House training your puppy is indeed a matter of training, so you need to be systematic about it.

Until about 3 months of age, puppies do not have enough bladder control to go for long periods without peeing, so you will inevitably get some messes inside the house. (You will also inevitably be awakened in the middle of the night by a whining pup that needs to go outside!) Between 3 and 4 months of age (13-17 weeks) their control improves dramatically, so that the indoor messes will decrease in frequency, and they start being able to sleep through the night (this may happen already by 10-12 weeks of age, depending on the puppy). By 4 months of age your job should be pretty much done.

The key is to work with the dog’s innate instinct not to mess its sleeping area and its desire to please you. You should use a positive reinforcement method for doing the job right, NOT punishment for mistakes. Couple that with systematic reinforcement of where it is appropriate to pee and poop and how your puppy can signal you that it needs to go outside, and you will have a happy pooper!

Tips and tricks to get the job done

• Use a crate. Crate-training and house-training go hand in hand. Your puppy does not want to sleep in a stinky crate, so as long as it is given sufficient opportunity to pee and poop in an appropriate place, it will not do so in its crate. This does NOT mean keeping it crated for endless hours, it just means that the crate can be used for periods when the puppy is not under supervision, as well as at night. (If it does mess its crate, either it was left crated too long or the crate is too big. Use a partition to make the crate just big enough to lie down in.) Using a crate also helps the puppy learn that it is possible to hold its urine or feces. Just because it has the urge to “go” doesn’t mean it has to do so right away – it can wait until it can get to the right place.
• Be systematic. (I can’t stress that enough!)
  Take the puppy out:
• first thing every morning;
• within 15-20 minutes of eating;
• after a nap or crate time;
• after an active play session.
• Watch for the signs! If you see your puppy sniffing around while turning in circles, it needs to do its business. Scoop it up – this often makes it stop whatever it might have started – and carry it outside RIGHT AWAY! Once your puppy has started to “go” outside more reliable, watch for it coming to you as if it wants attention and then taking a few steps away. This is often a signal that it needs to “go.”
• Have a set “business” place. Use one door to go out for pee and poop, and another door for going out for walks. If they both connect to the same outdoor space, head to one specific corner of the yard when going outside for “business.”
• Use a puppy door bell. Hang a bell over the doorknob where you go out for “business.” Every time you go out, take your puppy’s paw or nose and use it to ring the doorbell. Eventually your puppy will start ringing the bell to let you know it needs to go out. You can either buy a bell-hanger at a pet supply store, or make your own.
• Use a verbal cue. Whenever you take your puppy out to do it’s business, use a verbal cue like “Outside?” or “Potty time?” This will help the puppy to learn to come to you if it needs to do its business. (This can complement the door bell in situations where you’re not at home.) Once you’re outside with the puppy, use another cue like “Do your business,” “Do it!” or “Potty!” This will help give it a cue as to what is expected. Don’t use this cue when you’re out for a walk, even if you know your puppy will “go” while outside walking. This cue is just to let it know it’s time to go potty in its special potty space in your yard.
• Accompany your puppy. Rather than just letting the puppy out, go with it. Don’t start playing, just stand there and wait. (Take a book along!) The more involved you are in the training process, the shorter the time for the puppy to learn.
• Use positive reinforcement. Once the puppy has done what’s expected, praise it with a “Good dog!” and a pat or two to let it know it’s the best puppy in the world, then come inside immediately. Don’t give it any treats for doing its business, and don’t start playing with it, otherwise it will learn to “go” a tiny bit outside to get its treat or playtime, and save the rest for inside.
• DON’T punish mistakes. If the puppy does its business inside, scoot it off to another place and then quietly clean up the mess. (Some people recommend not letting the puppy see you clean it up, as it then associates you and that place with its messes and thinks it’s okay to “go” there.) It can be useful to use an odour-eliminator on the area, to help prevent the puppy making a mess there again. These can be bought at pet supply stores, or make your own with plain vinegar and water.

Mess control tips

• Pee pads or newspaper serve a purpose. You don’t want your puppy to get the idea that it’s okay to “go” in the house, but if you notice your puppy has picked a given spot inside the house to do its business, you can lay down a puppy pee pad (available at pet supply stores) or some newspaper in that spot. This just makes it easier to clean up any messes that might occur. But the goal is to stop the messes from happening. All the previous tips are geared towards making that happen.
• Keep paper towels and a mop handy. For the first few weeks, when messes may be relatively frequent, keep paper towels (strategically located throughout the house!) and a mop and bucket of water-and-vinegar close at hand, so you can clean up within a matter of seconds.

Finally, remember: responsible dog owners clean up after their pets! Lay in a supply of poop bags and carry them with you whenever you go out for a walk. (And if you see some other dog’s poop outside that someone else hasn’t cleaned up, pick it up too. Your neighbours will love you for it.)