I never did that to either of my dogs, either, and my last one I got at seven weeks and by eight and a half weeks he was completely house broken.
I know that putting them in a kennel while you are gone works, but that has always seemed a bit too confining for an active puppy to me-I put up that toddler-proof fencing in an area of the utility room and put my puppy, her food, water, bed and toys in there when I was gone, and that worked just fine.