Welcome aboard Alicia, congrats on your new puppy. Training should start right away. IMO the best and only way to best housebreal a dog is by crate training. If you use a large crate so you can have it when your puppy is full grown, block off a good portion of it so your dog has just enough room to move around a little bit. They generally do not pee in an area they sleep in.At that age my pups stayed majority of their time in the crate. When you take the pup out carry her right away outside and let her potty. Praise her when she does potty. When I am certain they are done I bring them inside and play with them. When you are done bring puppy back outside and then put her back in the crate. If you want to keep her out a bit, bring her out often to potty as they don't have the ability to hold it in yet. Puppies are a LOT of work if you do it right, but it is well worth the time in the long run. You should also start obedience training right away too ie: sit,down,stay etc. I just teach one command at a time until they learn it well. If you have never attended obedience classes, I highly recommend it. I also just started watching the dog whisperer and it is GREAT. There is a lot of great advice here on training etc. Do a search here for housebreaking and training for other helpful tips.
If you get the chance we would love it if you introduce yourself and your new puppy in the newcomers area. I am new myself and love it here.
If you get the chance we would love it if you introduce yourself and your new puppy in the newcomers area. I am new myself and love it here.