Wee-wee pads?

Question

Do the wee-wee pads encourage the dog to go to the bathroom inside rather than try to hold it?

For example, would a dog who could hold it for an hour go on the pads after 30 minutes, just because they're there and smell like grass?

My dog is housebroken. A friend of mine leaves the pads in the house when she leaves. Seems to me that this would discourage the dog from holding it until she gets home, but I've never used these pads before, so I just wanted to know how they worked (and if they work).

Answer 1

Pee pads encourage dogs to pee inside and there is little reason for them to 'hold it' if you teach them it is ok to pee inside.

Further, a dog that is taught it is OK to pee inside is likely not to stay on the pee pad but use the entire square footage of your home as his own personal toilet.

Dogs should eliminate outside exclusively. That's my 2cents!

EDIT: To WiggleWaggle whatever your name is - nice product placement. Of course you advocate potty pads, they line your pockets. If dogs eliminated outside exclusively what reason would I have to purchase all those products you so conveniently listed? By the way, you've been reported. This isn't Craigslist or Ebay - if you want to peddle your goods do it someplace appropriate.

Answer 2

I think that the pads are there more to train your dog as to where you want them to go, not when. If you have a puppy, show them that they should go on the pad and then praise them profusely when they do. Gradually put the pad closer to the door that they would go out of, and then finally outside. They will then associate that going on the pad means going outside and they will know how to get there....they should start to ask to go outside so they can go on the "wee wee pad" when they need to go. The time between will get longer as they get older.....

Answer 3

yes they do if you are letting the dog go on them. It's not the pee pads encouraging the behavior it's the owner by allowing the puppy to go inside when they don't want them to. Pee pads are mainly for people who do want their dogs to go inside rather than outside. The dog has no reason to hold it if he knows it's okay to go on the pee pad. They don't go on it just because it's there and smells like grass, they go there because they know it's okay to.

If you want the dog to go outside then you shouldn't have started him on the pee pads at all and taught the dog to go outside instead. That way he would know outside is the place to go to the bathroom not inside on anything. You can retrain him though by gradually moving the pee pad outside until he understands that he is to go to the bathroom outside only.

Answer 4

HATE the wee wee pads!!!! My dog thought they were chew toys and started to learn only to pee inside--not necessarily on the pads. I say go with crate training. Worked like a charm!

Answer 5

I used the pee pads to potty train both of my dogs and they worked like a charm. It is up to the owner to teach the dog that it is not okay to go to the bathroom inside.

Answer 6

Pick the pee pad up walk to the trash can and put it in it..

Now after every meal/playtime/sleep take your puppy outside to pee the training pads are really useless and all they do is reinforce to the dog thats its ok to pee inside..

I dont think time wise will be any different do you goto the toilet more just because you have the facilities? I personally go when i need to ;-)

Answer 7

It's really what fits your household and lifestyle. My mother in law has a small dog, about 20lbs, which she house trained on pee pads, and she just kept using them. She puts them in the basement which is a painted concrete floor, and Pepper goes right on them, and they don't smell as long as you clean them up promptly when you get home. It works out well for her, becasue sometimes she is at work all day, and does not have to worry about letting Pepp go outside. Pepper is funny, too, she won't go on one twice. She has been doing this for almost 5 years and it works well for her. Like I said, whatever works for your situation.