Housebreaking My Puppy and Choosing the Right Fencing

Question

Woody   Hello. I have a four month old beagle/mix puppy named Woody. Since my husband and I got him in the beginning-middle of winter, we decided that it would be best to first train him to use puppy pads. Woody was very quick to learn to use the pads. Since the weather is starting to get nice, we have decided that we would like to get either a wireless dog fence or underground dog fence. We haven't decided which one would be better for us. We have about two acres of land that we would like to let Woody run around in. We would like to save as much money as possible, but at the same time we want a product that really works. I am trying to consider all factors that contribute to the 'price', including; batteries,e an extra collar (for our other dog), extra wire (if we decide to go with an underground fence), ect. Do you have any experience with either of these types of fencing? Which one would i be ahead to get? We would absolutely cannot wait for Woody to be house trained. Right now we have puppy pads in our living room, bedroom, and second bedroom. When we first got him, we had a ton more pads laying around the house, but since he's gotten older I have taken some of the pads away one by one. Anyway, to get to my question, how do you suggest that I start training him to use the bathroom outdoors? I take him for walks daily and I've noticed the fact that he seems to love to use the bathroom outside. Should I leave all of the pads in the house while training him to use the bathroom outside or should I take all of them away or should I take them away gradually? I plan to have him to scratch on the door when he needs to go out. He loves going outside and I think he'll do great with house training and it will really be nice to let him run and play outside, like every dog should be able to. I would just really like to be prepared and be able to properly get my Woody to understand what I want him to do. Thank you for your time!
P.S. We plan to get Woody fixed in the spring. Should this change anything in him being housebroken?

Answer
Take your puppy pads outside to the place you want him to potty and gradually make them smaller.  Pick them up from inside your house gradually (as you're doing now).  In the meantime, teach him to signal you that he has to go out.  I recommend hanging bells from the doorknob and teaching him to ring them when he wants to go out.  Hang them from your door and encourage him to investigate by smearing a bit of peanut butter or something else smelly on them.  When the touches the bells, open the door and give him a treat outside.  Once you've done that a couple of times, wait until he potties outside before giving the treat.  

I never recommend wireless or underground dog fences.  Visible, secure fences are the way to go.  If you live in a rural area, an invisible fence will not keep wildlife out that could harm your dog.  It won't keep stray dogs out that could attack your dog.  It can cause fear issues associated with the shock of the collar and could poison the experience of being outside in the yard.  Your dog could still take off after a bunny, ignoring the shock, and never return back to the yard because he realizes he will be shocked when he gets close.  If you can't solidly fence 2 acres, consider a smaller area close to the house.  Teach your dog a great recall (using great food rewards or a game of tug) so he can enjoy the rest of your property while you're with him to supervise.

Let me know if you have further questions or comments.  Good luck!