Puppy in need of serious housebreaking

I just got a new puppy less than a week ago. He's a male shih tzu and pekingese mix. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is-- is that he's almost 3 months old and still lacks in the potty training department. He's had accidents, as expected but...

more than I want. Sometimes he has anywhere from 2-5 accidents a day. I have puppy pads layed out throughout my home and he doesn't even attempt to use them. When I brought him home for the first time, I did exactly what the instructions said...set the pup on the training pad so he can sniff it out and realize what it is for. No luck. He just walks over them or drags them around like a toy. I know that it's wrong to scold the pup for an accident if I didn't really catch him in the act so I'm going to start following that rule better but when I do catch him in the act, I put his nose in it and tell him no and then I put him in his crate for a little bit and then put him outside. Is this the right way to be doing it? I need some serious help! I'm getting tired of cleaning up mess after mess and having to watch his every move.

The number one ingredient to have a house trained dog is...VIGILANCE. You must make housetraining your 'mission in life' for anywhere from 10 days to two weeks.

Keep the pup in the same room with you...ALWAYS...because for this two weeks...housetraining will be your mission.

Your goal is...to beat the puppy to the punch...You'll learn his signals just by doing all that vigilance...like they'll start sniffing, and circling...you pick him up and take him to the pad BEFORE he goes...Rules of thumb are also...For puppies, put on pad immediately when he wakes up (do not let him follow you ...pick him up and carry to the pad)...take him there immediately after eating. During play a little puppy should be taken every 20 minutes or so (aren't you glad they sleep so much?? )

Crate the pup when EVER you cannot watch it (when you leave, or are ultra busy)...instinct is for them to not dirty their nest...so make sure the crate is only big enough to stand up, turn around, etc... You don't want the puppy having to go so bad he dirties his nest...you do NOT want to break that instinctive barrier...once that's happened it's hard to undo.

When you get the pup is on the pad...say 'pee pee' or whatever...then love them up BIG when they go...this will get them to go on command, and save you from having hang out and wait in the future. A pup can learn to do pee on command in a just a few weeks.

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If the puppy does pee or poop in the house...roll up a newspaper, and hit YOURSELF in the head, repeating the words...I didn't watch my puppy...