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BayleighL · 06-08-2017, 01:14 PM

Our yorkie pup is our third dog over many years. After our mini dachshund was outside trained and all the ramifications of that for clean up, weather extremes, travel, etc. we decided our yorkie would be pee pad trained. When we chose a breeder we knew our breeder started training from day 1. She used rewashable pads, which we moved away from in favor of disposable. We use a silicone mat under the pad that protects the floor and keeps the pad from slipping. Here is a list of lessons we learned.

1. Choose THE place you want your pee pads to go and only place them there. For a variety of reasons, we put the pee pad in a bathtub at night for those puppy waking times so we would take her potty and then right back to her crate. Then during the day, the pad was where we wanted it. It confused the pup so she'd try to go back to the tub and since she couldn't get in, she'd pee close to the tub. That mistake took a while to undo.

2. Restrict the living area for your pup until compliance and accuracy to returning to the pee pad is 100%. Pick up throw rugs and other items on the floor that the dog could confuse with pee pads. When you get 100% compliance, put those things back down to insure compliance before you expand their living access.

3. Don't put the pee pads near food or bedding. Dogs don't want to soil those things. Choose a place that is not prone to interruption from daily activity and always accessible to the dog.

4. Change the pee pad routinely, maybe once a day so the dog has a clean area. Clean up poo after the dog has been rewarded, moves away and is otherwise engaged so removal isn't confused with the accidents you'll clean up immediately.

5. Initially reward with treats and/or praise every time when you get success. Don't punish mistakes. Quickly clean up mistakes with an enzymatic cleaner to remove scent attraction. If our pup pooped off the pad, I would take it to the pad and show it too her and tell her that is where she should go, clean the mistake spot, and later flush the poo.

These were really the biggies for use. Occasionally, we would still find her trying to establish another spot, usually a throw rug, to go. We would take that rug up, clean it with special products, and go back to a restricted area until we felt she was ready again. This regression usually occurred after we had had company or had been traveling with her. So, we chalked it up to reclaiming her territory and a break in training due to travel. Recently, we have had no problem and we found using the same pee pad set up in our motor home and in hotels has resulted in great convenience and success.

Consistency is the key. Good luck with your new puppy!

06-08-2017, 01:14 PM	#3
BayleighL YT Addict Join Date: May 2017 Location: Wenatchee, WA USA Posts: 380	Pee pads vs outside Our yorkie pup is our third dog over many years. After our mini dachshund was outside trained and all the ramifications of that for clean up, weather extremes, travel, etc. we decided our yorkie would be pee pad trained. When we chose a breeder we knew our breeder started training from day 1. She used rewashable pads, which we moved away from in favor of disposable. We use a silicone mat under the pad that protects the floor and keeps the pad from slipping. Here is a list of lessons we learned. 1. Choose THE place you want your pee pads to go and only place them there. For a variety of reasons, we put the pee pad in a bathtub at night for those puppy waking times so we would take her potty and then right back to her crate. Then during the day, the pad was where we wanted it. It confused the pup so she'd try to go back to the tub and since she couldn't get in, she'd pee close to the tub. That mistake took a while to undo. 2. Restrict the living area for your pup until compliance and accuracy to returning to the pee pad is 100%. Pick up throw rugs and other items on the floor that the dog could confuse with pee pads. When you get 100% compliance, put those things back down to insure compliance before you expand their living access. 3. Don't put the pee pads near food or bedding. Dogs don't want to soil those things. Choose a place that is not prone to interruption from daily activity and always accessible to the dog. 4. Change the pee pad routinely, maybe once a day so the dog has a clean area. Clean up poo after the dog has been rewarded, moves away and is otherwise engaged so removal isn't confused with the accidents you'll clean up immediately. 5. Initially reward with treats and/or praise every time when you get success. Don't punish mistakes. Quickly clean up mistakes with an enzymatic cleaner to remove scent attraction. If our pup pooped off the pad, I would take it to the pad and show it too her and tell her that is where she should go, clean the mistake spot, and later flush the poo. These were really the biggies for use. Occasionally, we would still find her trying to establish another spot, usually a throw rug, to go. We would take that rug up, clean it with special products, and go back to a restricted area until we felt she was ready again. This regression usually occurred after we had had company or had been traveling with her. So, we chalked it up to reclaiming her territory and a break in training due to travel. Recently, we have had no problem and we found using the same pee pad set up in our motor home and in hotels has resulted in great convenience and success. Consistency is the key. Good luck with your new puppy!