I wish I saw this thread again sooner... I think I have another way of looking at the scolding issue that will help you too Emie&Mila.
Even saying "no" is a bad idea though. I know it's hard to wrap your head around that one. I didn't get it at first either. Here's why...
The first problem with scolding for an accident is that the dog must be caught in the act. We all know that if you find a pee or poop later and scold them that there is NO connection to the act of relieving themselves indoors being bad... just that the pee/poop is yucky. (And they probably think so too!)
Here's the deal though--even if they get scolded
while urinating or defecating (indoors), they'll most likely learn that it's bad to go pee/poop
in front of you--all they know is it makes you angry. So, the next time they get the urge, they will make sure that you don't see it--when your back is turned or they'll go to another room to do it in privacy. And now your housetraining just got a lot harder...
To drive the point home--you should be right there, ready to reward them when they do go outside in the right spot--but how are you going to manage that when they're too scared to relieve themselves in your presence now? Even if you get lucky and they start catching on, it could be a confusing and stressful predicament for your dog for a while--sometimes they go and get scolded and other times they go and get treats and everyone is happy.
That is possibly why in your case, your dog won't go for you on leash--he has learned in the past that it's bad to go in front of someone. So instead of going outside when you want him to, you're telling him to go and he's holding it for all he's worth until he can get away from you. Unfortunately, that may mean holding it until you go inside and eventually he feels like he can't hold it any longer and the second you turn away or go to another room, he'll relieve himself. (Don't know if you've had any trouble like that yourself with him, but just a heads up if that is happening--it's really not his fault. He's probably as stressed out about it as you are.)
You need to teach him that going in front of you is a GOOD thing--in the right spot, so he should receive only positive attention and rewards for going in front of you (or, as crazy as it may seem, no attention if he does it indoors in front of you). Scolding him is a very bad idea in your case imo because you're going to have a tougher time teaching him to go where you want him to on leash--in his mind, if he goes in front of you, there's a good chance you'll be angry--he can't tell if you're going to be in a good mood or bad mood about this one. And assuming you have poop and scoop laws, it's great to be able to have your dog do it right next to you even for that reason alone!
All of those tips I posted all work together--along with not punishing an accident indoors. It's too risky to scold imo--your dog may not interpret your scolding the way you're intending him to and that will set your training back.
Hope that helps too! Best of luck!
