Our lab is about 6 months old now and it has been a couple months since he’s had an “accident.”

Make sure you give that dog a job. :) seriously… they are smart and get into trouble quickly unless you train them and give them a job.

The job can be ..getting the mail with you, scaring off the neighbours cats on command only, agility, obedience, canine freestyle, take out the garbage, pick up cans, how many tricks can you learn and will you do them when asked, and so forth.

That said…I”M JEALOUS>>>I WANT ONE TOO! :)

We had the crate in our room and he would whimper for a few minutes when we first put him in (which prompted us to throw a slipper at the crate…) and then again in the night about 3-4 hours later. So, my husband or I would get up and put him out, he’d pee and we’d put him back. It was a little like breastfeeding a newborn but without the complete “wakeup”. I think what you’re doing is great! Our house is tiny and we didn’t have the space to put him anywhere else. The only problem I have ever had with “paper training” is that sometimes it can take awhile to break your puppy from the habit of peeing on papers or anywhere there is linoleum. Other than that my biggest advice is to be very physical in how you train your dog. I advise reading “The Art of Raising a Puppy”.

Working dogs are generally brilliant and focused. Without training (even bare minimum family requirements) and a consistent firm hand they can become quite a nuisance. I grew up with cattle dogs and other working dogs and what they absolutely need the most is a “job”.

Well, that’s my two cents. $1.47.

Heidi - we’ve got the crate! But my question is, how do you handle nighttime? Do you get up several times a night to take puppy outside to do his business? We’ve been putting his crate in the laundry/utility room at night, with the crate door unlatched, and newspapers covering the floor…he gets out of his crate during the night and poos or pees on the newspapers. Is this okay?? During the day, he naps in the crate and plays outside with the kids off and on all day, and always cries to let us know when he wants to relieve himself, so someone gets him out right away. A friend let me borrow “Puppies for Dummies,” maybe that will help =)

Especially since you are in a rental.