Do You Let Your Dog Roam the House When You're Not Home?

I've had dogs my entire life, and just like children, each one is different. They "earn" their roaming privileges. I've always crated my dogs as puppies, & then progressed to small times loose (with the area "dog-proofed") to see how they did. Most of my dogs were not fully trustworthy until they were 1 1/2 to 2 years old, although I did have one girl who insisted at 7 months she did not need to be crated anymore (she was right) & another who needed the confinement until she was 6!!

If your dog gets into things when given the full run of the house, he is proving that he's not mature enough to handle that responsibility. So evaluate your dog & see what he does when you are gone. Does he get into anything & everything? Does giving him toys to play with prevent that? Does he only get into specific things (habit, more interesting)? Is there a way to block him from special areas & give him more space in the house gradually? Is he being adequately exercised before you leave? (a tired dog is a well-behaved dog!)

Honestly, if he got the hallway with his needs met for the rest of his life, that would be fine. A bed to lay on, food / water... what more does he need? Dogs sleep a lot & tend to nap during the day, which is what we WANT them to do when we are gone, so they don't destroy things!! So if your dog is not doing that when he is left loose, & is instead getting into mischief, restricting him is better, & safer, until he's ready. T. :)

Our dog roams the house when we are gone...and she has a dog door to let herself in and out of the back yard. The only thing she might get into is the bathroom trash, so I make sure I empty it before I leave. She never barks...she's just not a barker (husky mutt). She has not anxiety. She does get a couple walks/runs every day so she's well exercised. If it works best for your dog to put up a gate you should keep doing that!

Yes. Our older lady has been free to roam the house since she was probably 18 months (same as yours). We started by crate training (right from the start, the day she came home to us). It has always been her bed and safe space, and never a punishment. When she was young, we crated her when we left the house, so that she would stay "honest" about her house training. And also to keep her from getting on furniture without human oversight present. By maybe 1year to 1.5 years old, we started letting her stay out of her crate if we were only going to be gone for an hour or less. She did bark at the window as we left in the beginning (when we first left her out of the crate). I think b/c the house was big, she was not confined in her "safe" space, and she could view us leaving. It created anxiety.

I was a SAHM at the time, and was rarely not home for more than an hour or so at a time, so it was not something she was accustomed to (being alone). We moved into a townhouse (while building our next home) for about 10 months right around that age, and the space was much smaller. She didn't seem nearly as anxious there. In general, I think it was because the space overall was smaller, and more confined (less open area). Her favorite spot was on the turn in the stairway, where she could see/guard both upstairs and down simultaneously, and the view was straight down into the front door.

Once we left there, we moved to where we are now. @2400 sq ft, and she still slept in her crate at night (with the door open). But we let her roam when we weren't home. She discovered the best place was to watch the front yard through the dining room window (low sash). It quickly became "her" spot. She only barks at activity outside, or unusual noises (if the neighbors the next street over have a party and the stereo bass booms loud enough to be heard at the window--even though *we* don't hear it inside.... she does).

She'll be 13 next month. About 8 years ago, I finally just put her crate in the attic. She had stopped sleeping in it at night (when we rearranged the master bedroom there wasn't room for it on my side of the bed anymore), and so we just put a regular dog bed on the floor and she sleeps there. We don't bother trying to contain her inside anwhere. (she actually can open all the interior doors anyway, so it's pointless unless you lock them, too.) But she doesn't get into anything. Mostly, I just put an old blanket on the sofa, b/c in her senior years, she has taken to giving herself permission to nap on the sofa when no humans are home. :P

(I work about 25 hours a week now, and she spends more time at home alone now than she ever has before. But she mostly sleeps these days. She's nearly 81 in people years.)
--
ETA
I would keep doing what you are with the gate for now. It sounds like it helps with the anxiety. Over time, he will probably become more acclimated. 1.5 years in most breeds is still just a teenager. Adulthood often calms them down. So don't give up. I don't know what your routine is, but one thing we have done from the beginning is to use phrases. We used the same phrase/words to cue her to use the bathroom. The same phrase/words to have her sit. And so on... You are cueing her what is expected... both for her to expect to happen and also what you expect of her. So, if you don't, choose a "parting phrase" to use whenever you leave the house. That will cue her that a) you will be away from her for a while and b) that you will come back. In the beginning, maybe do it when you are only outside for 10 minutes, and then come back. If you can, wait until she is calm (not barking) and then come back while she is being well behaved.

