I agree with you that she has been given too much freedom before she's ready. However, I've never been comfortable with crate training. Is it possible to restrict her to one small area until she gets it? Perhaps you can stay in that area with her most of the time so she can still be with you. Lexi and I stayed in the kitchen, where there is tile, for her first couple of weeks. Her potty pad was always close. I was able to see her EVERY time she went on the pad and she got huge praise and a treat. I even made up a potty song that she would wait to hear each time. She would be so excited! She loved going on her pad! It was like New Year's Eve every time.
After about a week, she was going exclusively on her potty pad so we expanded our area to my bedroom where I put a potty pad in the master bath. I was going stir crazy and wanted to move around more, but I sucked it up and stayed with her as we expanded her area until she was totally trustworthy.
__________________ Jan  Lexi's Mommy   |