New Puppy - Hoffman Estates,IL

Congrats on your new puppy and welcome to the next 3 months of your life!

How about taking him out for the last time at around 11 or 11:30, and then seeing if he can last until 5 or 6? If he's in his crate, he will hopefully be more apt to "hold it" (as you have seen) and if he's sleeping, he may be able to not go as often. He can be crated too during the day, if you have to leave the house or just can't watch him super-close. Take him outside to the same spot every time to go potty (the scent will reinforce what he is supposed to do) and give him a very small special treat for eliminating (a tiny piece of a jerky strip or something like that - something small and chewy that he can eat quickly and he only gets for going potty outside).

I am not a fan of using pee-pee pads or piles of newspaper in the house during this process. The goal is to teach the puppy what exactly they are to eliminate on every time - i.e. grass outside. Having pee-pee pads or papers in the house is just very confusing for them, especially if eventually they are to be doing all his business outside. Giving them an indoor option just prolongs the whole process, so just take him outside every time and reward him for getting it right.

Close supervision! Keep him in a crate, attached to you by a leash or at a minimum restricted to the kitchen or similar room at all times. It will help immensely! It might take a month or two of this method, but it will be worth it. I let my last puppy have too much leeway too soon although I did keep him confined to the kitchen and tile entryway for the first six weeks. Congrats on the new puppy.

When our puppy was, well, a puppy, lol... we only took her outside on leash. And since we wanted her to do her business at the back of the property (not on the grass right where we stepped off the deck) I would snap the leash on her collar, scoop her up and CARRY her out to the area we wanted her to "go". Then walked her in a circle (like a horse being exercised in a corral) and repeating whatever the signal phrase was (we use "hurry up"). AS SOON AS she started to sniff or squat, we stopped with repeating the phrase, and waited/watched until she began to pee/poop. AS SOON AS she began to pee/poop we began praising her. Nothing over the top and distracting though. Just soothing, soft "good girl"s. When she was done, we went to her (or she was already coming to us) and we praised/petted her.
We then continued to let her run about outside and played outside for a few minutes more before returning inside.

As for overnight:
I kept her crate right beside my bed. Half blanketed, half exposed. I took her out at night right before I went to bed for the night. Then, I didn't get up to take her again unless she whined that she needed to. I don't recall exactly how long it took before she was making it until 5-6 am in the morning, but it wasn't long. A few weeks maybe, at the most. And she didn't go into her crate for bed and whine at all, so there was no confusion when she DID whine. She was perfectly content in her crate, because it was in our room right next to the dominant male/female in the household.

Often, in the hours before I went to bed, I would sit out on the sofa and watch TV (hubby and kids already gone to bed and asleep), and sort of mindlessly stroke her head and play with her feet. I did not allow her on the sofa, I just reached down to her on the floor right beneath me. She never wandered far from me during this time. Then, at bedtime, pop on leash, carry her out, "hurry up" pause "hurry up" pause "hurry up" pause.... (squat) "good girlllllll", back inside and into the crate for bed.

Good luck.
Congrats on your new little puppy!
:)

It's funny, because now, 8 years later, our routine isn't much different, lol. Except we removed the crate to the attic years ago, and I haven't carried her since she was a baby. She and I still have our "quiet" time before we turn in for the night. :)

let him out before you go to bed then again when you get up.
when he's not in the crate put him on leash that is attached to your belt loop. that will help bonding and it will also help you know when he needs to go , you can catch him when he's trying to go , you can tell him NO and take him outside.
Also taking him out on a leash will also help and praise the heck out of him when he goes outside.

Congrats on the new puppy they bring so much happiness & joy to a persons life & although they don't replace the ones we have lost they do help keep our minds so busy with them our hearts hurt a little less from the loss.... I have 3 dogs all different sizes & breeds my oldest is 15 yrs. & my youngest 3 yrs and I have always went by what the Vet told me MANY MANY MANY years ago and that is the dog should be able to hold going potty however many months old they are plus 1 hour so if the puppy is 2 months old they should be able to hold it 3 hours MAX, it worked well for me with my 3 and my mom did the same with her 4 dogs, they will have accidents from time to time but I'm also a strong believer in a strict routine & as the puppy gets used to the routine there will be less & less accidents in the house and also reward all GOOD behavior with ridiculous excitement of a verbal command I've always felt so silly doing it but puppies & dogs love nothing more then to please their owner & a treat here & there don't hurt either... To behonest there are so many different styles of training out there as I'm sure just by this post you have found that out and your head is probably spinning by now I have always said I believe dogs are like kids and they all thrive on routine routine routine & lots & lots & lots of verbal praise when it's earned... However you & your family choose to train your puppy I'm sure will work out just fine just like anything else now a days it takes lots of patients & you have children so you have plenty of that, lol.. GOOD LUCK & most importantly enjoy the new addition to the pack !!!