There are several rules to follow to help your puppy learn to potty outside:

First, puppies should be taken out after EVERY meal, play session, and after waking up!! Taking them to the same place in the yard can help familiarize the puppy to his/her own smell and increase the quickness of doing their business during the potty-training process. Taking them in the yard or designated area you wish them to eliminate on leash will help keep the puppy from getting distracted and also help them learn to potty on leash. Some dogs don’t like to go on leash or with a person close by. I speak from experience on this, and it can make vacationing or traveling with your pup difficult. My puppies learn very early on to go while on leash now. (my youngest has even peed on my foot while on leash at an event! LOL)

Second, make sure that when your puppy does do their business outside that you throw a “puppy party” to celebrate it. Lots of excited YAYs and Good Dogs, and I like to keep treats on me early in the training process to reward them. Once a puppy learns that this pleases you, they will want to do it more often! 

Third, NEVER punish your pup for accidents in the house, ESPECIALLY if you did not catch them in the process. Rubbing their noses in the accident or spanking them with a rolled newspaper, etc. are old methods that have been proven to prolong the training process. In fact, these methods have shown that the dog can associate the negative consequences with you and not the act of eliminating in an inappropriate location. Some dogs will actually find a way to hide and eliminate in fear of the repercussions. If you catch your puppy in the act use a simple but kind negative verbal marker such as “uh-oh”, pick the puppy up and take them to their outside spot. If the puppy finishes their potty outside, its puppy party time!! 
Positive reinforcement goes a lot further and faster when wanting to increase a desired behavior (potty outside), than positive punishment (nose rub in defecation inside) does to decrease an unwanted behavior! Everyone will be happier too!

Last, there a simple equation for how long it is reasonable to expect a puppy to hold their bladders. This is good to note if you leave puppy home alone. 
        Age in moths + 1 = time in hours a puppy can hold their bladder
            *3mo old puppy can hold it for 4 hours
**Tiny breeds tend to not apply to this rule. Tiny dog, tiny bladder, and therefore can be more difficult to housebreak. Be prepared to spend a lot of time taking your tiny outside when they are puppies to make the training process more successful!

Crate training is another way to help your puppy learn to potty outdoors. Dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. I am a big fan of crate training for many reasons, and this is a big one! Positive associations make crate training easier, feed them in the crate and immediately take them out to potty after. I do not put anything inside a crate for a new puppy. No blankets or pads, and toys only if I am close by to monitor them. Such things can be a choking hazard or cause an intestinal blockage…..but this is a topic for another article!

Some people find training a dog to ring bells on the back door useful. It is not something I use, but for many it’s a good way for the dog to let them know they need to go out. They are inexpensive and can be found on Amazon.  Another really fun way is to teach your dog to talk! There are kits you can get with several buttons the dog learns to press for the activity they want. There is also a pressure activated mat with an alert chime which works great for those that work from home. The mat can be placed under another door mat, and the chime can be mounted so that you can hear it if you are in another part of the house. It is rather loud, so the pup should be desensitized to it so that it’s not scared when it first steps on it!