I'm stuck in the potty training process
 

Max is a little over 13 weeks old. He's doing pretty good with potty training. Hasn't had very many accidents recently and seems to understand outside is where he's supposed to go. He also has a pee pad in his playpen that he goes on and he definitely knows that's where he can go potty. At night he stays in the pen and uses the pee pad. The problem we're having is that during the day, when he's in his crate, he will potty in it. He can't stay in it for longer than about a half hour without pottying in it. He doesn't whine until after he's already gone, so there's no warning that he really has to go. So I haven't been locking him in it at night because I know he would make a huge mess. I feed him three times a day, 8:00am, 12:00pm and 5:30pm. He normally poops after each meal, though sometimes doesn't. Every night, sometime in the middle of the night, he poops on his pee pad in his pen. He also pees several times. I don't want to have the play pen up forever and I'd like to have him stay the night in his crate. I'd also like to be able to leave him in his crate when we go out for short outings during the day. I'm just really stuck as to what to do. Do I start putting him in his crate at night and let him learn the hard way to start holding it? He tends to kick the pee pads around in the playpen and ends up going on the mat in it. I've thought about putting a pad in a litter box and trying that. His crate and the litter box wouldn't fit in the playpen though, just one or the other. I guess my dilemma is, do I start putting him in his crate despite pottying in it, or do I keep using the pee pads so he doesn't have to hold it all night? I guess instead of locking him in his crate when we go somewhere, I could put a baby gate up in the bathroom with his litter box and pad. I just don't want him free roaming while we're gone or sleeping.

Sorry so much rambling. Please feel free to post any ideas you have for us!

I have Pippa in a playpen, pee pad on one side, bed on the other. She uses the pad consistently. If I put her in a crate at night I am sure that at this point she would not hold it because I give her free access to her pads...KWIM? Maybe you are using two methods (pads in the day, crate training at night) and he is not ready for that, he is kinda young still... :confused:

Sounds like he is doing good for his age. He is still too young to have complete bladder control. It is about 4 months old when they have more control. It will be awhile before he poos less. He is growing a lot and needs the extra calories when he is about a year then he can be on adult food and will poo probably 1 to 2 times a day.

Good luck on your new baby!

This morning was the final straw. We're doing away with the crate. I took Max outside, he pee-pee'd, sniffed around for awhile then ran to the door. I put him in his crate and fed my baby breakfast. He was literally in there less than 30min. He pooped at some point and then dance all around in it. Poop was everywhere and I had to give him a bath before I could do anything else. I threw the crate outside (I'll clean it later) and decided that was it. For some reason he just does not hold it in his crate. Heck, he holds it better while in the house than in his crate. I cleaned out a litter box we had and taped his pee pad in it. I'm just going to put him in the play pen with his litter box from now on when we're gone. After his bath this morning I fed him (in his play pen) and when he was done he sat and whined to get out. Took him outside and he pottied right away. If he would of been in his crate I guarentee he would of just gone, then whined. Oh well, gotta do what works I guess!

I guess the crate is out then. LOL