Hi there and welcome!!
When I first brought Dan home we got on a schedule immediately: 2 hours in the crate, water, pee ("business"), play 30 - 40 minutes, repeat. When he was peeing, I would repeat the word "business" in a low voice, and when he was done praise like crazy ("GOOD BUSINESS!!"). It only took a few days for him to start going on command ("Do your business") and he only had a few accidents in the house, which were always due to me not noticing he had wandered off.
It can be tough to crate your puppy at first, but I just told myself it was for the best, and did my best to ignore Dan's cries. I wouldn't even look at him if he was barking / crying. If you put the crate in a high-traffic area in the house, your baby should be fine. As long as they can see what's going on, they feel safe. And also remember that puppies are just like babies in that they need a lot of sleep, so don't think that 2 hours is too long to be in there. I just made sure to give Dan water as he was coming out of the crate (I actually held the bowl for him right there) before I told him to do his business, and then I would kind of cut off the water before he went back in so he wouldn't have to go again. It wasn't always easy, but it really paid off in a crate-loving, house-trained pup. Good luck!!
When I first brought Dan home we got on a schedule immediately: 2 hours in the crate, water, pee ("business"), play 30 - 40 minutes, repeat. When he was peeing, I would repeat the word "business" in a low voice, and when he was done praise like crazy ("GOOD BUSINESS!!"). It only took a few days for him to start going on command ("Do your business") and he only had a few accidents in the house, which were always due to me not noticing he had wandered off.
It can be tough to crate your puppy at first, but I just told myself it was for the best, and did my best to ignore Dan's cries. I wouldn't even look at him if he was barking / crying. If you put the crate in a high-traffic area in the house, your baby should be fine. As long as they can see what's going on, they feel safe. And also remember that puppies are just like babies in that they need a lot of sleep, so don't think that 2 hours is too long to be in there. I just made sure to give Dan water as he was coming out of the crate (I actually held the bowl for him right there) before I told him to do his business, and then I would kind of cut off the water before he went back in so he wouldn't have to go again. It wasn't always easy, but it really paid off in a crate-loving, house-trained pup. Good luck!!
