Potty training without a crate

[lizbud]

It's hard to train a dog to pee outside, when you also use a pee pad
inside the house. I believe 3 mos is still young enough to not be able to
hold peeing altogether when home without you, but I'd limit his water
on days when you have to leave for a few hours. Good luck.

[Giselle]

If a crate doesn't work, try a very small ex-pen:

[juxie]

Thanks for the ideas I looked all over for an ex-pen here and couldn't find one. Gotta love small towns..

I decided to set up the crate again and try getting him used to it really slowly again now that hes older. I threw treats and toys in , and praised when he went in. Then I closed the door while I sat on the other side talking to him for a minute or so, and let him out when he wasn't fussing. Last night when he was ready to sleep for the night I coaxed him into the crate, grabbed my pillow and half lay in the crate with him, until he settled to sleep. Then I quietly got up and closed the door. He slept for two hours, with me on the couch directly beside the crate. He woke up to potty outside, and then I repeated the lying half in the crate with him until he was asleep again and he slept for 5 hours straight!! I am so excited that I may be on the way to successful crate training here . I hope I'm not doing it all wrong- but at least he didn't panic and hyperventilate this time!

Eventually I'll have to tackle small stints in the day with the door shut on the crate. Keep your fingers crossed for us!