Crate to no crate- Transition advice please.

[GnTLARGE]

Hi,

Firstly, I'm aware that many don't feel this transition is necessary, but this was something we always planned to do.

Our puppy is 5 1/2 months (lab x cocker) She's gorgeous- very loving and playful and we're incredibly lucky that she will usually sleep through in her crate (shut) with no crying or accidents.

However, she's starting to drag her bedding out the crate during the day and has started to become reluctant to go in at night. Also, she is waking up earlier and earlier and will bark constantly until we're up. Our poor neighbours She doesn't even seem desperate for the toilet, so we're thinking she's just waking up and wanting to be out of her crate ASAP!

With all that in mind, we think it's time to slowly, or quickly perhaps, transition from her crate to a dog bed.

Any advice very much welcomed 😊

We got our pup used to her crate slowly, fed her in it and treats magically appeared BUT she never chose to go in during the day after about 5 months although always trotted in at night and stayed until we got up in morning. We gave her a day bed in the kitchen by a French window which we started leaving her for half an hour or so and worked up. She loved this and we realised at 7 months that she was ready for a lovely comfy night bed. We left crate up for a couple of weeks in case free ranging the kitchen didn't work...but she ignored crate in favour of bed and as far as we can tell does not move from it during the night. She does get two varied walks a day though plus access to large garden and play and training daily...by seven thirty most nights she is toes to the ceiling😁

We started with a large pen , then progressed to fenced off bit of the hallway , then entire hallway and now everywhere except the kitchen and conservatory ( to avoid early morning cat watching ) . He generally sleeps on his bed in the living room or occasionally the settee , and although he goes up and sleeps on the beds during the day he doesn't tend to come up at night .

Our Goldie pup,was quite happy in his crate until we went away for 3 weeks ( he stayed with a pet sitter) and when we got home we realised he had grown too big for his crate!!!
We moved the crate and left his bed from inside it in the same place and he slept there happily from day 1. I was a bit worried the first couple of nights but it was fine

When our puppy was 8 months old and past the chewing stage we left the door to his crate open all the time - he still chose to go to bed there at night but rarely went in during the day. We got him a couple of comfy beds, one upstairs and one downstairs, so he could choose where to sleep. By the time he was 1, more often than not I'd find him on one of his other beds when I got up in the morning so we took the crate down and he was fine. It was a very gradual process.