Most dogs give off signs. They will sniff a spot and circle. You can watch for tell-tale behavior like that, and immediatly scoop up your dog and take her outside to "do the deed". Each time you go outside, take her to the same spot and use a code word like, "Go potty!" when you want her to us the bathroom. Gently pet her and praise her in a normal tone when she goes outide.. . I hope this helps you. I was so unsure when I got my dog...I read all the books and watched all the DVDs and bought all the best products. I can't imagine when I have kids!. . When she does use the bathroom where you don't want her to, don't rub her nose in it or anything else like that. Rubbing her nose in poop can cause infections, especially if she has tapeworms or something like that. Just wipe up the spot and make sure (this is very important!) that you use a pet spot cleaner. You can buy the best stuff on the market at PetSmart or SuperPetz. A less effective brand (but it still works) is available at Wal-Mart. If you only wiped up the spot, your dog will go back to that spot and smell her "target", and decide that's where she's supposed to go next time. The cleaner removes all the doggy scent from your floors and furniture, so the puppy can't smell it, and therefore, it isn't a choice potty spot.. . If you must leave your dog alone during the day, you may want to crate train or paper train your dog, at least for a little while. They're both extremely effective until your dog is housetrained.. . Also, you could put your dog on a schedule to housetrain her. When I first got my Rotti-Shepard pup, I would take him out every 20 minutes. Most of the time, he wouldn't do anything, but it wasn't the point. It got him used to the idea that outside was where that happened. . . You also may need to get up during the night and take her out. My dog is 6 months old and now goes outside every two hours during the day and every four hours at night. He is housetrained, though, so I can tell you that this works.. . A puppy will need to relieve herself after playing, eating, sleeping or napping, or any other activity that takes her mind away from the task at hand. I would take my puppy out right after eating, drinking water, playing, sleeping, or just lying around. As soon as he would move, we would go outside. . . Limiting your dog's water intake is also a possibility. It may just be that she is drinking too much water and her body can't use it all. Dogs should be provided fresh water with every meal, after playtime and sleeping, except at night. That wouldn't be a good idea. You're dog will not die of thirst or anything like . Most dogs give off signs. They will sniff a spot and circle. You can watch for tell-tale behavior like that, and immediatly scoop up your dog and take her outside to "do the deed". Each time you go outside, take her to the same spot and use a code word like, "Go potty!" when you want her to us the bathroom. Gently pet her and praise her in a normal tone when she goes outide.. . I hope this helps you. I was so unsure when I got my dog...I read all the books and watched all the DVDs and bought all the best products. I can't imagine when I have kids!. . When she does use the bathroom where you don't want her to, don't rub her nose in it or anything else like that. Rubbing her nose in poop can cause infections, especially if she has tapeworms or something like that. Just wipe up the spot and make sure (this is very important!) that you use a pet spot cleaner. You can buy the best stuff on the market at PetSmart or SuperPetz. A less effective brand (but it still works) is available at Wal-Mart. If you only wiped up the spot, your dog will go back to that spot and smell her "target", and decide that's where she's supposed to go next time. The cleaner removes all the doggy scent from your floors and furniture, so t