We tell our girl, "Watch the house, we'll be back." Or if I'm leaving and my husband will be back before I am, I say "[husband's name] will be back." She knows us by name. :) So maybe come up with a phrase you ALL use every time so she can learn what to expect. It is helpful (just like with children) for them to know what is about to happen.

I really like Tara R's answer - she has had tons of helpful pet owner advice to folks on this board!

We have a 10+ year old Papillion that has free run of the house and has had for years. She would never bother anything we leave out (food or otherwise) and has a bladder of steel. If I had to be gone for 12 hours, I could have someone stop by, let her out and in quickly just once, and leave and she would be just fine (she is not pad trained).

We also have a 5 mo old Standard Poodle who does display some separation anxiety signs, which we are currently working through. We are also working on crate training (and near 100% success at this point). I can see where she may always lack the "maturity" to be left to roam the house alone - I hope it happens, but I'm not stressing either way about it. She is pad trained and thank God because I swear she has a bladder the size of a pea. I am home all day but we do crate her when I do have to leave. We also do doggie daycare once a week which is making a WORLD of difference in many ways, including helping with being away from me and not having anxiety.

If your dog is happy with the hallway (which - that is awesome! some folks have to crate completely or they will jump the gate and kick up the dickens) then I'd say stick with it. You may find that in a year or two, you forget the gate and come home and nothing has happened. Then you will know that he has matured enough to be left out. However, some dogs just never reach that point. Crates create a safe place for dogs that get anxious when left alone and it sounds like your hallway does that for your furbaby!

Good luck!

My 11 yr old poodle has run of the house. He will also use a puppy pad that's in the master bath if he needs to potty.

Run of my house is not totally true. I have upstairs blocked with a golden folding gate as well as my formal dining/living areas. At night when I go to bed, I use a gate in the hallway. So free access is my office, bedroom, living area and kitchen which is pretty large.

I'm on a wooded lot with wrought iron fence and the poodle is never outside alone due to our wildlife,... bobcats, coyotes, etc.

I have a rescue lab/sharpai at 1 yr old and 50#. She stays in the crate in my room when I'm away. The poodle is usually with her at all times but not crated. She simply does better in the crate because she's secure there. The only time she's crated is if I'm away. She's known to go to her crate without my prompting if she gets scared ( thunder, etc).

I work from home so I'm usually not away more than a couple hours at a time. If I'm going to be away for 5+ hours, my pet/housesitter comes in to give them a break. They both have excellent bladder control.

I have lots of windows and her crate is by windows in my room where she can see out. Both dogs practically live at my windows watching for wildlife and protecting my house.

My big dog is loves outside and is safer out than poodle. She's run a couple of bobcats away... poodle would be a meal for the bobcats. She'd stay out all day if I'd let her but I still keep a very close eye on her as well.

our old dog has always had the run of the house, since we adopted him when he was about 2. he wasn't reliably house-trained then and he did have some accidents, but he soon figured it out.

he's got amazing bladder control. sometimes we're gone all day, and he's always been great about holding it, even when he's desperate to get out when we get home!

that's not 100% true now. he's 17 and failing, and he does have accidents more often now. we bought a carpet shampooer and are grateful that he's still holding on. we're about a year past when we thought he'd go, and know our time with him is short.

my grandbeagle has terrible, terrible separation anxiety. my son and his fiancee had to both crate and drug her for a couple of years. she'd tear the house up if she was out, and bloody her nose on the crate if confined. no good solution.

it's taken a long time, but she's finally to the point that IF she's had her meds and IF they keep to a quiet, soothing routine when they leave for work, she can roam the house without issue.

your dog is still young. your routine seems sensible, and i'm betting he does get calmer and more reliable as he gets older.
khairete
S.

Our last dog roamed the house after about 4-5 years when we realized she'd be fine out of the crate. I don't think there was any real demarcation of her growing out of anything - she was super late to be reliably housebroken so that's why we used the crate all the time. After a while, we just skipped it. She lived to be 14. We had her from 8 weeks of age and there was no prior trauma.

Our current dog has separation anxiety and she can't roam freely. She is a twice-abandoned rescue and she will not grow out of this. We put her in the crate with a frozen "Kong" of peanut butter and a frozen marrow bone. We used to leave her for 2 hours and still the crate was a mess. But we finally, reluctantly, resorted to an anti-anxiety med and now we can leave her 4-5 hours with the crate being destroyed. I say, do what keeps the dog calmer. He may feel more in control in the hall area with less space to "patrol" and less of a feeling of your absence. It's not cruel to keep him confined if he's calmer and less destructive. Whether or not he comes from a prior trauma, it may just be his personality. Don't feel badly that you are keeping him in a hallway - he seems to be fine!

