[blondflava]

Hi, just a few comments here. Crate training is perfect if you're there throughout the day to let the puppy out for food/play/pee time every 1-2 hours. Also, most puppies don't sleep through the night in the beginning and will start whining to be let out at night as well. I originally started with the crate and my pup got used to it very quickly but, somehow, he doesn't mind pooping in his crate (and it's a small one). So I switched to xpen, first very small setup, just enough space for bed, bowls with food and toys, and pee pad. So he kinda didn't have choice but to go on pee pad. He seems to be doing good (still protesting a little) and I extended his space, hoping he'll stick to peepad. He still needs to be out of xpen for play time or outside. I'd really recommend that setup. Unless the puppy is fully / mostly potty trained and the house is puppy-proof, I wouldn't let them roam. But it's nice to give them some supervised exploring of the home after they go potty in the designated spot (easier on you too, instead of trying to catch him during deed, you can relax and play with puppy). And the older the pup gets, the longer they can hold. Good luck!