As I mentioned before, housebreaking a puppy can involve a lot of trips outside because of a puppy’s small bladder (after all, when you gotta go; you gotta go). Puppies are not physically capable of "holding it" reliably for any length of time until they are 6 months old. So, housebreaking can be difficult when you’re at work 8 hours a day 5 days a week. Although the process is a little more difficult than if you were at home to supervise all day, it’s not impossible and you can have a housebroken puppy and keep your job too.
The trick is to alter your schedule a bit so you can attend to puppy needs. First, get up a little earlier in the mornings so you have some extra time before you leave for work to take your puppy out twice: once right after you and the pup wake up in the morning and once after the puppy’s breakfast.
Select an area of your home (preferably with linoleum floors) that can be blocked off, such as a bathroom or laundry room. Puppy-proof the area and block it off with a baby gate. Place the puppy’s crate, toys and a water bowl on one side of the room and some newspapers down on the floor at the back of the room. After her final morning outing, put the pup into her safe area during the day.
Until the puppy is 6 months old, either you or someone else will need to come at lunch time and feed the puppy and take her outside afterward. If you can’t take a lunch break, ask a family member, friend or hire a puppy sitter. As soon as you get home from work, take out the puppy. Do it again after she eats dinner and once more right before you go to bed. After your puppy knows the routine, she’ll do her best to "hold it" until you arrive to let her out.
Next…what to do about the inevitable "accidents"