How do i get my puppy to go pee on the pee pads?

Question

I just got a 6 week old puppy and he just stops and goes where ever he wants. I layed out a puppy pad and everytime he'd go somewhere else I'd bring him to the pad. I even rubbed the pad on some of the spots where he went so he could get the scent on his pee and know where to go. He still doesnt go there. I layed out newspapers in other areas and he wont go on there either. I even bought that stuff to put on the pads and newspapers to lead them to the spot. What do I do?

Answer 1

First, the pee pads need to be left in the same spot. The dog needs to be brought to that spot, not the pad brought to the dog. This will help your dog learn to use them more quickly.

Second If the dog is alone all day.......(crate training is a must for pups so they won't get into trouble)...bring the dog from the crate, say hi, then directly to the pad. Keep them on the pad, and stay there until the dog pees.

My dog's pottie pad's are in a corner, so two walls surround it. I held a baby gate at the 3rd side, and sat across the fourth side..so the dog was literally trapped on the pad.

If you have been gone awhile or all day, and your dog has held it, it will be easy. The dog is ready to go.

Head to the pad with the dog. *Not* outside!

Stay there until the dog goes pottie. Then praise your dog boisterously, and give the dog a great treat! It shouldn't take long for the dog to pee. Once they do it once....and you encourage and praise it.....it will be an easy ride from there.

Repeat the next day...continue for a week. the rest is history!

Note, at this critical time....the most important thing is to take the dog immediatley to the pottie pad...not outside first! Your dog will naturally go outside...you don't need to teach that. When you come home...take the dog to the pad...immediately!

Once the dog learns what the pottie pad is for.......*then* you can pottie the dog outside after work. The dog will most likely prefer the outside...but will know the pads are an option, at that point.

This process can be speeded along if you:

1. Go to petsmart and buy a clicker at the cash registar for $1.50
2. go to www.dogscouts.com and read the easy link on clicker training.
3. clicker train your dog (it's *very* easy)!
4. click and treat your dog when they pee on the pads.

After note...if your dog learns to pee there...it will learn that it is okay to do # 2 there also. The dog is learning it is *safe* to go there to do it's business.

2nd After note. After your dog is potty pad trained....buy the people bed pads from Sam's club. The cost the same, for 4 X's the pads.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Some dogs are harder to housebreak than others; you might want to consider kennel training your puppy, or training him to a "play room".

For kennel's: Dogs are clean animals by nature and don't like to live where they eliminate. However, since he is 6 weeks old, he can't hold it for a long time (his system isnt developed enough until around 5-6 months for most dogs). If you were to kennel train him he would need to be taken out of his kennel frequently (about every 2 hours until he reaches 5 months) and put on his pads until he goes.

Another option is the "puppy play room"... its pretty much an area (bathroom, kitchen) that you can block off when you're unable to watch your puppy. It's best to have a child gate for a room so the puppy doesn't feel isolated. With a play room, you cover the entire floor (starting out) and slowly decrease the number of pads until it's only a small area being covered, and then, over time, you can move that pad towards the door and teach him to go outside if you wanted to.

Either way, dog's have to eliminate after:
eating
sleeping
drinking
playing
being confined

So after doing any of these thing with your puppy, he might need to go. It can take as little as 2 minutes or as many as 20 minutes before he's ready. If you're not sure if he has to go look for:
dedicated sniffing (sniffing a lot, quickly)
circling
squating or lifting a leg

and try to startle him, then take him to his spot. Another thing, is if you think he has to or will have to go (he did one of the things that triggers it), lead him to his pad. If he doesn't understand where to go, he'll expect you to carry him there everytime.

I recommend buying an "attractant" to put on the pads, but then again I also recommend pads (newspaper ink can stain). It's more sanitary than using his own pee/poo to keep him going back to the same spot. Also, make sure you clean up his mistakes with a cleaner made to remove pet scents; just because you can't smell doesn't mean he can't.

Potty training can be frustrating and difficult (sometimes) and the worst thing you can do is show the dog you're angry when he makes a mistake. It will make him think you're disappointed in him and he'll try to hide his mistakes which makes it harder to catch. Some dogs catch on on their own. My Lhasa needed clicker training to get the hint and he still likes his pads better than going out (he doesn't like the snow).

Petsmart makes a very good book that goes along with their training class about housebreaking dogs. It has a lot of useful information and explainations for doggie mistakes.

Answer 3

This may sound weird but i have a 4 year old chihuahua and she is very well trained [now!] but when she was a puppy she would never go on them pads. Once i took her droppings off the floor and sat them in the pee pads and the next day I seen pee and a couple of....well you know! But fyi, the pee pads work just as well as news paper! Dont waste your money on them darn things!

Answer 4

My puppy never used them she didn't like them, I tried everything. My Mom's puppy was the same way. I had to be on the ball about taking mine out all the time and being patient until she went and really praising her when she did go. Also, while your puppy is 'going' use a key phrase like 'go potty' everytime, soon your puppy will learn to 'go potty' when asked. It really works, all 3 of my dogs do it, it really helps in bad weather as well as when you are running late.