Congrats on your new baby.How exciting.I love my furbabies, they are my family and the days they first come home are very exciting and tiring, like a new child.It is your new child.Let your baby learn to love the crate.It should be a safe place for quiet comfort to go for peace like their den would be.Then if there is ever a need like after a spay or neuter or any recovery there is a safe recovery place or a safe car ride or place for traveling and just their special place.Mine all learned to love their crates,leave the door open when you are around so she can freely go in and out and maybe a special towel/blanket that you have cuddled with your scent since there are no litter mates or mothers scent to put with her.The crate is a wonderful safe place to have not to spend 10 hours a day in but for when you are gone until she is safe in a room or to be left in the house.I don't recall if you said her age?As for house breaking some depends on her age but until you know if she isn't to young every 1/2 hr to hour at first I would take her out and look for signs of sniffing,heading toward the door a different tone in her whine, you wil learn her cries it won't take long.Take her out when she wakes ,after she eats or plays,when she drinks alot.You can take her to the same spot say a word like potty and train her to go on comand.There are techineques on how to do this all over the web.I think at greatpets.com as well.
I put the crate next to me when I slept so mine knew I was close of course if she cries constantly that could be tough,a little soft music,a clock or something may help,there is always a few days or week of adjustment while you both get to know each other.I am trying to hit the high points not to make this to long and it is really late or early Am and I haven't slept yet so I may miss alot but feel free to ask or email and I am sure others will come along with suggestions that have been through this.I have just recently been through this with 4 different breeds from small pom/pappillin/mix to a shiba Inu to a med lab mix to a giant breed Leonberger that are all almost a year old now.The shiba turned a year on the 7th of Aug and the Lab will be a year the 7th of Sept so I still remember some of this.They came to me from 7 weeks to 7 months.Good luck,it will all work out just hang in there ask lots of questions if you need to and there are lots of good sites with good info on the web.Another good site and board is www.greatpets.com they are very helpful and have some just plain information that you can look up from well known trainers and the board also has trainers and vets as well.These are my two favorite boards.I have to get some sleep for now,please keep us posted and I can't wait for more pics too.I wish I had a digital camera and was more computer literate.
Laurie
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