Helpful links on Potty Training.....
http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/fastest-way-to-potty-train-a-puppy_834.html

The information below is exactly how we have raised our dogs...if you follow it it will work!


POTTY TRAINING BASICS
or, Pees and Poos happen!

 It is an undeniable fact that puppies need to eliminate. The
  frustrating part is the communication barrier as well as the lack of
  understanding about where and when it is appropriate to
eliminate.  Puppies come to us with the simple motto: "If I have to, then I'll
do it." This  pertains to eating, sleeping (ever see a pup fall over asleep in
mid-play?),  activity, exploration AND elimination! Puppies do not
understand anything  more than that. It is up to us to establish a bridge of
understanding if they  are to live with us harmoniously. We are the ones
with all the  requirements, not them! They'd be just as happy to take
care of their  needs the way they already know.

The most successful potty training methods consist of four
  key elements:

1. Confinement
2. Training
3. Timing
4. Praise
This article will discuss them all and also answer common
  housebreaking questions and address some special cases.

Confinement
Puppies (or dogs who don't yet understand where it is
  appropriate to eliminate) need to be confined in order to facilitate the
easiest  potty training. The BEST and most effective place to confine is in a
crate or  cage (more about crates in an upcoming article). At this point (new
introduction  to potty training) don't leave anything on the bottom of the crate
(blanket,  newspaper, etc.). Puppy will make a project out of destroying it.
Most dogs do  NOT want to eliminate where they live, therefore the crate needs
to be just  large enough for puppy to turn around and lay down. Anything larger
will  encourage a puppy to eliminate at one end and sleep in the other. For
those  puppies who will grow quite a bit larger, use a crate that is sized for
an adult  and partition it to a smaller size using a homemade insert or a crate
insert  made by the crate company to fit your crate.

Training and Praise
When I teach a new dog (or puppy) where to eliminate, I ALWAYS
  use a leash. Leashes keep your dog close to you, where you can supervise and
  control everything that happens. Puppies, especially, are easily distracted. A
  blowing leaf, new flower, stick, another animal - all can take a puppy's mind
  off the matter at hand. If you are near the puppy (or dog) with the leash in
  hand, a gentle tug will redirect away from the curiosity. Leashes are also good
  to help teach an AREA to eliminate (behind the garage, etc.). With a leash, you
  just take the dog there every time.

I also teach words for elimination. This way, when the puppy
  understands what the words mean, he will understand WHAT I want as well as WHEN
  I want it to happen. My words are "go potty" for urination and "go poop" for
  defecation. Your choice can be ANY word or phrase you want to use consistently
  (such as, "hurry up", "do your business", "get busy", "let's go", "tinkles",
  etc.). Remember when you choose your word or phrase that you will be repeating
  it A LOT!

As I take my dog outside on a leash, I start to teach him the word "OUTSIDE".
 "Let's go OUTSIDE!". "Do you have to go "OUTSIDE"? "OUTSIDE!
  OUTSIDE!" In time, the dog will learn that the word OUTSIDE is associated with
  elimination. Eventually you will be able to ask the dog "do you have to go
  OUTSIDE?" and get a response like barking, running to the door or tail
  wagging.

Using the Leash & Words to Teach
A slip-type leash is quick and easy to slip on the puppy to
take  him outside. If the puppy isn't used to the leash yet, slip the leash on
and  carry the puppy from his crate to outside, saying the entire time "Do you
want  to go outside? Let's go outside! Outside! Outside! Yay! Outside!". Your
emphasis  should be on the word "OUTSIDE". Once outside, set puppy down and
change your  mantra to your word/phrase "Go Potty! Go Potty! Let's Go Potty!".
Let puppy  sniff and move around a little, but keep him in a general area. Each
time he  gets distracted (leaf, squirrel, etc.) give the leash a tug and repeat
"Go  Potty!". The command is generally not said in a firm or angry way and not
in a  soft or pleading way either - it is usually said in an encouraging tone.
When  elimination occurs, use a happy tone and repeat "GOOD Go Potty! Yay! Go
Potty!".  I prefer to use WORDS ONLY to reinforce elimination, because petting
or treats  can interrupt the act. Verbal praise needs to happen DURING the act,
not after!  Usually dogs will urinate first, then defecate. You need to become
familiar with  your dog's habits so you can wait for defecation and use a
command for it (i.e.;  "more potty", "go poop", etc.).
 
