[mocha2008]

Hi all,
I have a 5 month old yorkie poo who is 2.5 lbs. I have been crate training her during the day to go potty outside. At night, I have her in my laundry room with her crate door open and a wee wee pad away from her crate/food. From 2 to 4 months, she went pee and poop four or five times a night. Just recently, she has started to go only two times. I have always been afraid to leave her in the crate over night, because I don't think she'll be able to make it all night. She has had about four accidents in the crate during the day if she's had to hold it for five hours. This is why I don't think she'd make it at night. Now though, I'm thinking it might be time to leave her in the crate at night.

She is not house broken yet, and I think that leaving her to pee and poop on pads at night is confusing her. I have two concerns:

1. Can she hold it 8 or 9 hours through the night, and if she can is that asking her to hold it too long?

2. Will she be in the crate for too long then? I already feel so bad having her in the crate off and on during the day. I walk her in the morning before I go to work. My husband takes her out two times during the day to potty and play for about 15 minutes. We play with her about two hours at night. Other than that, she's in the crate. I've always felt good about her having free time at night, but I am concerned that she will not becoming trained if that continues.

Please help with any advice you have. I like the crate training for teaching her, but it makes me feel so bad to have her in the crate so much.

Thanks