Housebreaking Puppy/working all day

Question
We recently have added a new member to our family, a mix shihtzu/llaso apso.  He is about 10weeks old and we are trying to housebreak him.  I would like to know your suggestion on the best method with our situation.  We live in an apartment, everyone is out of the house working or at daycare from about 6:30am until about 4:30pm.  I had thought about crate training, but have read that the amount of hours he will be in crate is harmful at his age. Help please.

Answer
Crate training is an excellent way to housebreak a puppy, as well as being useful during the teething/destructive phases. However, at just 10 weeks old, he cannot hold it for 10 hours while you are away. A general rule with puppies is that they can go for about as many hours as they are old (in months) without needing a pee break. This is general, and every puppy is different; some can go longer and some can't go as long, but it gives you a starting point. His activity level also will determine his potty schedule. When puppies are more active and running around, they're going to potty more often than if they're asleep or lying on the floor gnawing on something. 10 weeks is equal to 2 and a half months of age, so he should be taken out *at least* every 2-3 hours during the day if he's out of his crate, at least every 3-4 hours if he's in his crate during the day, and at least once during the night.

Is it possible for someone to go to your house and let him out a couple of times during the day until he's old enough to be able to hold it until you get home (which will probably be at around 7 months of age)? A pet sitter, neighbor, friend or family member, for example? If he was at least 4 months old, I'd consider recommending a doggie daycare facility, but he does not yet have all of his shots, so I would not recommend exposing him to an environment where lots of strange dogs have been. Does anyone's work situation allow for maybe taking him to work and keeping him in his crate there, so he can be taken out several times during the day?

If none of these suggestions sound like a viable option for you, then the only thing I can suggest is getting a small puppy playpen to keep him in during the day until he's older. The playpen should be large enough for his crate to be on one side, and a potty area on the other, and I would situate it so that the crate's opening does not face the potty area (see the following page for a visual: http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/runningtsjak/dumb%20stuff/X-Pen.gif ). I would recommend using a shallow cat litter pan with a puppy pee-pee pad (the kind that is scented to attract the puppy to use them) in it. This not only makes cleanup easier, but it provides clear 'boundaries' for the pup, and does not teach him to go on the floor, which should make his housetraining go more smoothly later on, once he's able to be left alone all day in his crate, because he won't already be used to 'going' on the floor. You will need to teach him to get into the litterbox to potty when you are at home by watching him closely and as soon as you see him beginning to squat, taking him immediately to the litterbox and praising him once he's finished pottying inside it.

Good luck and please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen