If I might add just a couple additional words of advice to the excellent information in that link:

When house-training a dog - puppy or adult - you have two things working for you. First, dogs don't want to go in their 'den'. That instinct can be lost if they're forced to (improper crate training, puppy mills, pet store dogs, etc.), but if not lost, then the whole idea of house-training is just helping them realize that the WHOLE house is their 'den' - dog's 'dens' are tiny compared to a human's house.

Second, you'll know *most* of the times to take them out ahead of time. Here's when hey'll need to go to the bathroom:

- immediately after waking up
- within 10 minutes of drinking water (less time for younger dogs, with very young pups, it can be within 30 seconds!)
- within 10-20 minutes of eating food (again, less time for younger dogs - with young puppies, in less than a minute)
- after every ten to thirty minutes of playing.
- every hour or two if they haven't gone (again, more frequent for puppies)

You still need to watch for telltale signs like sniffing carpet - especially corners and edges, but by pre-emptively taking the dog outside when it's going to have to go potty, your accident rate will drop tremendously.

steve