pee pads

[mickie]

please can someone tell me why pee pads are mentioned so much on this section
we are in the uk and when we get a dog we just pop leash on and take out each 2/3 hours say wee wee and dog wees
i have had 2 dogs and my family has between them another 4 dogs and they are all trained the same way
when i got joe he weed in house 4 times in 3 months thats all the slip ups he had and 2 of them were because i could not get to the door quick enough
as for belly bands what ever are these for
same as crates we never use a crate we just train the dogs not to go where we dont want them to but to be honest my dog is my best buddy and if he lives in my home with me he is able to go anywhere in the house he wants but he is house trained
please let dogs be dogs and not things to have lots of restrictions placed on them
sorry if i seem to be ranting but it seems so unreal to read about so many pee pads and crates

[BubblPopElectrc]

Pee pads are more about convenience. Most people have jobs and/or school and are unable to take their dogs out every few hours. My two won't even step foot outside if it's raining or cold. I don't like taking them out in the summer as the concrete gets extremely hot.

I don't really use a crate (although we have one and Brooklyn occasionally gets in it) so I can't really speak on that issue.


I must admit, I think it's funny how you criticize those who use pee pads and crates and advocate to "let dogs be dogs" but in the thread below this you mention having to hire a behaviorist for your dog.

[mickie]

i am not critisizing for using a crate its just that these things i have never had to use and so i am not understanding about them that all sorry if it comes across badly
same as the pee pads we must have been lucky not to have needed to use them as we to go to work and school
our dogs must be better able to hold themselves
as for the thread below its not for joe indoors its to help with the walking and the 'protect mode'

[Sass]

Sass only uses the pee pads. It works great for us. She has free access through-out the house and has two trays with a pee-pad on both and those are the only places she potties. No accidents anywhere else. She thinks grass is for eating and playing in, not peeing/pooping.

[Julie1760]

Alot of people use pee/potty pads. I personally don't. I tired them because it was so cold here when I brought Myah home and she couldn't go outside for long. But she didn't take to them. I tied 3 different brand and bought some washable one. I even got my daughter to get me some of the pads they use at the nursing home and made my own pee pads..but she won't use them. She'd rather go outside, which is really fine with me.

As for the crate, it is used to keep them confined when you can't watch them all the time. I've used crate training for 4 different dogs and had all of mine potty trained very quickly. It helps keep them out of trouble, like chewing on cords or plants. Some dogs have chewed on walls, doors, chairs, furniture etc. It just works for some.

It all depends on how you want to train your dogs. My parents would never use a crate, and neither do alot of other people I know...it just works for us. No way is "right" or "wrong". We just all have to do what works for us.

[MissLizzie]

Isn't expecting your dog to "hold it" for hours while you're out at work, school, shopping, etc. putting "more restrictions" on it than allowing it to relieve itself in a designated spot indoors when it feels the need to go??
When my brother got his chihuahua puppy a few months ago I was repulsed by the idea of them allowing him to potty indoors on pee pads. But when I got my puppy last month I realized that expecting her to hold it for 8 hours while I'm at work all day wasn't very practical. It's just more convenient for some people, and little dogs can be fussy about going out in bad weather. That's all.

[ladyj]

Originally Posted by mickie

please can someone tell me why pee pads are mentioned so much on this section
we are in the uk and when we get a dog we just pop leash on and take out each 2/3 hours say wee wee and dog wees
i have had 2 dogs and my family has between them another 4 dogs and they are all trained the same way
when i got joe he weed in house 4 times in 3 months thats all the slip ups he had and 2 of them were because i could not get to the door quick enough
as for belly bands what ever are these for
same as crates we never use a crate we just train the dogs not to go where we dont want them to but to be honest my dog is my best buddy and if he lives in my home with me he is able to go anywhere in the house he wants but he is house trained
please let dogs be dogs and not things to have lots of restrictions placed on them
sorry if i seem to be ranting but it seems so unreal to read about so many pee pads and crates

It's great if you're home 24/7 and can take the dog outside whenever it needs to go, but most people work and that just isn't possible. My dogs are paper/potty pad trained so they can be comfortable when I have to be away from them for any length of time. "Holding it" for too long can contribute to kidney/bladder problems. A crate keeps a puppy safe when you can't watch it every minute. Puppies don't come potty trained and with good manners, so they have to be raised and taught and they have to be protected in the meantime. Crates and potty pads make the dog and owner more comfortable and everyone is happier. Everyone, human and dog, has restrictions. Without restrictions, there would be chaos! Dogs are happier when they know where they fit in the family and know what is expected of them. You wouldn't turn a two-year-old child loose on its own to avoid restrictions.

I have used crates, potty pads/newspapers, and belly bands for many years, with great success. I also use doggie diapers with my little puppy mill Chihuahua. It's the only way she can be loose and join in with the rest of the family. I would really love it if none of these things were necessary, but this is real life, and they are necessary. I love my little furkids and want them to be happy, healthy, and comfortable. They gain more freedom as they mature and learn and become trustworthy. In the meantime, I do what is necessary to keep them safe and retain my sanity!

[tumismom]

Well..We use Pee Pads here because most of us work. And it is unfair for us to expect our furbabies to hold it in. I don't have the heart to do it and I don't think it is good for them. Mine are 100% wee pad trained and they go on it while we are not home. Also they do not like to be out when it is really cold or rainy. We take them out all the time when the weather is nice and I think Wee pads are great for us with careers!

[Erin]

Originally Posted by MissLizzie

Isn't expecting your dog to "hold it" for hours while you're out at work, school, shopping, etc. putting "more restrictions" on it than allowing it to relieve itself in a designated spot indoors when it feels the need to go??
When my brother got his chihuahua puppy a few months ago I was repulsed by the idea of them allowing him to potty indoors on pee pads. But when I got my puppy last month I realized that expecting her to hold it for 8 hours while I'm at work all day wasn't very practical. It's just more convenient for some people, and little dogs can be fussy about going out in bad weather. That's all.

It's my experience that they are only fussy if we let them be fussy. Sometimes if it's bad weather mine will just stand on the porch and want to come back in, but if I go stand out there with them they are fine. They go quickly and hurry back in. I think expecting mine to hold it for up to 3-4 hours is fine, and they do, but you have to make sure they are empty first before you go out. Sometimes we crate them (and they nap) and sometimes we let them roam free (and the nap...) but we don't leave them alone for more than 4 or so hours. We have good schedules now, but if my husband has a meeting or something I come home from work at lunch and let them out. Otherwise, our neighborhood has a great pet sitter. I would rather schedule a bathroom break every few hours than have my dogs pee inside.