I have a 9 months old Chihuahua/Mini Pincher mix puppy. I am trying to fully housetrain her since she was 2 months old (when I brought her home). She does not eliminate in her crate where she stays at nights and sometimes in the afternoon. She stopped since she was 4 months old. She had many accidents in the house since I brought her home until I caught her in the act last month and reprimanded her. Since then she goes outside for elimination if she finds the door open. Two weeks ago, she defecated in front of the door twice, perhaps waiting someone to open the door. My next step is to train her to notify me or my wife when she wants to go out by ringing a bell.
During working hours (Mon-Tue 07:00-17:00 and Wed-Fri 07:00-15:00) I leave her in her exercise pen in a small room in the house. She eliminates in the pen and for this reason I use papers in one corner. She always eliminates on them. During the afternoon and the weekends she is free to roam in the house and the yard and eliminates outside.
My question is whether I can make her stop eliminating in the pen when I am out for work and how. Only then I can give her full run of the house when I am out. Can she hold it for so many hours (10 or more sometimes)?
