Usually Peyton (my 11 wk old fem lab) is good about not going in her crate while I'm gone. I'm gone for a max of 4 hours at work, and today I was gone for 4 hours. However, it was a different time than usual and she peed in her crate while I was gone. I am usually gone in the afternoon, and she has never gone before (I don't think so anyway, because her bedding was dry but kind of smelly...?) but today I was gone in the morning: our usual play, lots of pee and poop, and a couple of small walk time together. Could the schedule change have casued the accident?[8|]
I am a bit bummed out that she peed in her crate.
There is a chance that her crate is slightly too big for her (I don't have a crate that she'll use as an adult.), so should I go back to making it smaller for her? She just seemed so uncomforable sleeping in there with it blocked off. Can I block it off while I'm gone and not at night? She'll cry at night if she needs to go, but most of the time she sleeps thru the night. And, should I take out her blanket? I'm wary of putting paper down because I don't want her used to going on paper, but I don't want the soft blanket to make it "easier" for her to go.
And, how long have most of you experienced that house/crate training takes until you've seen no more accidents? I know it takes a few months until a pup is considered "broken", I'm wondering how long it took some of you to get over that hump?
Thanks!