Both our current dog and previous dog got the run of the house once potty trained and teething was finished. Both sprawlers and stretchers while sleeping needed lots of space and would have needed a horse stall in our bedroom and living room to be comfortable. Just me, but I don't believe in having a dog if he is locked in a crate/cage for 8,9 or more hours a day for life.

The dog we have now is a big sweetheart and would not touch a steak dinner if left out or go on furniture. Our previous would have done both, so food was put away from reach and I put magazines on couches and shut bedroom doors when we left the house. You will get to know your dog's quirks and will be able to adjust accordingly. We do the leash outside, too. Would love a fence, but with that comes poop all over the yard, I guess.

wellll...that's an interesting question....lol...

our first dog as a couple? roamed freely and no issues. No anxiety. No chewing.

our second dog? needed to be put in his room up until he was 2 - we'd allow him to roam every once in a while - but if we were gone longer than 2 hours? he would get scared and start chewing things - like daddy's slipper or the remote!! LOL! After he turned 2? it was like a light bulb went off and he was GREAT. I miss him like mad. he died on his 5th birthday.

our third dog? he's a mess. Love him to death but he is a mess! He's not quite 2 yet and gets REALLY anxious if left alone for more than an hour. He's getting better.

We leave the TV on for him. That helps A LOT. As he gets older, he's getting better.

My dog has complete access to the house all day. Some days she's home alone for 10-11 hours. I really try to limit those days by making sure that my younger sons stop by the house with their sitter on their way to music or sports and one of them might be able to stay for 20-30 minutes while she does drop off for the other one. I also try to have my older son stop in after work but before he heads out to class for the night. Anyway...she's 11 years old and despite being a healthy and active terrier, has mellowed out with age. She'll still get into the trash or recycling if someone leaves the cabinet door open and she can smell something tasty but for the most part, she's fine at home and sleeps, barks at the mailman, sits at a sunny window, etc. She has a crate but usually only sleeps in it at night and I never have to close the door on it.

If I recall correctly, she was more of a pain when she was younger but eventually grew out of it.

Our first dog did, but he could handle it. Last two dogs have been crate trained. Our current dog gets diarrhea from anxiety and chews up things if left alone for even five minutes on his own. We had to work with a trainer to get him used to the crate, but now he does great with it. If we have to be gone all day, we pay for someone to stay with the dog or he goes to the local pet resort, which offers day and night stays.

Yes. Our dog could be given run of the house. She would never climb furniture, enter the bedrooms, eat anything off limits or do anything destructive. She had a mat in front of the sofa and one at the top of the stairs she used to laze on. Apart from giving the mailman hell she was fine. Your dog might mature. You never know.

if hes content with being gated in the hallway then why change it and give him access to the house? my dogs are 9 and 10 and i have to gate the upstairs off or my husky mix (the 10 yr old) will go pee on my bed, tear up my undies and eat anything foodwise that dh has by his bedside. we just put the gate at the stairs so she cannot get up there. if shes outside we don't bother because we know the rottie mix is not going anywhere near the stairs. he hates them and can be trusted not to go up there.

It doesn't matter what other dogs are comfortable with. YOUR dog is happiest with closer boundaries, so go with that.

We had friend who left their dogs to roam in the unfinished area downstairs one day and they ate the fiberglass insulation they were using in preparation to finish the area.
After a special diet for weeks to make sure it all passed and the dogs were fine, they never again left them un crated alone in the house.

We used to let our 3 year old Shih Tzu roam but now that I've had my new baby I grew tired of having to clean up after his mess. He constantly pees at bottom of stairs even if we put his pee pads where we want him to go. We've even placed it at the area where he marks the stairs but he goes next to it. So frustrating and he won't use the restroom outside when we take him. He's too much trouble and my older kids won't take care of him since they've gotten older & have girlfriends now. We put up a gate he gets put in-and he barks all day and night when someone is in kitchen. Plus, he's started growling when he feels threatened and has bitten my toddler 2 times plus he's growled at everyone else when they tell him to get down off couch or their bed, etc. It isn't right, he's no longer a nice pet to be around my hyper 4 year old daughter and I don't want my baby girl getting hurt by him. I don't want him urinating on her baby swing if I put it in family room too which I need to. •sigh•