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Indoor and Outdoor Training

Q: Good afternoon, I have been putting my puppy in the crate for one week now and I have a couple questions. 1. I don't understand how this is going to work when we aren't teaching her to hold her pee at all, to just pee and poo whenever and where ever. 2. Am I confusing the puppy by taking her out several times a day to go potty outside on the weekends when we are home, then putting her in the crate to go at will during the week. I get up early to take her out, but she has already gone in the crate, then wont go outside. 3. Can this crate be used to teach the puppy outside potty time, or is it suppose to be used for pad training only? Is there is a different protocol for outside training, can you let me know what it is. 4. my kids hold her and play with her most of the weekend, little crate time except overnight. Then she has to go in the crate during the work days. Is this confusing her? is this bad, should we force crate time during time we are home on the weekends? She is not fond of her crate yet. She cries when we put her in. 5. I have been putting her to bed with my girls at 9pm, then getting her up at 5:30. Is this to long for the overnight crate time? Thank you for your help and advise.

A: Outdoor potty training is easier. Indoor training requires longer and more consistency. You can use the palace as a temporary solution until your puppy has better control. Ideally pick your long term training goal and pattern your approach more towards that. Keep in mind that the ability to postpone elimination is not very good until around 12-14 weeks of age so there will be “accidents. If outdoor training is the long term goal you should pick her up from the palace and carry her outdoors. If indoor is the goal you have to leave her in the palace until after she eliminates so you get the opportunity to praise her. The more consistent your approach the easier it will be, if there are differences in patterns then expect the process to take longer. 9pm to 5:30 am at her age should be fine.