| She is not a delicate flower that will melt in the rain. Grab your umbrella and stay out with her until she relieves herself. Give her a good rub with a towel when you come back in.
Crating when you are home. If you cannot be supervising her, then do pop her in the crate so she doesn't learn to entertain herself by chewing furniture or eating electrical wires. If you can keep an eye on her for when she has to go potty, or so you can redirect her to a toy or appropriate item, it is good for her to be out and learning what is and what is not hers. Although it varies, usually a young dog is not above getting into mischief until it is well over one year of age - depending upon how good a job you do at teaching her and how she matures mentally.
As far as staying outside, you will need to evaluate how safe your backyard really is and the neighborhood is. It is quite easy to hop a fence and hoist a little puppy over so you don't want her to be stolen. Also, starting right now and always in the future, put padlocks on your gates and keep them there and locked. This keeps someone from inadvertantly opening a gate and letting your dog become a road pizza, or never found again.
Well, that's a quickie and rather short response, but should get you started.
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"The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies is lunch."-Michael Friedman |