I'm glad she's starting to let you know. DO let her out more often though, as small dogs have smaller bladders and holding it could cause an infection. She shouldn't get to a point where she is really whining to go. She is a MINI POMERANIAN. That tells you she is a puppy mill dog. Make sure the vet rules out any inherited issues. Even hypoglycemia can cause a dog to go more. Such tiny dogs should also be fed several small meals a day rather than one or two large. As they eat meals more often, they also have to go out more often. You should take a look at some sites dedicated to the spedific care of "teacup" and tiny dogs which often have more special needs than the typical dog.

Reggie, what happens if there is an emergency someday and your dog needs to be crated to keep it safe? Crate training is not cruel. Keeping a dog in a crate 24 hours a day without proper care is cruel, but crate training is not.

Another idea for the pomie is bell training. Get some large jingle bells from the craft store. Tie them with string of yarn to the doorknob at the dog's nose level. Each time you bring her out, point out the bells and get her to sniff them or paw at them enough that they make noise. Praise her and take her out. After some time of this she should learn to connect the bells with going potty.