When I potty train, I rely mostly on the dog's schedule and watching them for keys to when it is time to take them outside - otherwise, the dog is living in the house with me and crate time limited. When I have to go out, take a shower, do some work, clean house, the puppy goes in the crate and then immediately when I am home again or done with the work/chore, the puppy is back outside for a potty break and then inside the house living with me. The crate is just for when you can't directly observe them or if you use it for naptime or night for sleeping. Really, dogs in training should not be left in the crate except for those reasons. For the sake of the dog, they should not live or even spend much time in the crate.
__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |