1) Pee pads are for disabled or incontinent dogs not puppies
2) Select a potty spot in the yard, if your breeder littertrained puppies at home sprinkle some of the shavings or litter there. Take puppy there everytime you want them to eliminate. Use a command to encourage the behavior-i.e go potty . When they go give a small food reward with lots of praise-Good go potty, good girl. treats can be a piece of puppy kibble, or a tiny piece of training treat.
3) out after every meal, and every two hours inbetween ( I feed three times a day til 6 months of age but I have large breed dogs). Also they will give signals they need to go-if you see circling or other potty behavior or if they start to have an accident, pick them up, whisk them out to the potty spot, and treat and praise when they go there.
4) Crate or xpen if you can not have eyes on and overnight. I need my dogs to be comfortable crated because we travel and compete so this accomplishes two goals. Adult dogs do not have to sleep crated but dogs under 1 year or with a propensity for ingesting inappropriate items do.
5) Potty bells-you can teach puppy to ring it to go out by having him or her ring before you go out-once they have the hang of it they will ring when they need to-having said this my dogs either sit by the door and bark or simply come jump in your lap when they need to go out.
6) Once go potty is understood teach them to go on a leash-same command, same praise same reward, while leashed. A dog that will not eliminate on a leash can be a huge problem if they have to stay at the vets or travel.
7) If puppy has accidents its not puppies fault its yours
8 ) doggie door can be a good idea if it works for you. Not an option where I live.
My dogs have been 100 percent reliable by 16 weeks of age.