# How to stop the use of Pee Pads



## SERVO (Oct 2, 2010)

Backstory: I live in a city, no backyard. I waited till he got his 3 sets of vaccinations before letting him on the ground outside. So for the 6-7 weeks I had to wait for vaccinations, I trained him to use pee pads. He learned it within a couple days and never has accidents in other areas.

He just got his 3rd set about 10 days ago, so for the past few days, I've been attempting to train him to go outside. I know his schedule pretty well, so I take him out when he wakes up, before he eats, after he eats, etc... But he holds it in till we get back inside and he goes on the pee pad immediately. 

When we go outside I usually just take him to one area (its all concrete, does this matter?) and let him sniff around and try to do his business. If he doesn't we go back in after 10 minutes

I also don't crate him, but I do keep him tethered to a certain area in my apartment. I'm not sure if tethering him is equal to a crate.

Suggestions?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Take all the pee pads up from your house, but keep one that he's gone on; pee preferrably. 

When you take him outside, take the pad and put it down on the ground. He'll learn going outside is better, and eventually you can try taking him out without the pad. 

Just don't leave them down inside and give him the option to revert back to that.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I agree with DJEtzel. Also, you might want to temporarily take up any door mats, throw rugs, kitchen rugs, bathmats, anything that remotely seems "pad-like" because when we weaned our first pup off pads he took to peeing on anything that was similar to a pad! So, we just took them up until he got used to going outside, then it was fine.

Tethering can be equal to a crate, IF you watch him closely when he's tethered. If you take your eyes off him, even if he's tethered, he can still have accidents. But, tethering can be a good technique, if you do watch him!


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

That's great advice!!

I want to piggy back on this thread rather than starting a new one -

I have to paper train my puppy because I don't own a private yard/lawn and my condo is dog friendly so i'm not comfortable taking my puppy outside on the grass where 100 other dogs have beeen --

I've been trying to do pee pad training for the past 3 weeks, and it works great when it's in her play pen (confined area for when I go to work). However, if I put out another paper pad right outside her playpen (ex. right next to her usual pee pad, but outside the crate because I'm playing with her on the floor), and I'll dab some urine on it so she can smell it (I've even tried this with the attractant spray), she still chooses to pee on the floor. she'll pee anywhere BUT the paper pad (literally all around it)....but when she's confined, she ALWAYS pees on the paper pad. I put the pad on the floor outside because if I'm with her she won't voluntarily go inside her confinement pen as she'd rather be with me, so I want her to have an option outside her crate to pee. I'm so confused, how do I fix this until I can train her to go outside? (i.e. in 2 months). 

Please help!! Thank you!!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I answered your other thread, too, but I'll add here. When your puppy finally is vaccinated and you're able to take her out, you go with her, right? So, now, while you're trying to train her to use the pad, go with her. Walk her to the pad, put her on it, if she moves off it, put her back, and say the potty words, as much as is needed. 
Do it on a schedule, just as if you were potty training a dog to go any other place. You take her there, and make her stay til she's done.  Now, obviously, when you take her on a schedule, like every 1-2 hours, she may not have to go _every _time. The point is, you're laying a foundation, teaching her where to go when she does have to go. So, give it a few minutes, if nothing, let her off, but watch her closely so if she starts sniffing or circling you can put her back on the pad.

Just as it would be your job to get her outside to teach her to potty outside, it's your job to get her to the pad, to tell her that's where she needs to be going. Use a leash, if it'll be easier.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

doxiemommy said:


> I answered your other thread, too, but I'll add here. When your puppy finally is vaccinated and you're able to take her out, you go with her, right? So, now, while you're trying to train her to use the pad, go with her. Walk her to the pad, put her on it, if she moves off it, put her back, and say the potty words, as much as is needed.
> Do it on a schedule, just as if you were potty training a dog to go any other place. You take her there, and make her stay til she's done. Now, obviously, when you take her on a schedule, like every 1-2 hours, she may not have to go _every _time. The point is, you're laying a foundation, teaching her where to go when she does have to go. So, give it a few minutes, if nothing, let her off, but watch her closely so if she starts sniffing or circling you can put her back on the pad.
> 
> Just as it would be your job to get her outside to teach her to potty outside, it's your job to get her to the pad, to tell her that's where she needs to be going. Use a leash, if it'll be easier.


