I have never crate trained. I have always had a small room to confine a puppy to when I was not at home or unable to watch the puppy. A young puppy has no ability to hold it's urine in. That ability does not start until they are around 4 months old and I am convinced it is older than that for small dogs. So the first several weeks your timing is really important.
Many people are using exercise pens as an aid to training their pets, which is much like having a small room to confine them in. The puppy has enough room for a bed and a puppy pad and can move around. You may not feel as restricted if you use something like that and your puppy may be much happier. A pen is not a substitute for good training and constant watching. This may sound strange but 8 weeks is still very young for a puppy to be away from it's mom and the litter. It is going to cry because it has no warm body to cuddle with. She is basically an infant and you are now a substitute mom. Since you don't want her in the bed or the bathroom you are going to have some crying going on for a while.
I can't help you with a schedule since don't crate train but I can tell you that your puppy is a way off from being trained. It's very young and your going to have some busy days and nights ahead of you. You are dealing with a baby.
I got Gracie after my 15 year old Shih Tzu passed on. I know how it is to be a bit rusty. Gracie has been a dream to potty train though. She has slept with me from day one and we have had very few accidents and no sleepless nights. When I first brought her home I was terrified that I had made a terrible mistake but that only lasted for a few hours. I have had other challenges with her but we have worked though them.
I hope you find a suitable way to train your baby. There are many "experts" out there but you really need to find the method that works best for you. |