What I used to do with Harley as a puppy, is set up his crate and a hallway with a baby gate so that he had play room plus he was confined enough so that he didn't make "mistakes" on the floor. It's possible your breeder wanted you to keep him crated to help with the training process. In which case, it's up to you if you follow that. I indoor trained Harley so what I did was set up an X-pen like situation in the hallway and had his "toilet" in the corner farthest away from him crate and bed. he would play in the middle, sleep in the crate and went to the bathroom on his toilet. you can speed up the process by praising ALOT every time your puppy goes to the bathroom in the right place.
Personally I wouldn't leave the pup without food or water at night, but Harley had a big enough crate that I could do that. (I also let Harley sleep through the night for a full 8 hours, he was a good puppy that way, he just loved his sleep lol), so if you're letting your pup our more frequently then you can go without water and offer it when they go potty.
Goodluck with your new pup
__________________ Kendra Harley, you were the light in my life, rest peacefully my love! |