Wow..that was a really good advice!! I never thought of it that way - I will definitely treat it as if she was going outside  Just one more question - Should I still be crating her?? Or should I be watching for 'signs' while playing with her? I love playing with her all day after work, and I don't want to leave her in the crate while I'm home, however, sometimes she just pees spontaneously with few consistent signs I can rely on...

What's your advice on this? Thank you!!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Oh, I am a BIG fan of having puppies out with you in the living area as long as you can watch them closely!  I know some people like to use the crate a lot for potty training purposes, but I'd much prefer to have them out and about with me. If I have to do something, like laundry, cook, clean, shower, whatever that might take my eyes off them, that's usually when I use the crate. (Or at least that's what I did when they were puppies!)

I know what you mean about sometimes there isn't a huge sign. How old is she? With really young pups, their bladders/bowels arent' completely developed and they don't always get signs themselves, it seems to just happen. Think of it like this: human toddlers, as they're learning to hold it, sometimes mama says "do you have to go potty?" and toddler says no, but 2 seconds later, she's peed her pants. It's just a matter of learning and developing, and sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere!

If she starts to pee inside, interrupt her with "ah ah" and rush her back to the pad to finish. Clean up any mess with an enzymatic cleaner....


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

doxiemommy said:


> Oh, I am a BIG fan of having puppies out with you in the living area as long as you can watch them closely!  I know some people like to use the crate a lot for potty training purposes, but I'd much prefer to have them out and about with me. If I have to do something, like laundry, cook, clean, shower, whatever that might take my eyes off them, that's usually when I use the crate. (Or at least that's what I did when they were puppies!)
> 
> I know what you mean about sometimes there isn't a huge sign. How old is she? With really young pups, their bladders/bowels arent' completely developed and they don't always get signs themselves, it seems to just happen. Think of it like this: human toddlers, as they're learning to hold it, sometimes mama says "do you have to go potty?" and toddler says no, but 2 seconds later, she's peed her pants. It's just a matter of learning and developing, and sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere!
> 
> If she starts to pee inside, interrupt her with "ah ah" and rush her back to the pad to finish. Clean up any mess with an enzymatic cleaner....



Yeah that's exactly what it is! I think she's too young, - only 10 weeks old and 3 lbs...But I will keep her out with me and just cover the floor with more pads and hopefully she will learn 

Thanks so much for your help


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## kikkikins (Oct 13, 2014)

Hi everyone! I had a question about transitioning from indoor housebreaking to the outdoors. We've lived in an apartment building in the city the whole time we've had our dog, so we'd use one of those indoor grass pads that collects all the urine underneath on a tray. We have a 1.5 year old puggle, and she learned within a few days as a puppy to go on the grass pad that we put in the corner of our kitchen. But we didn't put her on a schedule or really monitor exactly when she needs to go, she would always just feel free to go whenever she wanted since it was available to her.

In a few weeks we'll be moving to a duplex that actually has a fenced in yard, so she can finally be free to go outside, and I'm sure she'll be very happy there! We're super excited but I know we'll need to make some adjustments. What would you all recommend for making the transition? Do we leave the grass pad she's always used outside to get her used to going there and then remove it over time? 

I'm guessing we can't leave it inside and give her the option to go indoors anymore, right? My concern is that I work 9 - 6 on weekdays, and my husband works freelance with occasionally odd unpredictable hours, so there are periods where she gets left alone for several hours. Her whole life she's been used to peeing on the pad whenever she feels like it so I'm sure this will be confusing for her, but what's the easiest way to get her to learn how to go on a schedule? Would anyone recommend installing a doggy door so she can come and go as she pleases or is it more recommended to train her to wait for us to let her out?

Thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing your advice and expertise!


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