Hello and welcome. Yes, I know how you feel. I am 47 years old and never had a pet of any kind before December 28, 2014 (I do have one child and that was scary). We got our precious Zeus, and I am so OCD about a mess on the floor -- I thought I wouldn't make it. The key for us was confining him to a small area. We decided no to crate training (no offense to anyone who does), so we confined him to our laundry room which has tile floors (can't ruin those)! He had room for a bed, pee pad, and food, as well as room to move around a bit. We did dry the pee with toilet paper if he had an accident and placed it on the pad. Oddly, Zeus never really pooed off the pad. He trained really quickly this way. Treats were a must and ridiculous amounts of praise. Then we let him have the laundry room and kitchen (tile floors as well). Now he has full reign of the house and sleeps with us and has never had an accident off the pad. He is a little over 9 months old. You will get through it, and the greatest reward is the unconditional love you will receive. Your baby will be full of pride every time the pad is used. Zeus comes to show us still. He is so proud. I wish you the best of luck with the training. You will look back on this fear and worry and wonder what you were thinking in about a month. |