Fixing to be a first time pet owner of a puppy...

Give the puppy treats ONLY when they go outside. Say sternly "No" when there's an accident. Show the puppy the accident when you say no. I also hear traning pads work but we never used them.

I crate trained mine. The crate is to only be used when you can't watch the puppy, such as at night or when you leave the house. They will learn that it is their "den" and even go in it for naps or when they just want to get away and be left alone. Like Acid said, feed them a HIGH QUALITY dog food (or even raw or homecooked)...nothing that you will find at the grocery store or Walmart. Put the puppy on a feeding schedule. Depending on age, feed 2-3 times/day. Take puppy out first thing in the morning, about 10-20 minutes after it eats, after naps, about every 30 minutes or so in between play/training sessions, and last thing at night before bed (they may even have to go once during the night). When puppies have accidents, it is the owner's fault for not watching or not taking it outside often enough. If s/he has an accident that you don't catch, DON't scold, hit, or rub it's nose in it.

Watch the pup like a hawk, when starts peeing in wrong place pick puppy up and take him to puppy pad or outside. Be consistent and he will eventually learn. Also, try to keep puppy in just one area of the house, and close bedroom doors so he doesn't sneak to your room to pee.

showing the puppy an accident does nothing, they don't remember doing it, so it just shows them your mad, but don't know why. take the puppy outside every half hour, stay outside with it for about 10 minutes. when it goes, treat, and praise. if there is an accident in the house, clean it up and watch alittle harder next time. nadali is right about blocking off rooms, and shutting door. the smaller eares you have to watch the puppy, the easier it will be.
if its a little dog, like under 10-12 pounds, you could also pad train it. i had a chi and its cold here in the winter so i trained her to go on puppy pads in the bathroom. good luck! and please concider adopting one from the shelter......they are so over populated!

DONT Say no to the dog! Don't shout at them and don't show them the mess! They won't understand what you are cross at and it could result in them feeling embarrassed about toileting!

What you shouuld do and what we have done with our two puppies is watch them like a hawk,....look for any signs they are about to go (Sniffing the floor, walking in circles, starting to squat) and take them outside immediatley to an area where u want them to toilet. Treat them afterwards. Ignore the bad behaviour, focus on the good. Its much more effective!

Remember to take your puppy out on walks asap to get them socialised, meet other dogs, take them on noisy roads so they get used to passing traffic, take them on car trips...the window for socialisation is really small so it is important you do this from day one so thhey don't develop fears or bad habits. research your breed throroughly too!

It will not know why you are being mean. It will only learn to fear you and to hide from you to do it's business in the house! If you do catch it in the act, just make a loud noise or say "no, go outside" then pick it up and take it outside. When it does it's business outside, praise and/or give it a treat. When you take it outside on schedule, if it doesn't "go" outside bring it back in and put it in the crate for a few minutes then take it back outside. With these methods, it took me about 2 months to get mine completely trained (that is NO accidents and letting me know when they needed to go outside).

Consistency and POSITIVE reinforcement!

Keep the dog in sight at all times. This may mean tethering the puppy to your waist on the leash so he/she doesn't wander off. Puppies should be let out to do their business after eating/drinking, after sleeping, after playing, and before bed. Use a crate when you can't watch the puppy and over night. The crate needs to be only big enough for the puppy to stand, turn around, and lay down - otherwise, he'll just eliminate in one area and go to the other end to get away from it and not learn to hold his bladder/bowels. Let the puppy out to eliminate every time you release the puppy from the crate as well. Avoid puppy pads as they tend to extend the house training process. If you see the puppy eliminating or sniffing around the house for a spot to go, immediately pick him up and take him outside. Give a ton of praise when the puppy eliminates outside and ignore it if you find it in the house after the fact. Remain positive.

we always always use a krate....only at night and when we were gone...NEVER for punishment or while we are there and able to make sure they are behavin....as soon as they are house broke we stopped crating them at night ... and do trial runs of how they behave when your not there....we still have our crate up and with all kinds of sheets and small blankets in it...they like to do the bed dance and take naps in there still...they are not threatened by it because they feel safe in there... :0)