From pee pads to outdoors- possible?

[ZoesMama]

Hey everyone! Hope you're all having a good week. I have a quick question regarding potty training. I get Lola in a few weeks and right now I live in an apartment with my son and fiancé. My fiancé works nights so it's just my son and I at night. I've decided pee pads are our best bet right now because I really don't want to have to take Lola outside and drag my son with us aswell. It would be too much of a hassle watching a two year old while waiting on her to potty. Anyways, we are going to be moving into a house in December/January (thank goodness) with a fenced backyard. When we do, I really wanted to train her to potty outside. I'm not in any way against pee pads or trying to offend anyone, I just personally don't want pee pads laying around our new house. Is it possible to go from using pee pads to using the potty outdoors? I'm afraid she will be too comfortable being able to squat on a pad inside where it's warm and not want to go outside where it's chilly. With the house I will be able to stand at the back door and watch her while my son is still inside.



Thanks in advance!

[gracielove]

My Gracie was first trained with pee pads and then when she was about 9 months old started to learn to potty outside. Actually she prefers going outside but I always keep a potty for when we have bad weather or when we are going to be away for a while.

I started taking her out a few times a day at the same times everyday. I do believe these dogs have internal clocks because it was not long before she was telling me when it was time to go. I always took her for a walk though. She would spend much of her time sniffing where other animals had been and seemed to pee on every spot. If she had to poo the exercise of the walk would take care of that deed being done while we were out.

When you move you are going to have to give her her pee pads for a while at least. Just the stress of the move is going to throw her off. Let her settle in and then start taking her outside. Since you want her to learn to pee in the yard you are going to have to start at square one with her, taking her out every time you think she may have to go. Some people take the pee pad right outside with them. Set up a regular schedule for her so she knows exactly when she is going to go out. Once she learns that outside is for pottying then all you will have to do is make sure you let her out at regular intervals.

[LucyGoosey]

FWIW, my Lucy was pad trained almost immediately at ~7-8 weeks. I am now in the process of outdoor training her at ~11 weeks and she is doing fine. The only current frustration now is that she doesn't like to use the pads - so I can no longer be lazy and let her just run around unsupervised in my tiny studio apartment for more than a few minutes! lol

I'll let her run around, eat, drink, play, and then I'll be standing there looking at her and she'll just squat and go on my floor. It's frustrating, but what's working is going from the kennel/play-pen for a couple hoursand then immediately outdoors; sometimes she just sniffs stuff, collects leaves, whatever. If she wastes too much of my time, we go back to the kennel for 20 minutes to an hour, then head back out. Sometime this process has to be repeated 3 or 4 or 5 times; but eventually she does her doggy business and not on my floor.

We'll see how this evolves, but it's working so far. I'm losing a ton of sleep and have more than once stood outside on my front walkway in my underwear in a sleepy daze but I'm not cleaning up pee every five seconds and she's learning that we poop outside.

She has gone one day without an accident so far it's a small victory, but I'll take it.

It's also helping me become more discerning of her cries when she's in the kennel; there's a clear difference between the "Let me out, play with me," cry versus the "Dude - I gotta go - like, NOW!" cry.

Good luck!

[thelittleyorkie]

Originally Posted by ZoesMama

Hey everyone! Hope you're all having a good week. I have a quick question regarding potty training. I get Lola in a few weeks and right now I live in an apartment with my son and fiancé. My fiancé works nights so it's just my son and I at night. I've decided pee pads are our best bet right now because I really don't want to have to take Lola outside and drag my son with us aswell. It would be too much of a hassle watching a two year old while waiting on her to potty. Anyways, we are going to be moving into a house in December/January (thank goodness) with a fenced backyard. When we do, I really wanted to train her to potty outside. I'm not in any way against pee pads or trying to offend anyone, I just personally don't want pee pads laying around our new house. Is it possible to go from using pee pads to using the potty outdoors? I'm afraid she will be too comfortable being able to squat on a pad inside where it's warm and not want to go outside where it's chilly. With the house I will be able to stand at the back door and watch her while my son is still inside.



Thanks in advance!

When Lola turns 16 weeks (or when she is fully vaccinated), then you can transition her from the pad to outdoors. She should be pretty used to peeing on the pad by then. Then you can do the traditional take-out-every-couple-of-hours method, where you take her out every couple of hours and place her in a designated potty place to do his business. If you would like to, you can attach a bell to the door and ring it whenever you take her out, to get her used to the sound. Perhaps you could rub one of her old, used puppy pads into the designated potty place in the grass to get some of the scent in so she can pee on it?

It would be easier if you could teach her the "Go potty" or some other similar command when you originally pee pad train her--whenever she starts to sniff around or starts to circle around or squatting or looks like she's about to go, then say "Go potty" (maybe with a hand signal as well for additional reinforcement) and when she does, give her a treat(s) (maybe Cheerios would be good) and praise heavily. With lots of repetition, she can associate the command "Go potty" with peeing/pooping. That way, when you bring her outside and say "Go potty", she might have an easier time and feel more comfortable going outside. You could also try bringing the pad out and putting it on the grass at first to have her get used to peeing/pooping on the grass and then slowly transition the puppy pad out of the area.

