How to Train Your Dog to Use a Pee Pad

Hello, First, do you have a balcony or patio? If you do, start the training there since it more closely resembles being outside. I would also switch from a pee pad if that's what you have, to a disposable real grass pad. 1. First, take her potty outside to the grass as before. Tell her to "Go Potty" and give a treat when she does. Do this until she is consistently going when you say "Go Potty". This may seem counter-intuitive but you are teaching the Go Potty command to be used inside later. 2. Second, place a couple of grass pads outside in an area near grass but on something like concrete or wood. Take her there to go potty on leash, telling her to "Go Potty" and giving treats if she goes potty. Take her back inside then try again every hour if she refuses to go at first. Do this until she goes potty on the pad. This could take up to 12 hours the first time you do this. If she goes more than 12 hours, you may have to give in and take her potty elsewhere, but I would hold out until that time if she is otherwise healthy and your vet doesn't disagree with doing so. Most dogs will hold it 8-9 hours at first. 3. Continue taking her to that outside grass pad until she goes quickly and easily on it on leash when you say Go Potty. 4. Once she has learned to go potty on the grass pad, you can either move that pad back toward your apartment a couple of feet at a time, or you can try placing the grass pad on your balcony or patio and telling her Go Potty, returning to try again each hour until she goes up to 12 hours. Your option here will largely depend on whether she will go on the balcony yet. 5. By this point you with either have worked the grass pad back inside or be out on the balcony. You can either keep the grass pad potty area on the balcony in definitely if that's a good area, or wait until she is doing well pottying on the balcony and then start moving that grass pad into your house by moving the pad just one foot at a time, until it's in its long-term location inside your home. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Oct. 6, 2023

Hello, Check out the exercise pen from the article I have linked below and the Exercise Pen method, which will go over transitioning from the exercise pen to more freedom gradually, to help maintain pup going on the pee pad during the transition. Exercise pen method - although a litter box is another option, this method can also be used for pee pads or grass pads. Since your dog is older than a puppy, you can add 1-2 hours to the times listed in the article - pay attention to how long pup tends to hold it before you run the risk of any accident. https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Some dogs also will try to hold it while wearing a doggie diaper, until they have peed in it several times and become desensitized to it. Sometimes putting a doggie diaper on a dog when you first give them more freedom and taking it off during scheduled potty trips to the pee pad, can encourage a dog to hold it while on the furniture. Because of chewing, I would start with the doggie diaper on pup only when you can supervise to interrupt any chewing attempts. This solution doesn't work for all dogs. Some dogs have no issues with peeing in a diaper and you don't want to encourage that because then they will pee also when the diaper comes off, but for those who do try to hold it due to the diaper it can be a good temporary tool to build a habit of cleanliness. Make sure you clean all areas pup has peed on with a cleaner that contains enzymes. Only enzymes remove the smell fully enough for pup not to be able to smell an old accident still. Remaining accident smells tend to encourage a dog to pee there again, so removing smells is very important. Finally, some dogs associate the fabric of pee pads with other fabrics, like carpets, rugs, blankets, and furniture. When a dog struggles to tell the difference a switch to a different indoor potty could help. Check out the examples of a disposable real grass pad - the smell and feel of the grass tends to encourage pottying there, but it's different enough from anything in your home, it's not as often confused with other items. Pup will need to have a crash course in potty training for a bit again if you make the switch from pee pads to grass, but that could be beneficial for overall potty training in general. Freshpatch.com porchpotty.com Amazon also carried doggielawn and freshpatch Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Oct. 21, 2022