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Yup! If you can't be paying attention to the puppy, he goes in his crate. When I had fosters who were not housetrained, I'd often use a carribeaner to clip their leash to my beltloop. It guaranteed they weren't going to get out of my sight during times I needed two hands (like washing dishes or folding laundry).
My sister uses this technique to help housebreak her dogs. Very helpful.
My sweet dog who just died...it took FOUR grown adults to raise her up out of puppyhood.
My ex and I taking turns with the alarm clock at night for pee pee time, my little brother (who was living with us doing a co-op with an engineering company) to play with her and let her out sometimes at lunch (he worked nearby and we worked downtown), and a good friend who would walk her in the late morning and late afternoon while we were all at work (kind enough to drive over)...no wonder she potty trained so fast!!!!
It is a lot of effort, op...you will get dragged into this. Husbands and kids never realize how time consuming it is.
Why not get a (relatively) young dog from a shelter? Granted, You don't know how he/she was treated, but I have a sample size of three, and they essentially all came fully pre-trained. My current one is a toy brindle rat terrier (now 3 years old, and a full 5lbs ) I got her at about one, when someone just handed her to an employee at a really large local shelter. The worst thing she will do is want you to rub her belly, and she will lick you to death. (If you are a chipmunk or squirrel, though, she will go right after you, and she has Napoleonic complex). Getting her overseas out of the US was a big chore.
Unless you are home all day, and can deal with it, a puppy is fine, though a lot of work, and as one of the other posters stated, consistency is everything. They love an absolutely fixed routine. Crate training first looked cruel to me, but now the dog thinks that a big crate is her 'safe haven'. The last dog had a 10'x10' "crate" inside, but that takes a big room.
My sweet dog who just died...it took FOUR grown adults to raise her up out of puppyhood.
My ex and I taking turns with the alarm clock at night for pee pee time, my little brother (who was living with us doing a co-op with an engineering company) to play with her and let her out sometimes at lunch (he worked nearby and we worked downtown), and a good friend who would walk her in the late morning and late afternoon while we were all at work (kind enough to drive over)...no wonder she potty trained so fast!!!!
It is a lot of effort, op...you will get dragged into this. Husbands and kids never realize how time consuming it is.
No offense, but I'm a "husband" and took the lead in the dog. Sounds like you need to treat your dog like a dog and not JUST a 2 year old. No offense and I'm sorry for your loss, I get it after burying my friend last Sept from cancer at 5 years old.
Let the dog **** in his crate, he/she will get sick of laying in ****. My 14 week old is already getting it after a week of having to stand up for hours at night because he pooped and pissed his "area". Now he waits, and everyone is happy. Yes, it sucked and I had to wipe the poo off his paws and carry him to the tub etc but that's training.
But, I do agree that pups are a lot of work. Like "special" kids.
No offense, but I'm a "husband" and took the lead in the dog. Sounds like you need to treat your dog like a dog and not JUST a 2 year old. No offense and I'm sorry for your loss, I get it after burying my friend last Sept from cancer at 5 years old.
Let the dog **** in his crate, he/she will get sick of laying in ****. My 14 week old is already getting it after a week of having to stand up for hours at night because he pooped and pissed his "area". Now he waits, and everyone is happy. Yes, it sucked and I had to wipe the poo off his paws and carry him to the tub etc but that's training.
But, I do agree that pups are a lot of work. Like "special" kids.
Let the dog **** in his crate, he/she will get sick of laying in ****. My 14 week old is already getting it after a week of having to stand up for hours at night because he pooped and pissed his "area". Now he waits, and everyone is happy. Yes, it sucked and I had to wipe the poo off his paws and carry him to the tub etc but that's training.
Actually, I would not recommend that! Way too many dogs in that situation get used to lying in their own messes, and once they're used to it it's one of the most difficult habits to break. Much better idea to be proactive and set the alarm to take the dog out frequently during the night.