Did you know??
Contrary to popular belief, winter is usually the EASIEST time to potty train.
 Nobody wants to spend much time outside, especially puppy, and distractions are at a
  minimum.
More on word training and tone of  voice
More
about puppy's first collar and  leash

Timing
Puppies (and dogs) earn freedom by eliminating appropriately.
  The best time for a puppy to be out of his crate is AFTER eliminating
  appropriately outside. This free time will still need to be strictly
supervised,  so any inclination toward inappropriate elimination can be
immediately  addressed. Baby gates are great for limiting a puppy's area of
freedom. A short,  inexpensive leash (4ft or so) attached to the puppy's collar
(ALWAYS SUPERVISED,  of course) works well and enables the owner to catch a
quick puppy without  grabbing for him (which, ultimately, can create a fearful
dog). This works well  when he needs to be corrected for inappropriate behaviors
like chewing, eating  things, digging or eliminating indoors.

The BEST rule of thumb is to ANTICIPATE the need!

As a general rule, the length of time a puppy can be left
  confined in his create without going outside is roughly equal to his age in
  months:
2 months old = 2 hours of confinement without a potty break 
3  months old = 3 hours of confinement without a potty break
4 months old = 4  hours of confinement without a potty break
etc. - up to about 6 - 8 months  of age.

ANY time there is a change in activity, such
as  after waking, playing, or eating, puppy MUST be taken outside! 

Your puppy will also give certain indications
each  time he needs to eliminate: abrupt stop of play, circling, sniffing,
running out  of the room, a "look" on his face. You will eventually become
familiar with  these "warning signs".

Accidents
All is not lost if puppy eliminates in the house
or  in his crate! If you catch him in the act, make an abrupt noise (clap hands,
say Angh  Angh) and use a firm low voice  to illustrate your displeasure.
"Bad dog! Bad! Outside to do this!" (voice  starts to get friendlier now) "Let's
go OUTSIDE! Outside!" (now in normal command  voice) "Go Potty. GOOD DOG go potty!" Use a lot of cheerful praise if he finishes outside.

Remember, you MUST catch puppy IN THE ACT of
  inappropriate elimination to facilitate an effective lesson. Rubbing his nose
in  "it" afterward (even by just a few moments) only teaches him that "doo doo"
in  the house gets him in trouble. "Oh no", you say, "my dog KNOWS!". Well, not
  really. A behaviorist once told me he illustrated this to a skeptical client by
  sending the client out of the house while he collected stool from the backyard
  and set it in the middle of the living room. The client was invited back into
  the house and the dog ran and hid! Here's another example of how dogs think:
  Puppy poops where he shouldn't and wanders into another room to quietly chew a
  bone. The owner finds the poop, locates the puppy and drags him to the mess and
  stuffs his nose in it. Puppy wonders, "I was off chewing my bone and now I'm
  getting my nose shoved into this mess! I just don't get it! I get punished for
  chewing my bone?"

TIMING...of catching the puppy in the act
in  order to correct and teach...of PRAISE for appropriate elimination...is
  everything and CONSISTENCY is the key! Proper behavior must be praised
  EVERY TIME you give a command and it is followed. I still do it for Bailey, and
  she is 9 years old!


One last thought to ponder while dealing
with  the frustrations of potty training: 

A puppy that has NEVER
  eliminated in the house and been CAUGHT and CORRECTED has not yet learned that
  it is wrong. There MUST be "accidents" in order for REAL learning to take place!
 
Common Questions and Problems
"What about paper-training?"
The old method of paper training can still be
  effective, however it adds unnecessary time and mess to the whole picture.
  Owners will have MUCH more cleanup and mess and smell with papers and they will
  STILL have to use the papers to transition puppy to the outside.


"My puppy goes outside, then comes in and
poops  on the floor...!"
You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You
are  missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training: 

 1.You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a
leash on  to supervise elimination and  

2.Freedom in the house is only earned by
appropriate  elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes
back in his  crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes
to an hour and  takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to
eliminate  appropriately and earn freedom. 


"I stand at the door and watch while my
puppy  goes potty outside. When he is finished and comes back in, he gets a
treat. Why  do I have to go out with my puppy?"

Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back
into  the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING
  elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside
  and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This
  can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat
  when they come in!


"I leave my puppy outside to play for an
hour  or more, then I bring him in and he eliminates. Why couldn't he just do it
while  he was outside?"

Well, he probably DID eliminate when he first
went  out, but he didn't have to go later, and he certainly doesn't have the
human  capacity to think "Well, my owner is probably going to take me inside
soon, so  I'd better get my business done while I'm outside!" YOU need to remind
a puppy  who has been outside for a while to "Go Potty!".


"When will I know if my dog is
  housebroken?"

Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily
  because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to
  establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on
  how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer.

Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program:

"Accidents" in the house and/or crate have
decreased  during the training period to none or almost none. 

When you use your commands for elimination, your
  puppy responds by eliminating. 

Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by
barking,  running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way. 

The freedom you give your puppy is mostly
"accident"  free. 


