keys jingling, doors closing. Then sneak back in and see if he freaks out?

This wouldn't fool Viktor for a second!!! LOL!!!

[NewbieShepherdGirl]

I'd say do whatever your gut is telling you. If you think he's ready give him a chance. It would probably be best if you just left for 15-20 min. the first time and then gradually increase, but Sasha decided herself when it was her time (let herself out of her crate and chilled in my room all day while I was at school) and she's done just fine ever since....except figuring out how to open doors...but never any accidents! I would just make sure you have everything picked up, maybe leave him with a kong filled with frozen peanut butter or something like that. That may also indicate how much SA he has, if he eats it then it's probably not severe. I know at first Sasha wouldn't eat or drink anything I left for her when I was gone. It's gotten better to where now if I leave one of her favorite things she'll eat it...or if I accidentally leave people food out.

[kiya]

Last weekend we left Lakota "free" with the other 2 dogs instead of confining her to the kitchen. We went out to get a bite for dinner so we weren't gone too long. When we came home, I snuck up to the window to see what they were doing...sleeping peacefully.

I always start with a short test. I don't make a fuss when I leave, but I do tell them "everyone be good, I'll be right back, you wait here" like they really understand me or something!

[chelle]

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

I wouldn't change anything with crate placement.

Instead I'd just take the opportunity for a SHORT amount of time to leave the house and see how he does. Truthfully, not locking him in a room either, but roaming the house the way you allow him to (or not) when you are home.

Don't make a big deal about leaving the house, make it normal and matter of fact.

I do wish this were possible and I'm pretty sure he'd do well, BUT I have two other adult dogs with free-roam in the house (have had for years) and I am not even close to the point of trusting the three together alone yet.

[Oskar der Drachen]

For my 0.02 it's about seperation anxiety. The reason dogs in my experience go crazy is that they see you are gone and get nervous and start acting out on that basis.

I build up slowly from leaving them in the house and going to start up the car, down the driveway and back to the house. Dogs have no real sense of time, it's the cues that stick in the memory and behaviour.

Slowly increase the amount of time, setting them up for the win. Don't make a big fuss of either leaving or getting back. It should be matter of fact - "Hi" and "Bye" Maybe try and attach the same phrase to leaving and arriving too. They know training situations, this is just another one, and it makes it reassuring for them in that regard as well.

You have other older dogs as well, and that's good. The newbie learns by example. That's why I got my Bear while my older ones are still around and capable of being Teacher and Playmate. I have had no issues with Bear in the car or the house yet because steady old Fred is there as an example.