I am at a stalemate with my...

Question
I am at a stalemate with my 3 month old dachshund.  She is doing pretty good going relieving herself outside when offered, but she has not caught onto the fact that she should not go inside.  In fact, we keep her caged at night, and even though they say a puppy will not go where they are confined, she does and then walks around in it.  Im not sure how to handle this.  I think we now have a behavior problem that will be hard to break. How do I teach her that she can hold it until she gets to go outside?  

Answer
You are right in crating her during the night, but don't expect her to go more then 8 hours tops. Make sure her crate is not too big for her. She should just be able to stand and lay down in it. If it is too big, she will potty at one end and sleep in the other. If it is too big, place a box inside the crate with her to block off the back 1/2.  Also, don't feed her late in the evening. Feed her by 6 so she has plenty of time to relieve herself before bedtime. Take her out right before you retire for the night. When she goes out..YOU go out!  This is very important. Go with her and use a command such as "go potty". When she goes pile on the praise! Then take her in the house right away. That way she knows why shes out there. You can even give her a treat. During waking hours when you are home with her, put her on a leash and have her attached to you at all times. This way if she starts to squat, you are right there and can correct her immediately. A sharp NO and pick her up and carry her outside..put her down and repeat the "go potty" routine. If you can't have her on a leash with you, put her in her crate. Do not leave her unsupervised at all. Make sure you are taking her out every couple of hours and after she eats or wakes up. This make take some work, but nobody said having a puppy is easy! Good Luck!