"My puppy wakes me up at 3AM EVERY NIGHT! I
  take him out, he pees and then wants to play. I play with him for a while and
  put him back in his crate where he cries for some time before he settles down.
  How do I break him of this?"

Nighttime needs should diminish quickly as the
puppy  gets older. At first, you may need to get up 2-3 times nightly for a
7-week-old  pup. That frequency should quickly reduce to once a night for a
9-week-old pup.  When a puppy cries in the night, you DO have to check on him -
it's the only way  he has to tell you there is a problem. YOU will soon learn
which cries are  "fussing" and which indicate a real need. Remember when I said
you are working  to establish a HABIT when potty training? Well, if you get up
during the night  to take puppy out and then play with him, you are establishing
a nighttime play  routine habit! Any nighttime trips outside should be all
"business only":  outside then back in the crate - PERIOD! Temporarily removing
access to water by  7 or 8 p.m. will also help.

Special problems...


Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop
or  other place where they were always kept in a small cage.

These dogs never had a choice and HAD to
eliminate  where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs
outside more  frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the
crate.  Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is
better  all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should
be  ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words.
Later,  as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the
same  corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see
"Accidents"  above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a
lot of  patience and time.


About small breeds and
  "Sneaking"

Some people say that small breeds can be
difficult,  if not impossible to potty train. This is NOT because they are
stupid - actually  they are rather smart; smart enough to sneak to out of the
way places to make  their deposits instead of asking to go outside. This just
requires MORE  vigilance on the owner's part, and LESS freedom for the dog. If
necessary, the  owner needs to attach the other end of the leash the dog is
dragging to their  belt loop to keep closer track of the sneak!


Submissive Urination
"When I come home from work and let my dog
out  of her crate, she urinates all over when I'm greeting her. I yell at her
and she  pees more! Why does she DO that?"

What you dog is doing is called submissive
urination.  It is NOT a housebreaking problem. She is telling you that she
recognizes that  you are the leader. When you yell at her, she pees more to say
"Yes, I KNOW that  you are alpha!" Usually submissive urination resolved by 2
years of age, but  Bailey, my Golden Retriever, sometimes still does it at 9
years.

Things you can do to deter submissive urination:

1.DO NOT bend over the top of the dog, especially
when  greeting. That is a dominant position. 


2.For some reason, sweet, happy talk makes dogs
urinate  - so happy greetings with a lot of conversation should be
avoided. 


3.DO NOT pet your dog to greet her - the best thing
to  do when greeting a submissive urinator is to fold your arms across your
chest,  turn and ignore, but encourage your dog to go outside right away. Praise
when  she urinates outside, and then you should be able to greet. 


4.When visitors come over, have them greet your dog
(on  leash) outside on the porch or grass to avoid messes in the house. 
 

5.DO NOT yell at your dog for being "bad" - this
isn't  being "bad" at all! It is actually dog language affirming your
  leadership. 


Spitefulness?

"When I leave the
house,  my dog frequently leaves me "presents" of stool and/or urine. I know he
hates me  to leave, and I'm sure he's doing it out of spite."

Dogs by nature are not spiteful animals. That is
too  much of a human emotion and too much reasoning: "If she leaves, then I'm
going  to poop on the floor because I know she HATES that! That'll teach her to
leave  me here alone!"

Usually, if there is an "accident" when the owner
is  gone these are usually the real reasons.

I forgot to do my business outside (this is where
my  own dogs fit in!) 

I'm really not reliably potty trained and I don't
  completely understand the concept. 

I waited by the door to go outside but I couldn't
get  out and I just couldn't wait any longer! 

You left me all alone in this house! This is a
BIG  job, and we usually watch over the house together as a pack. This is too
  stressful for me. I'm so stressed I have to poop! 

I have too much freedom - and too soon - without
  supervision. 

If you come home to "accidents", you need to
consider  these steps:

1.Backtrack on potty training - no matter what your
  dog's age. (We just had a brain glitch and need a refresher course) 

2.Reduce the space of freedom - either with a
crate,  baby gates or a room. 

3.Back to outside supervised potty breaks - with
leash  on so praise can be used at the right time. 

4.Make sure there is no physical cause for the
problem  (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.) 
 


Questions to ask yourself if you are having
  problems...

Am I taking the dog out enough? 

Do I know every time he goes? 

Does he have too much freedom in the
house?

Am I watching him carefully when he is free in
the  house? 

Is there any physical reason (intestinal
parasites,  urinary tract infection, etc.)? 

Am I trying to move things along faster than this
dog  is able to learn - therefore skipping steps so the entire picture is
unclear to  my dog? 

Am I consistently praising for appropriate
behavior  so he gets the idea?