Housetraining Puppy

Question
Hi, I am looking for advice on the best way to housebreak a puppy. I am not a first time owner, I had a Golden Retriever up until a few months ago when she sadly died aged 8 from leukemia. As it's been along time  since I last trained a puppy I need a little advice! Is crate training best?     How can I take my dog outside to learn if she's not had her complete vaccination course? Any tips in general would be gratefully received. I'm giving a home to a border collie/lab mix in 2 weeks time, she will be 9 weeks. Thanks, Leigh.

Answer
I am sorry for the delay. Your pup has some immunity from her first set of shots and from her mother's milk. Do not delay taking your dog out and socializing your dog for shots. Whether it is safe or advisable to take your puppy out at this stage is a point of contention between vets and trainers everywhere. Right now is the stage of your puppy's life that is critical for her socialization. Issues such as human and dog aggression can be nipped in the bud at this age or they can start at this age by cloistering your dog away from others for fear for her health. If later on she must be quarantined or put to sleep because she bit someone or develops a habit of attacking the neighbors dogs, it will be far worse for both of you. The risk that she will get ill before her final set of shots (assuming she has had her first set) is very very small but you should minimize that risk by ensuring that any dogs that she is exposed to have had their shots.

Visit http://www.examiner.com/x-7644-Detroit-Pet-Training-Examiner~y2009m7d13-Pet-Trai... for help housebreaking your dog and keep an eye out for the crate training article I typed up this morning and will be posting online tonight.