When we got Tia at 9 weeks old, we didn't feel comfortable keeping her locked in her crate (which is kinda big for her...borrowed from someone else's dog) while we were at work. She would be alone 5-6 hours per day, and we figured she would never be able to "hold it" and soil her crate. So we would leave her in the bathroom where she learned to use her pee pad.
Eventually we decided we wanted our bathroom back
so I bought an expen. The idea was to put bedding and toys at one half and a peepad on the other half. Well, during the night, and now even during the day, she does not use this pee pad. Is she learning that the whole pen is her "bed"?
When I let her out in the morniing I bring her to another pee pad thet we have set up near our patio door (eventually we would like her to go in or outdoors...we'll see). She'll pee there every morning no problem. The problem is that she cries in the morning because she has to go. Good...that means she's holding it....but pooping is another story. She'll randomly go whenever and wherever she pleases! I wait with her up to 10-15 minutes some mornings for her to do #2, and she just looks at me like "what? can't I go play now?"
Also...I know that her expen isn't enough of a den like a crate is. I would like her to get used to being in a crate so that eventually we can not use the expen but have her sleep in her crate (this will make it easier to bring her with us when we visit family out of town).
She is 13 weeks old today. Should I buy a small crate and keep it in the expen? She hates going in the expen...we always have to carry her there...and I know dogs are supposed to love being in their "den" because its' their safe place.
Not sure what to do. Any ideas? Opinions? Similar experiences?