The t-shirt trick is great, but use a dirty/sweaty one; and if you have a partner, put one of hers in there too. (Do you eventually want to allow the dog on the bed with you? If so, I think you can bring the crate in the room with you, and when the dog isn't crying for a time, bring her/him up on the bed for a while.) Good system for potty training that worked for me, when leaving for the day, or several hours. As he gets a couple months old, give him more responsibility. At first, I'd put my dog, and her crate in the bathroom, if she didn't pee on the floor, the next time I left, I'd move her to the kitchen, grated off from the rest of the house. But if she did pee, she'd go back to the bathroom, and if she peed in the bathroom, back to the crate. Eventually, she figured she needed to hold it. The changing environment I think helped imprint the lesson. Very cute, pup! Best of luck!