When did you leave your GSD out of the crate full time?

[UConnGSD]

At night: We removed Wolfie's crate on his second birthday and he pretty much sleeps most nights on our bed. Thankfully, he wakes up when I wake up, so this is not a problem.

During the daytime: I haven't crated him since he was 3 months old. What I did instead was corral him in a puppy-proofed kitchen using these massive barriers from Orvis. I made sure I wasn't leaving him alone for too long. Barring a few accidents, he held his pee and poop.

These barriers were movable. So, I could increase his freedom based on the accidents. Accident-free for a week: barriers move out a little bit. Otherwise: barriers get adjusted inwards. We did have a few jail breaks though because I didn't set up the barriers right. Eventually, he had the whole kitchen to himself.

Then I did the same thing for the adjoining den. Soon, he had the run of the kitchen and den. Sure, we sacrificed a few things (TV remotes, books, napkin holder, water jug, a bag of tomatoes, a few pretzels) along the way but they were just things, all replaceable and we made sure there were nothing deadly. The baseboards were liberally sprayed with bitter apple, as were the barriers.

[GSDkid]

Abby started sleeping outside of her crate at night since she was 6 months. She's been great. I attempted to leave her in the house a few times by herself, just for a small amount of time (15 minutes). First attempt, we went shopping and came back. We were just searching for something gone wrong but she did great. Second attempt, came back home and the trash can was tipped over. 3 times a charm right? Third attempt, she climbed on our couch and chewed on a bunch of things on our shelf. Haven't left her out since. lol. Maybe she was just confused for the first time. Afterwards, she must've been like, "Mom and Dad's not home! Let's party!!!"

[Lenny]

Lenny is 9 and I think we started leaving her out and having free run around 2-ish. She never really chewed thing so we've been pretty lucky.

[Stella's Mom]

Stella is 9 months and we started leaving her out of the crate full time about 4-5 weeks ago. We were only putting her in at bed time, but we stopped doing that too. Now she only goes in the crate when the house is being cleaned by 2 girls that come every 2 weeks. One is pregnant and Stella always wants to jump on her.

We have 2 cats and I trust her with them too. They like her a lot and she is good with them.

[Discoetheque]

Discoe began sleeping crate-free around 6 months old. At that time, I would leave the crate door open but shut the door to my room so that she had free reign of the room. Eventually, I would shut off the doors to the living room, bathroom and third bedroom and leave the bedroom door open at night, and she would have the bedroom and hallway open (as in the summer, the marble tile is cooler to lay on than the rug in my room.
I started leaving her uncrated while I ran short errands at around fourteen or fifteen months, and would block off the kitchen and the bedrooms that aren't mine so that she would have my room, the hallway and the living room free to roam. She never touched anything, so we began slowly extending that time that she would be left loose. An hour or two spent shopping, a three or four hour short shift at work. Eventually, I would leave her loose for full shifts at work and she's been crate-free ever since. As far as I can tell, she doesn't do much when she's home by herself besides haul all her toys to the back room and apparently have a party with them there.

[Daisy]

Our girl has been out of her crate when nobody is home full-time since August. No problems except if we don't give her enough exercise, then she'll find something to do like pull something down from the counter in the kitchen, etc. But she's been great thus far. The only reason we've kept her crate out is b/c that is where she eats so I can keep her separate from our other dog during meal time (but I don't shut her in there, she goes in eats, then leaves it). Other than that, she never goes near her crate. She's almost 3 1/2.

[Cammotwin]

Harley is 7mo and in the crate at night and while we're at work. She was left out of the crate with the bedroom door closed with my fiancee while I was out for the night. By 1am she chomped 3 inches off the corner of my nightstand while he slept soundly beside her. I doubt she will ever have freedom. It seems she has to have something in her mouth at all times.
4 yo Sidney was free since quite young at has old house. Unfortunately after throwing himself a 3rd birthday party with my new Nordstroms leather boots, a few Partylight candles, a giant Reesies peanutbutter heart, Runts, Gobstoppers, and Mike & Ikes all of which he opened the boxes of each item himself better than I could, he's put in the crate anytime we leave the house. The few times we tried to let him gave freedom, he searched out bread products and marshmallows to play with then stuff in the couch hole. If he gets sugar, he has horrible accidents 24hrs later. I feel its better to prevent than to have the house destroyed. Now they sleep during the day outside of the crates on the weekends because its the schedule they're used to.