What do you think it's best for my puppy, crate training or outside?

My husband and I both work in the day time, I let the puppy out in the morning, but we both work 12 hours shift, and can't exactly let our 3lb Shih Tsu out in the yard without supervision, since there's an owl near by. Do you think we still train him to housebroken or do you train him to do his business on the papper mat?