dog right away. don't wait a week or two to let them "settle in". have a properly sized crate in a central room of the house before you even bring the dog home, where he can stay for up to 8 hours a day.
don't know how to size a crate? a good rule of thumb is that your dog should be able to stand up, lie down, and turn around in the crate. that's it! any more room than this and he will pee or poop in one corner, and sleep in the other.
instead of giving free rein while house training a puppy, crate him when you go away, at 