Should I remove my dog's crate after potty training for more space?

This will really depend on the individual dog some dogs at young age are potty trained and well behaved and some dogs never get to that point. My first dog stayed in carate for 6 months and my second stayed for 6 years. It is all based on the training and how you all want to train/manage the dogs.

You are right in that crate training is usually used for teaching a dog how to hold it better when potty training. If you're looking to get Siao-lyn used to an indoor potty area, I would simply take her to the area as you would take her outside, so that she learns to go there. However, there may be some confusion over this if you are taking her both outside to potty, and inside. Instead, it would be better to try and take her outside more often so she doesn't need to hold it so long inside. Once she is older, she will be bale to hold it longer over time, and wouldn't need the indoor potty unless you plan to have her go there exclusively, anyway.

It sounds like Eli isn't fully potty trained yet. I recommend using the basics. 1) have a set daily schedule. As soon as you wake up take her out, as soon as she's done eating, as soon as she's done playing, and before she goes to bed. 2) meal feeding- this helps determine when she needs to potty. What goes in will push the stool out usually within 15-30 minutes. 3) Use a lot of praise when Eli goes potty outside. Lastly, I recommend making the space within her crate smaller, either by buying a smaller crate or blocking off the back end so she only has enough space to stand up and turn around. If she has enough room to poop in one corner and sleep in another, she will have a hard time separating her bathroom from her den. Good luck and kisses to Eli!

You can do this any time. Leave the crate open in the room, where he is to spend his time, so he can go into it at any time and feel safe. Realize that your puppy still cannot hold its urine for a very long time yet, so I would not leave him alone for more than 4 hours.

It is really a family decision on when to actually test the waters with this one. I always say if they can hold it for 8 hours (about 7 months of age) then give it a try. I would leave the cage as an option for Korbyn though. The cage is supposed to feel like a safe place so still giving them access to it is a good idea. Some people have tried this earlier in age and were successful, while others were not. It does not hurt to give it a try. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for your post! I would say that it is an excellent idea to use the crate even when you are home several times a day. This way he does not associate the crate with you leaving whenever it is being used and will hopefully prevent any separation anxiety from developing. I would Place him in the crate multiple times throughout the day and also when you leave the house briefly Place him in the crate. I would also make sure that the crate is a fun place for him and relaxing. I would ensure that you place plenty of toys inside the crates and lots of treats to associate with the crate so that the crate is not a stressful place for him to be. Persistence and patience in the end will make crate training successful. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

A pack-n-play is a form of crate, and if they are crate trained it shouldn't cause undue stress. Don't think of it as a cage. Many dogs are comfortable and crave the comfort of their crate, kennel, or pack-n-play! Also, they learn that they should potty in their crate and they need to hold it. They do not realize that is the rule when they are just out with free reign in the house. You will need to re-start their potty training to break the habit. Many older dogs don't know that peeing on a pee pad is any different than peeing elsewhere - so I don't recommend their use.