Our dog loved her crate for five years.  When we brought her home from the pound, we gave her a crate and this became her safe den and each night she freely went to sleep there and we’d lock her in so someone could supervise her morning outing.  For five years this went along just fine.  Then one night, she clawed, banged, scrabbled at her crate door until it bent and someone heard the ruckus and came and let her out.  She then went upstairs to our bedroom and slept in a chair near our bed and has been there now three years.

I like that model – one night she just knew she was done with the crate.  I like those times, when you  know without a doubt that you are done with this and ready to move on to that.