[AngelFae]

I agree, PUNISHMENT after the fact is not helpful. What is it with DH's and "time outs" for dogs?
My DH and I were not on the same page at first. I was on the "if you don't catch it you must ignore it" bandwagon and he was old school with "stick the dog's nose in the pee and smack his butt" bandwagon. I won the compromise of SHOWING the mess to the dog, telling him "no" then taking him outside for potty and praise. THAT is what worked for us. Blazer is now 8 months old and I can consider him potty trained while I am home. He has made it about 5 hours, out loose in the lower level, with no accidents while I am away, so I think that THAT is pretty good, too!
Obviously, you have to know your dog and his temperment and figure out a solution that works for you. I'm in the mindset that dogs, like children, need to know their boundries and what is expected of them. I wouldn't let my daughters get away with having accidents on the floor while potty training (I'd take that time they'd have an accident to have them tell me where pee was supposed to go and give them the chance to do it properly. It worked, they were all potty trained by age 2.)