[107barney]

All three of my dogs go inside on pee pads. They will go outside and in fact prefer to go outside to go but they go on the pee pads. I found this was easier with my schedule. If you live in a 4th floor apartment you might find going outside is not the best option.

If your pup is going on the area rug and not the pee pad, I'd analyze why this is happening. I have area rugs and throw rugs in my house and the dogs will only pee on their pads. I think the key has been consistency in the locations of the pads. They will actually walk from one room to another to "their bathroom". For years, I used a litter box with pellets but when we got Teddy we had to switch to pee pads. The location of the box/pads has always been the same - one in the kitchen, one in my bedroom, and one on my little porch outside.

I used consistent food rewards - chicken tidbits - whenever they went in the right spot. Teddy has been very hard to house break. He is easily distracted and crazy but even he is going in the right spot now. The other two very rarely have accidents.

Good Luck