EVERY TIME your puppy wakes up, the first thing you need to do is take them outside for potty... right away... don't wait... because they will start sniffing around relatively quickly and you may miss an opportunity to teach them RIGHT from wrong.

I use the words "go potty" or "do you need to go poops?" as soon as I take them outside. When they go, I praise them heavily and offer lots of pets. Treats can be helpful as well. Just be sure to let them finish before you praise/treat or else you may encourage "little pees" just to get multiple treats!

Helpful Tip: Take your puppy to the same place outside to do their business and do not play in that area. If your puppy tends to be easily distracted from the business at hand, taking them to this (boring) place that they've visited many times before will minimize sniffing around/exploring. They will also know what you expect of them at that place. Just stand like a statue and wait for them to do their business.

Continuing Your Puppy’s Potty Training

Your puppy has already been working on their potty training. While at Skylit they were perfecting their ability to "hold it" through the night. Most puppies will be doing quite well with this by the time they go home... especially if they left Skylit at 10 weeks of age.

In order to keep up with the progress I’ve made so far with your puppy, it is important that you don't encourage REGRESSION.

DO NOT put potty training pads out for your puppy to use, either in their crate or in the house. This will encourage your puppy to seek out a place in your house to eliminate.
DO use a crate when you cannot be actively watching your puppy inside in order to minimise accidents.
DO NOT punish your puppy for accidents. If your puppy has an accident inside it only means that you missed the signs they give at this stage that they need to go to the toilet.
REMEMBER to take your puppy out for a potty immediately after they wake up, after they have eaten, after they have drank water, and if they suddenly lose interest in playing and begin sniffing.
MAKE night time potty requests boring. IF you feel your puppy truly needs to go out in the middle of the night, go quietly to their crate, take them outside and remain still. Encourage them quietly. Praise softly when they have gone and then immediately take them back to their crate and go back to bed. Your goal is to get them to potty but not to let them start thinking it's time to play. Avoid any excitement or joyous celebration for successfully pottying at night time.
AVOID toys in your puppy's crate at night time. It is best to not encourage play at night. If your puppy stays awake playing, even by themselves, they will likely need to go outside for potties when they have finished playing.

How to Use a Crate for Potty Training

Puppies have an inborn trait to not soil the area where they sleep. It is first apparent as newborns. Even before their eyes have opened, newborns will wander away from their mother to eliminate and then return to nurse.

They are conditioned to not soil their "den" because the odor could attract predators.

This inborn trait can be used to your advantage to help potty train your puppy. When your puppy perceives their crate as their sleeping area ("den"), they will avoid soiling it if possible.
You can encourage this by keeping their crate quite small -- just big enough for your puppy to turn around and lay down comfortably. If it is much bigger than that, your puppy will use any "extra" space as their place for eliminating.

With a right-sized crate, your puppy will "hold it" until they are released (ie taken outside) for pottying.

As they become better and better at not soiling in their crate, you can begin increasing the size of their sleeping area and then ultimately expanding their "den" to include areas of your home as well until eventually your puppy has learned that the whole inside of the house is their "den" and eliminating takes place outside.

Your puppy's crate need not be just for sleeping at night. You can also use their crate for times when you cannot give your puppy your undivided attention (within reason).

Crate time during the day will encourage rest/naps... something your puppy definitely needs while growing.

A few tips to help with crate training:

Only let your puppy out of their crate when they are calm. Do not encourage over-excitement about them getting out of their crate or else they may start to eliminate when you start opening the crate door.
Opening a crate door while your puppy is pitching a fit will have just taught them that if they pitch a fit, you will open their crate door. Next time they will pitch a fit even longer!
Take your puppy directly outside once you open their crate door.
A puppy should never wear a collar in a crate
Leave the crate door open during the day to encourage them returning to their crate on their own for naps. If they happen to fall asleep elsewhere though, don’t worry about moving them to their crate.
Throughout the day, when your puppy is not looking, toss a treat or two into their open door crate. When your puppy discovers it they will think it is pure magic and will begin to routinely return to their crate throughout the day to see if the magic has happened again! This will help encourage making the crate an exciting (and rewarding) place to be.

Cleaning Up

Be sure to pick up a bottle of enzyme spray (like Nature's Miracle) from the pet store. After you have cleaned up any accidents, use this spray to remove the scent that we can't smell but your Lab can! The spray also acts as a deterrent to your Lab soiling that spot again.

Sometimes when male puppies get to their teenage phase (around 12-18 months), they may try lifting their leg and peeing inside. If they do, this spray is critical. Catching them in the act and giving them a firm "No!" will often correct this behaviour if done in conjunction with cleaning up with an enzyme spray.