Some other members have also successfully dual-potty trained (using both pads and outdoors). Some yorkies are picky about the weather (especially when it's rainy or wintertime) so going outside might not always be easy--which is why it is good to use pee pads in some occasions. I asked here on YT about this before: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...-possible.html

[gracielove]

We found it easier to train Gracie to potty on the pee pads when she was very young because they cannot hold back their urine well until after the age of 4 months and that is just a start. Until then it is best to keep them as near to the potty as possible because even though they know where they are supposed to potty they may not be able to make it there in time if they get very far off.

Since keeping her near her potty pad was so much easier than trying to get her out the door in time we just kept using the pads. Then the weather got cold so we didn't train for outside until she was almost an adult.

You can train them to recognize some familiar words when they use the potty pads like, " go potty" or whatever sounds good to you. It will help when you start taking the pup outside if the pup knows just what you expect from it.

I have found that when you take your dog for a walk they tend to find all kinds of scents that stimulate them to pee. Just the exercise of walking gets the body functions moving so they learn to potty outside much quicker. Taking treats along to reward really speeds up the process because that treat really sticks in their mind and they associate it with going potty.

The backyard can sometimes be a place where they think they are out for some explore time and they don't really know why they are out there. Setting up a definite routine can help a pup to associate your actions with going potty.

[matese]

All my past pups were trained first on paper (no pee pads back then lol) at 5 months old they were 100% paper trained, then I started training for outdoors. Every morning at 7:30AM I walked them, even if they had just used the paper, they still got walked the same time every morning. I came home from work at 4:15, at 4:30PM another walk, again, even if they had made on the paper, they got walked. You have to select a time that works for you, set out side or walk, which ever it is, but, it must be the same time every day. If you are a stay at home mom you may want to do this 3 times a day. I worked when I had pups, so it was 2 nice walks, 7:30AM and 4:30PM. At 10PM I just took them curb side for their last pee pee before bed time. At 7 months they were100% housebroken. It is crucial walks or setting them out side be the same times every day, even if they have already used the pee pads. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, they have built in clocks, and know when it is walk time, regardless of weather conditions out they must go. Also feeding them the same time every day is also crucial. Dogs are creatures of habit, don't start anything you will not continue to do. Once you start them on something they expect it all the time. That's why feeding and potty time must be the same times every day and night. I now have my own home, and have a lil adopted boy 3 y/o that was already house broken. I find getting him on a out side schedule is a bit difficult as I am doing stuff and don't realize the time, but I am lucky, when Cody needs to go out, he will whine, sounds like a porpoise, telling me he needs to go potty. If you are a stay at home mom, you can set a timer to remind you it's outside for potty time. So to answer your question, YES you can definitely train on pee pads, then train to potty out doors. Good luck

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by matese

All my past pups were trained first on paper (no pee pads back then lol) at 5 months old they were 100% paper trained, then I started training for outdoors. Every morning at 7:30AM I walked them, even if they had just used the paper, they still got walked the same time every morning. I came home from work at 4:15, at 4:30PM another walk, again, even if they had made on the paper, they got walked. You have to select a time that works for you, set out side or walk, which ever it is, but, it must be the same time every day. If you are a stay at home mom you may want to do this 3 times a day. I worked when I had pups, so it was 2 nice walks, 7:30AM and 4:30PM. At 10PM I just took them curb side for their last pee pee before bed time. At 7 months they were100% housebroken. It is crucial walks or setting them out side be the same times every day, even if they have already used the pee pads. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, they have built in clocks, and know when it is walk time, regardless of weather conditions out they must go. Also feeding them the same time every day is also crucial. Dogs are creatures of habit, don't start anything you will not continue to do. Once you start them on something they expect it all the time. That's why feeding and potty time must be the same times every day and night. I now have my own home, and have a lil adopted boy 3 y/o that was already house broken. I find getting him on a out side schedule is a bit difficult as I am doing stuff and don't realize the time, but I am lucky, when Cody needs to go out, he will whine, sounds like a porpoise, telling me he needs to go potty. If you are a stay at home mom, you can set a timer to remind you it's outside for potty time. So to answer your question, YES you can definitely train on pee pads, then train to potty out doors. Good luck

They are creatures of habit aren't they! I also took Gracie out at the same times everyday and soon it was she that was telling me it was time to go out. They have their own internal clocks. If I am 5 or 10 minutes behind time in taking a scheduled walk she will tell me it is past time to go by first growling under her breath at me and then she comes out with an all out bark and circling to let me know she is very impatient!

They love the walk so much and it is so much easier to teach them because they enjoy the walk much more than nosing around the backyard.

[matese]

yep creatures of habit, with internal clocks, example, I get up 4:30 or 5AM. Sir Cody thinks he's going to get breakfast, I tell him NO, you have to wait, he'll nap until 6:30, bothers me to eat, NO, you have to wait, sometimes he'll nap till 7:10 then came back to me all excited lol, his clock went off late lol. that's why it's crucial when training to potty outside they have to be fed and walked same time every day because of their internal clocks. They are just toooo cute and soooo smart.

[Lama]

I've just recently adopted my little girl, and the previous owner had informed me that she was trained to use potty pads.

I have a huge garden at home and didn't see a reason for potty pads. I left one in the house just in case, but started taking her outside and she seemed to respond quite well.

I've woken up in the morning to find a stain on the potty pad twice now, but she doesn't use it during the day. I'm guessing she's using it as a last resort if she really needs to go overnight.

But to answer your question, my little girl didn't have a problem adapting to going potty outside