hi - up to what age should you stop using a crate and swap for normal bed?

Why should you want to stop using the crate? This place will become the dog's sancuary, its little home where it can do what it likes, why take that away from him/her? I would leave it where it is if it likes it.

I wouldn't - a dogs crate can be used as it's bed without the need to shut the door - my two are aged 11 and 4 and are in theirs at the moment because we've got workmen in.......

It depends on your dog, my staffie was crated till she was about six months, she liked her crate and we never had a problem with it, one day we didnt lock it and the next morning we woke up and she was asleep on the sofa, after that we just let her sleep on the sofas and weve never had a problem since.

You don't NEED to swop, but if you want to, once your dog is clean & no longer destructive - just leave the door open & see where he/she is in the morning!

brie is 4 years old and she loves her crate the door is open all the time,if it not we know when it 10pm.she wants to go to bed,

I think its best if you leave it open for your dog. just because their is a door it dosn't mean you have to use it!

my first bitch who died about a year ago was a cow when it came to her cage. sometimes we would take it from under the stairs and want to put it in the car so we coudl take it to a show, it was collapsed in the hall and we had to literly drag her out and put her in the kitchin so we could collapse the cage without her stopping us!

a cage is a place of security for a dog because it protects them from all directions. i wuold say leave the cage unless its to small for your dog now and then i would recormend gettinga biger one!

Ice