Housetraining can be a difficult time for new pet owners but most puppies are fast learners so take heart! The main thing to remember is that, as with any training, there's no point punishing your pet.This is because, unless you can directly catch them "red-handed", they won't understand why you're punishing them. The old wives' tale of rubbing their nose in whatever they may have left on the carpet doesn't help to train them at all. 

Instead, it is better to use newspaper in the house to protect the carpet and take your puppy outside as often as possible. When they perform where they should then congratulate them - give them a treat and lots of praise. This is known as "positive reinforcement" and is the basis to all good training methods. As they learn to use the newspaper if they can't make it to the outdoors, reduce the amount of paper you leave down and move it closer to the back door. Eventually, you can move it outside and keep it there for a few days until your pet is housetrained. 
 

   OBEDIENCE TRAINING YOUR PUPPY

It is never too early to start training your new puppy. At six weeks of age, you can start to teach them to sit, putting gentle pressure on their rump as you say "sit". If they obey, make a big fuss of them to positively reinforce their behaviour. If they don't sit when you tell them too, ignore it. It will take time, you need to be patient with them to get results. 

Single syllable words are best as they are easier for your dog to understand as a command. Other commands like "stay" can be taught the same way. Try to use the 'official' command word for each action you want your pup to learn, then you have the option of going along to puppy training classes after your pup has reached about four months of age. 

Get your puppy used to things that will happen as they get older: wearing a collar; walking on the lead; riding in the car; clipping their nails; looking in their ears; examining between their toes and so on.  This will make life easier for you and your vet when your puppy becomes a full-grown labrador..