New to site -- training questions

[gingerathome]

Hi everyone, I am new to this site but love it already! I have a new baby, Paisley who is a 9 week old female. My mother got her for me for my 41st birthday. I lost my 13 year old beloved yorkie, Macy last October. As many of you can relate, it was total devistation for me. I had cared for her the last year through kidney failure, weekly trips to the vet, hand feeding, being on 4 meds a day, IV fluids at home a couple of times and then finally, my angel of a vet, came to my home and put her to rest.

OK, now that I have a new baby, I feel I have completely forgotten everything I learned with Macy. I have bought and read a couple of training books and have my new Paisley in the smallest plastic crate (but seems too big based on the book recommendations). When she naps and sleeps at night I put her in the crate and shut the door. She does okay except for during the night or if I am gone during the day a couple of hours, she pees and poops on her bedding. After two weeks of this, I am now putting half of a pee pad in her crate with the bedding at the front. She pees outside pretty well, I am taking her first thing in am (usually after she has made a mess already during the night, and then before and after eating, after play, etc. It seems like I am taking her all of the time! I'm not sure if I am expecting too much at her age or what. Here are my questions:

1. Do I use the pee pad in her crate? or maybe just during the night?
2. Is from 11pm to 6am too long for her to be in the crate and expect her not to use the bathroom. Like, do I need to wake up during the night and take her out.
3. Do I use an attached water bottle while she is in the crate (day trips and night time)?
4. If she doesn't poop or pee outside when I let her out, when I put her back in the crate, she will just do it in there and I don't think that is what we are working towards...
5. Not on training but her ears, they are still not up. Anything to worry about or just due to her teething? I believe my Macy's ears were up by now.

I know this is alot of information and questions but I did review the FAQ's and search for answers but still don't know what is the right way to proceed.
Thanks bunches

[Yorkiedaze]

First off, 9 weeks old is just way too young to leave her mom, even if she isn't nursing she' still has a lot to learn from the mom.
Do you have an expen? If you have a wire crate and an expen it would be so much better on her. You can connect the expen to the front of the wire crate. Cover the crate so it's like a safe little den for her. Attach a water bottle to the expen for her to drink from. Put down a pee pad, a chewy, like a beef marrow bone, and a couple of toys. When you leave her alone, put on some soft music like a solo harp music that's very therapeutic. Keep her in her little area until you sit at night watching TV, then keep her on the chair or sofa with you. Don't let her down. Of course you need to take her outside every hour too and praise like the dickens when she goes potty.