Housebreaking older dog

Question
I just got a 2 year old female yorkie from a breeder who is retiring.  I was told she was housebroken but I doubt that because she attempted to pee in their house when I picked her up. She is a very needy dog and hates being left alone - she barks and barks when I have to leave her in her crate.  The crate is the smallest plastic size I could find, however; it may still be too big because she is only 4 pounds.  

I have had her for 4 days - the first morning I had her I took her out and stood there with her for 20 minutes in a spot I cleared off in the snow (it is really cold so I can't stay out for too long).  She didn't do anything so I brought her inside and two minutes later she peed on the carpet.  I took her outside right away (told her she was bad) and we stayed outside longer the second time.  Again she didn't do anything and when I brought her in she peed on the carpet again!  So I took her outside one more time and then when we got back in I put her in her crate.  Since then she has only peed when she is in the crate - usually at night or when we are gone for a couple hours.  I have tried to get her to go outside but no matter how long we stand there she won't.  I even dumped the pee from her crate outside on her spot so she might get the idea but that didn't work either.  

I got some pooch pads thinking I might put them in her crate but I am worried that will just make it harder to train her to go outside.  Do you have any suggestions on how to get her to go outside/housetrain her in general?  I have been using cue words with her - telling her we are going outside, saying "Go potty Muffin" "Hurry Up" and after it has been awhile "Are you ready?" And I am ready to praise her with treats and excitement if she ever goes- but these things won't help if she never goes outside!

The other thing is I can't tell what her signals are that she needs to go out (partly because she almost always does it when I'm not around).  Sometimes when she is sleeping she will suddenly get up and bark at me or do excited turns on the floor like she has to go outside but when I take her I get nothing.  

Should I give up on getting her to go outside and just be satisfied that she goes in her crate and not the carpet?

Thanks,
Amy

Answer
First of all, the crate size shouldn't matter as long as its not like an apartment to her. And second I have that same problem with my 3 month old brit spaniel. It is very cold outside and finally getting warmer so now he can be outside longer. His problem was that he was raised indoors and it was too cold out side. So when i would take him outside i would see if he would get cold enough and finally pee so he could go inside, but nope. He would wait me out and I would get too cold. Then he would pee on the carpet as soon as we got inside. I tried paper training. He ate the paper. I nearly gave up. I'm going to wait till summer for him. But since your dog will always have this winter problem i advise you move to florida or california. This is probably not too logical so buy her a show suit. Boots and a jacket so she can stand the cold. Also, if you are clearing off a cement patch try clearing off a grass patch. Or get a piece of carpet and place it on top of the snow. Eventually, if this is working, make it smaller(very slowly-1inch/3-4days).Try this on the cement(or what is of regular use)too so she will get used to that too. And of course....PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE! Only lighly scold her inside AFTER she starts getting the idea of going outside. And always have fun in training. Let me know what happens. Sending lots of happy tail wags your way.