With my fosters (many of whom were outside dogs and have never had to hold it before), I set a kitchen timer in 30 minute increments when I first bring them home. The timer goes off, and I take them outside. After the first day, I up it by 15 minute increments. By the end of the week, we're going a few hours at a time before potty breaks. During the night I start with 2 times per night letting them out, but after the first week I cut it to 1, and by two weeks I'm down to making them go 6-7 hours at a time.
If there are any accidents, we back it up. If the dog doesn't go potty outside, it goes back in its crate. When it does go outside, I throw a party like the silly dog cured cancer, with yummy treats and lots of pets and excitement. Within 2 weeks, the average adult dog is pretty much completely housetrained.
Puppies take a while longer (their bladders are smaller!), but it's the same process.
Op you may suprize yourself. I say this because I have known several people that were not dog people one even claiming that he just did not like dogs . They either had never owned a dog or had dogs as a child but not since.Then suddenly a dog entered their home for different reasons and it really did not take them long to understand why some people do enjoy dogs so much. The guy that did not even like them..... well his dog has him wrapped around his paw. The man had to have open heart surgery and now says he can not imagine his recovery without the dog there making him go on walks and just showing him with love on his bad days as he recovered.He claims he never really knew what he was missing until he owned this dog Another friend was a big time cat person when I met her 30 yrs ago and was actually a little afraid of dogs.She started seeing what I had with my dog and how it was so different then a cat well as the cats started dieing off she got a dog then a 2nd dog and now she fosters dog too and has really gotten involved with a couple rescue groups.She loves to take in the older or sick dogs that no one else wants and giving them a happy home until the end and I doubt if 30 years ago she ever imagined doing this.
You have gotten a lot of good advice so I willl just say go into this with an open mind all dogs are different and perhaps there will be something with this dog that connects with you on a level that is difficult to explain. I think a lot of dog owners have a dog or two that just really were special as they just seemed to click with them . AND remember a puppy is a baby and is a lot of work and will damage some things as like humans they need to learn right from wrong and taking the time to teach them this while they are young beats trying to correct behavior later as an adult. For many years I claimed I would NEVER get another puppy then a photo of a puppy in a high kill shelter was posted on my facebook page and the instant I saw it I said " That is my next dog" so despite my plans to never do the puppy thing again I did it and this puppy was so different then previous puppies alot easier in many ways. I think many of us are curious as to what type of puppy you are getting? If puppy raising gets tough you have many people here to vent too that can offer suggestions or advice.
God I must be lucky. No problems with night holding since we got him at 8 weeks.
4 people raising.... Part of me wants to say "THAT's why I feel burnt out!" but I work from home so that amount of people is not necessary here. But when we walk/play I don't know who is exercising whom. I must think of the whole experience as a bootcamp (for myself). (It does feel like it).
God I must be lucky. No problems with night holding since we got him at 8 weeks.
4 people raising.... Part of me wants to say "THAT's why I feel burnt out!" but I work from home so that amount of people is not necessary here. But when we walk/play I don't know who is exercising whom. I must think of the whole experience as a bootcamp (for myself). (It does feel like it).
With our second dog, we hired help. Plus she was 14 weeks when we got her.
The first one was only 6 weeks. Unusual circumstances. However, for years, people marvelled over that dog. Doubtful it was coincidence.
It gets so much better so much faster...but the op has to do the work.
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) I got her at about one, when someone just handed her to an employee at a really large local shelter. The worst thing she will do is want you to rub her belly, and she will lick you to death. (If you are a chipmunk or squirrel, though, she will go right after you, and she has Napoleonic complex). Getting her overseas out of the US was a big chore. 
. The man had to have open heart surgery and now says he can not imagine his recovery without the dog there making him go on walks and just showing him with love on his bad days as he recovered.He claims he never really knew what he was missing until he owned this dog
Another friend was a big time cat person when I met her 30 yrs ago and was actually a little afraid of dogs.She started seeing what I had with my dog and how it was so different then a cat well as the cats started dieing off she got a dog then a 2nd dog and now she fosters dog too and has really gotten involved with a couple rescue groups.She loves to take in the older or sick dogs that no one else wants and giving them a happy home until the end and I doubt if 30 years ago she ever imagined doing this. 
