the crate has been such an issue for me! i planned on doing full blown crate training, but it was harder than i thought. during the day, i would put my pup in the crate in the living room where i was mostly. i would take her out to go to the bathroom or to eat. that didn't last too long because i figured if i was sitting around then she could sit with me - afterall, she couldn't pee or poop if she was lying down right beside me.
that's been my philosophy pretty much since then. if i'm in the house, she's right with me. if she gets up and starts sniffing around then i take her outside to potty. i had also planned on her sleeping in the crate, but same thing - she hated it/i hated it. i figured she couldn't pee or poop without me feelig her get up to squat - so she started sleeping with me. she's never had an accident at night.
i do put her in her crate when i have to shower or do laundry - cook dinner - anything i have to do where i can't completely supervise. she lays in there just fine - no whining at all.
i think crate training is great in theory, but every dog and every person is different. i wasn't working when i got my pup so i was able to bypass the crate more. not everyone can do that. i just treated her like an infant. if she wasn't in my lap then i was watching her every move.
good luck! |