Housebreaking can be a frustrating experience for many dog owners. In general, using the crate, the leash, and the tie-down drastically help reduce the number of accidents your new dog will have in the house. As you are managing your dog in the house, there are things you can do to encourage your dog to go potty outside as well:

Go outside with your dog. Remember that dogs have no innate sense that outside is the potty area. There are constantly new smells and new sights, and a dog that is not housebroken may choose to sniff and explore, then come back inside and pee on the rug. Your best bet is to actually see whether your dog went to the bathroom outside, and the only way to do that is to go out there with him.

Establish a regular schedule. Puppies benefit from eating at the exact same time every day. The more regularly food goes into your dog, the better you can predict when it will come out again.

Reward your dog for a job well done. If your dog goes potty outside, make a big deal about it. Pet her in her favorite spot and give her extra-special treats. This will help teach your dog that going outside is really fun. On the other hand, when there’s an accident in the house, ignore it. Dogs are horrible at thinking backwards, and they cannot make the connection between what happens now and what happened three seconds ago. Yelling at your dog for a mistake she made moments earlier will only confuse and frighten her. It will not help her understand what you want, nor will it improve her housebreaking skills. If, however, accidents in the house are ignored while successes outside are consistently rewarded, your dog may notice that going potty outside is much more fun than going inside.

Be Consistent. This is crucial. If you’ve started crate training and umbilical training, stick with it. Having your dog on leash one day, off the next and so on, can create some troublesome habits. Wait until good habits are strongly established before you give your dog the run of the house. Freedom is something he must earn.

Know Your Dog’s Signals. Watch your dog outside and observe the little habits and rituals she performs right before she actually pees or poops. Then, if you see those same signals in the house, get your dog outside immediately.

Take Your Dog Outside After Intense Play Sessions, Long Naps, and Meal Times. These are times when dogs (and especially puppies) are most likely to go to the bathroom. Even if you take your puppy outside and then feed him right after, take him out once more when he finishes eating. Better safe than sorry.