Potty training: A common choice is to not want to crate a dog and think it is cruel or a prison. This is not understanding that dogs need a quiet safe space to self regulate. I do not like to use potty pads unless there is a medical need. It will take a few weeks/months for your dog to build its bladder capacity. And the crate is how they are motivated and learn. A common mistake is to feel sorry for the dog. If the dog cries or barks, the human gives in and lets the dog out and then the dog ends up relieving itself in the house. This can lead, over time, to imprinting and the dog never learning how to go potty on grass or dirt. So we go out first thing in the morning in a quiet place with no stimulation. Give it 5-10minutes. If the dog goes, we give praise and reward it as finishes its business. Let it try one or two more times to evacuate properly. Then back and crate. Over time, this routine expands.

I have worked with dogs on the east coast for 15 years. In the cold, humans can be overwhelmed by rain and snow, as can the dog. So in frustration, the human just goes back inside and lets dog pee/poo on floor or on pads. Once imprinting of pee inside takes hold over 3-12 months, the situation can be very challenging to ever fix. It may even require you getting a play pen and staying out all day at a park or in back yard. In the playpen, the dog should have a toy and food and water. Out for hours in the shade of course, eventually the dog will have to go. This may have to go on for a few days, or more, until the dog learns to pee/poo on grass. This is correcting a grossly neglected mistake so the dog can learn.