Meet Max

Posted by lildol

Don't feel guilty about crating him. It becomes their safe haven. I personally don't crate mine at night, some need to. It helps teach them boundaries. Think of him like a child! Mine will sleep in their crate at random because they are comfortable. When I have to go to work or wherever all I say is "I gotta go", they immediately just go to their crates. Give him a treat when he goes in. I always found it easy to train them on it. (I did dog rescue for a long time and even the outdoor dogs took to it like champs). Consistency is key.
Same goes for potty training. Consistency! I trained my last dog within about a week (she was an 8 week old puppy at the time). A few accidents after if I wasn't quick enough. She was ringing the bells on my door in about four weeks to tell me she had to go. I never punished either, just would say "No! Potty outside" and pick her up and carry her. Every time I let her out I would reiterate "potty outside" and then praise her when she would go telling her "good girl, you pottied outside".
I've never had a small breed dog though, so I'm not sure if that poses a greater challenge. I know some small breeds are difficult to break. You can teach them to use a litter box though...
Cute btw