We purchased a cage for our puppy, because during the week she will be alone from 8 to 5 and will be let out at noon for about 15min. Right now we are off till Monday so we are trying to do as much as possible...

My question is...

When were sitting at home with her and she's sleeping in her cage (half filled with newspaper and the other half with her blanket, with the door open and she starts to sniff to go for a pee, do we take her outside? Or do we just let her go pee in the cage...

She is paper trained.:confused:

Hi, faith,
While you are home, I would let the puppy out.
Say something like "Do you need to go out?" She will get used to being asked if she needs to go outside.
Let her out, to exercise, take her for walks, about 45 min. per day, when you can. I would let her out for at least 45 min. at noon, so she can get plenty of exercise. Here is a link with some good crate training suggestions:

Dog Owner's Guide: Dog Crate Q & A's

Tips on Crate Training.
Scroll down to "How do I get my puppy used to a crate?"
"In the beginning, he should only be expected to stay in the crate for 2 hours at a time and overnight. During his periods out of the crate, your puppy needs plenty of playtime and attention. I like to give puppies at least an hour between crating periods where they're played with, loved, allowed to explore and romp. This burns off their boundless puppy energy and helps them understand that crating is only a temporary thing."
I do wish you the best, and Congratulations on your new puppy. They are Awesome!

Thanks Fredg

We have been doing exactly that. Just wanted to make sure!

HI,
You are quite welcome. My wife and I had a housedog Molly, for 12 yrs. She passed away at home this past Jan.
She is really, really missed. I have not yet gotten to the point of going to our local Animal Shelter and looking for a puppy, mixed Terrior breed like her. She was so highly intelligent.
I would like to recommend the following:
It's a video by Ceaser Millan, a Professional Dog Behaviorist. He rehabilitates dogs, and trains people.

He has his own TV program, the Dog Whisperer, on the NGEO (National Geographic) channel, on Friday nights mainly, but also comes on some other days. This video is available from:
Cesar Millan Center
I also ordered his new book, "Ceaser's Way", from Walmart online, around $15 US, and it's very good!

There are other good videos available on the web, but this one is really worth your attention.
If you get the NGEO channel, please watch just one episode... you will be hooked. It's Awesome.