Hello, How large is she? I generally wouldn't recommend pee pad training a dog who will primarily be going potty outside, especially if they aren't very small, because it can lead to accidents inside, and pee pads are made out of fabric which resemble carpet and rugs. With that said, do you have a safe balcony she won't go over the edge of? I would consider training pup to use a disposable real grass pad somewhere away from the main areas of the home. One option being a balcony, another option being a tub or shower in a second bathroom that's not frequently used by the family, if you have it. Tubs or showers can be good options for smart larger dogs because they are easier to clean and more distinctly different than the rest of the home, especially if you use grass pads instead of pee pads. Whether she would be alright left alone for that long would depend a lot more on her activity level, destructive tendencies, and how well her need for mental and physical stimulation and exercise are met when you do get home. I am actually more concerned about her mental energy with her breed than her ability to even hold her bladder for 8-9 hours at this age. There are many dogs who are fine for that long, especially if they have a potty option. Whether a dog does well for that long depends a lot on the breed and individual and how well their needs are met when you do get home. Ideally, you would want potty option accessible though in case you got caught in traffic or she drank more water or needed to go sooner, but often a smart breed will attempt to hold it the entire time you are away most days, even up to 8.5 hours. An in-between option might be a dog walker. Check out freshpatch.com and porchpotty.com for examples of grass pads. Look for real grass not astroturf. Unlike pee pads, these are typically used more like litter boxes rather than pee pads, with repeated use several times before fully replacing. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

June 9, 2023

Hello, I would start by speaking with your vet. Sometimes older dogs cannot hold their bladder for as long as they used to be able to, and an indoor potty is a great option. Other times dogs have true incontinence, where they cannot control when they pee and they will simply go wherever they are, and getting to even an indoor potty isn't possible for them due to the loss of control over their bladder. For dogs who can control their bladder still but need a close by frequent option, I would use a disposable real grass pad. I would start by setting up an exercise pen somewhere with waterproof flooring, such as the kitchen. I would use several disposable real grass pads to cover the entire floor of the pen pup is in. You can reward them with occasional treats when they are quiet or resting in the pen, to help them get used to being confined so the process is less stressful. Just be sure to only use treats you know their system can handle at this age. If pup doesn't like food, skip the treats and just praise. I would keep them in that pen on the grass and watch them from afar, so they don't feel like they will get in trouble for having an "accident" in the pen, but so that you can praise and reward them when they do go potty in their, to help them realize that it's acceptable. Whenever you see them go potty, praise, reward, and let them out of the pen for a little while, but not so long that they have an accident. When you know their bladder is a bit fuller again and they could have an accident, return them to the pen until they go potty in there again, repeating watching, praising and rewarding with a treat if they go potty in there, then giving more freedom. I would start all of this when you have a couple of days off work in a row, like the weekend, to make things easier on you. You are going to use the pen with pads a lot for the first week or two. Once pup will go potty in the pen quickly, then gradually remove the extra pads, one at a time, leaving a large enough area for them to potty on permanently but not having to cover the entire pen area. Continue to give treats for success on the grass pads as you remove extra pads. When extra pads have been removed and pup is going on the correct size grass pad, then remove the walls of the exercise pen but still keep pup in a small area, like one part of the kitchen, using the pen in a different configuration (but make sure it's secure and can't fall over), or baby gate to keep pup in one room. Have pup stay only in that room unless you know their bladder is empty until they are reliably using the pad every time in that room, then add a second room to their free space, slowly adding more space and freedom as they are successfully able to return to the pad to go potty. If pup begins having accidents again, go back a step and stay at that step for longer, or consider that pup may need an additional grass pad area in far areas of the home, or to limit access to certain areas of the home that are too far for pup to get back to before having an accident with a limited bladder capacity. The grass pad is often a lot easier for older dogs to adjust to after a life of going potty outside on grass. Many older dogs will try to avoid soiling pee pads because pee pads are made of fabric, similar to carpet and rugs they have learned not to go on. Grass pads tend to be less stressful for an older dog to transition to if they are an option. You can use the same process as mentioned above for pee pads also though, if grass pads aren't a viable option for you, just realize that it will likely take longer for pup to adjust to a pee pad if you go that route, and be patient. Grass pad brands: www.freshpatch.com www.doggielawn.com www.porchpotty.com Also found on Amazon Use real grass pads, not AstroTurf. Grass pads although more expensive per pad are intended to be used over and over for longer also, to help with cost. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

May 23, 2023

Hello, Check out the exercise pen method from the article I have linked below. I also recommend using a disposable real grass pad instead of pee pad or litter box, since the dogs are used to going outside and have learned not to pee on carpet and rugs - which are made of fabric like pee pads. The grass pads tend to be easier for adult dogs to adjust to. Exercise Pen - you can adjust the times in this article to accommodate an adult dog's bladder capacity as well. Since your dogs are older, you will need to pay attention to how often they tend to need to pee when going outside to determine timing for the grass pad too. https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Disposable real grass pad brands: www.freshpatch.com www.doggielawn.com www.porchpotty.com Some are also found on Amazon. Purchase real grass pads and not fake AstroTurf to help pups transition easiest. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

March 6, 2023