We had a really hard time crate training our yorkie Hobbs. He would ALWAYS go to the bathroom in his crate and we really couldn't understand it. We tried other methods, like x-pen, gated in kitchen, etc, but ultimately the ONLY thing that worked for us was crate training. With vigillance with the crate training, it only took about 3 weeks to get Hobbs fully potty trained.
I would suggest that during the day, keep Parker confined to his crate (by himself) most of the day. That way, if he whines, your hubby won't be at home to hear him. Then, once he gets used to it by being in it during the day, then maybe he won't whine in it at night. When he is in the crate by himself, you really have to make the crate as small as you possibly can where all Parker can do is literally stand up, turn around, and lay down. Our yorkie, Hobbs, is the same size as Parker (3 lbs) and we literally make his crate about 6"x6" by putting a cardboard box in the back of his crate. This worked like a miracle. Ever since we made his crate small, he never used the bathroom once in there. I know it may sound small, but I promise that it isn't too small. Then, during the day, leave him in his
small crate for about 3 hours at a time, then take him outside to potty, then let him play with Cash for about 30 minutes, then put him back in his crate for 3 more hours. Continue this routine throughout the whole day. If you find that he is pottying in there before the 3 hours is up, then you may have to go down to 2 hours. If you find that he can hold it for more than 3 hours, then you can go up to 4 hours, etc. I would also put him on a feeding schedule so you'll know what time during the day he will poop. That way, you can stay outside during those times until he has pooped.
It will take a lot of vigillence and hard work in the beginning, but I PROMISE it will pay off! Parker CAN be potty trained. Luckily you are able to be at home with him all day so you can put in the time and effort it will take to train this little guy.
I wish you the best of luck training this little guy! I am a HUGE fan of crate training, as it is the only thing that worked for us. BUT in order for it to work, you HAVE to do it the right way, namely by making the crate small.
If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask
By the way, I LOVE the name Cash....is he named after Johnny Cash by any chance? My friend has a black rotweiller (sp?) that she named Cash bc she says that her dog is "The Man in Black"
