Help needed again - confused on what I should do

:? mmm...i saw the pic and i think the problem might be that the crate is too big. I know you wanted to give her more space but at this point she's still learning and like a kid if you give her too much freedom she might take advantage and abuse With all that space she probably thinks is ok to go potty since in the X-pen the space is about the same and she is allowed so why not in the crate too(same space )....Good luck. I'd try limiting her space more.

I have that same crate. I got up with my chis every couple of hours and took them outside and there were no accidents in the crate. I think you are in Canada and probably can not take your baby out right now. What if you just put a puppy pad in the crate???

I had the same problem with my chi. When she was a bit younger she would go potty in her crate and then cry. I didn't open the crate immediately. I let her cry for like a minute at the most and then clean it up. After a few times of that she stopped. Now she will tell me that she has to go and will hold it until I let her out. She really doesn't like the smell.

I agree, the crate is MUCH to big for a chihuahua her size. Even with the divider she still has room to separate "bedroom" from "bathroom". I know you have purchased alot of supplies, but think about getting a cat size carrier, it looks like it is too small, but if she has room to stand up and turn around, its the right size. It makes it more like a "den" and she will learn to feel safe there. Don't put a blankie in there, they always pee on those I don't know why! LOL At petsmart they have special crate pads, I buy the sheepskin kind with lil bumpers on it, They are called Quiet Time, look for them in petsmart. they come in all different sizes, but I buy the smallest one and it fits in the crate perfectly. They are very washable, so if she does have accidents, just wash it with a bit of bleach in the wash and it will take away the pee pee smell. Best wishes to you!

i cant really buy a new smaller crate... so thats out of the question..the divider makesit alot smaller, and just has a rim around her bed.. it wouldnt be much differnce if she had a small crate, because she would have absoulty no space to walk around maybe? (probably still would) but would just pee on her bed possibly if she had to go! if ur saying, i should make it so she doesnt have space to go potty, then maybe i should just make it bundled up with blankets, so its just her bed. do u guys see what i mean? should i just start waking up every 2 hours?
I'm thinking of just putting news paper down in her crate and in her x-pen until she is old enough to go outside, it'd be easier to place in numerous places (ex. upstairs) and then eventually put it by the back door, or have her going outside as well having the news paper and adventually take the news paper away?

I guess you gotta start waking up every two hours then! When Stinky came home we got him a small pet carrier..(10 inches high) those most people use for cats and it was about $20 from walmart. We used that for the first two weeks to teach him how to ask to go potty and yes i woke up every 2-3 hrs thankfully he cried just to tell me he needed to go maybe any of your friends has one you can borrow..just make sure you clean it...and use it to brake Sera in the habit at least 'till she gets the hang of it so you can put her back in her crate...i'm afraid one of the reasons she can't hold it yet is the fact that when you got her...her mom still cleaned her bum before it got on the bed Hope that helps and have patience and good luck :wave:

I also agree with Vala, she just simply can't hold it right now, she is too young, and thats not your fault, but you can try waking up every two hours, though I am afraid it won't be of much help and you will be exhausted. My dogs are trained to sleep through the night without pottying, but it comes with age. I'm afraid that the only thing that will help her is to get a bit older, so her bladder grows, its tiny right now, about marble size.... doesn't allow her to hold it for long

you need to wake up every 2 hours. she is SO YOUNG and WILL NOT understand where to go potty. even if you leave her with her potty pad.

i would leave her in the crate- no blankets no nothing. like i said in the last post, dogs like to look for something absorbent to go on and if there is nothing in the crate she might not want to go -- because she knows she'll have to lay in it. and make sure you limit her space more. all she needs is enough room to lay.

wake up every 2 hours. take her out of her crate. put her down on the potty pad. say go potty. if she does, praise her. then put her back in her crate. if she doesnt, put her back in her crate. repeat, every 2 hours. it isnt her fault that she's going in the crate. do you know how little her bladder is? she probably is physically unable to hold it. have patience, she'll catch on..............eventually

Alright, I will do that then. (wake up every 2 hours) I also know, that she cannot control her bladder, i just want her to wake me if she needs to go somehow, which she'll hopefully get the hang of. I read an article on how important it is not to let ur chi potty in the crate because it is extremly difficult to break the habbit. So i have to stomp on this a.s.a.p. Thanks everyone for ur advice. :wave:

I'm new here and was wondering about the crate training thing myself. What I decided to do was to put up an exercise pen with a small crate inside. It takes up very little space in the house yet Chico has very definate potty, sleeping and food areas. He hasn't had an accident in his crate and seems very pleased with the whole arrangement.

When we're home, if we can't watch him or can't have him underfoot for fear of stepping on him (while cooking, for instance) he stays in his pen and plays with his toys.

Maybe something like this could work for you.

Dee, I love that idea!!

Well...I have to admit it works best for me, too! I never could figure out just how much time I'd have to make him spend in a the crate. Everything I was reading sounded like he should be confined in it except for potty trips. That sounds cruel to me! I want him to be able to run through the house and play with us, have some freedom to learn who he is, yet have his own space where he could feel safe but not shut off from the goings on in the house. This way he feels included instead of punished, just removed from the traffic. He doesn't realize he's getting paper trained at the same time!

Eventually, when he's totally house trained, I may replace his X-pen with one of the large wire crates that will serve as 'his room'.