Inside or Outside?
 

For the past few weeks, I've been debating on whether to potty train my new pup inside or outside. My house is 2 stories, and I have a backyard with a pool and a grass area. Yet I've heard some puppies like to pee on the disposable pads.

I can't seem to decide on what to try since there's so many pros and cons on the both.

What method do you guys use?

well being it is two story I would probley do inside...it is hard either way lol. I know some do both, potty inside and take them out to potty too.

How about using a grass mat and then they can go in and out?

I have a doggie door that goes to a small enclosed dog yard which they use most of the time. But if the weather is bad they refuse to go out, so I also use washable potty pads.

If you have a backyard in a house, then I would totally say outside!
I don't like pee/poop in the house, PERIOD, lol. :)
I had never heard of a dog (besides a puppy) using the pee pads until this website. lol. That's no offense to people who use them, I understand they can be really convenient especially for apartment living, etc... but I don't want my dog to think peeing/pooping in the house is acceptable at all, even on a pad.

I think when they are first being trained it is best to do it inside. Most pups don't have all their shots yet and shouldn't go outside. But either way, I don't think it is about inside or outside, but rather teaching them the "potty" command in itself. Once they know what "potty" means they will go wherever you tell them to. Just like ourselves, we can go if we make ourselves go, even though we can wait a bit more.

Uni goes inside, in the sun room, so it's not directly in our living space. But when we go on walks, she will go outside too if i tell her to, or if she wants to mark something.

Before at our old house, when we would come home from work, she would go pee in the downstairs bathroom, then run upstairs and go poop in the upstairs bathroom! Also during that time when we were visiting MIL on the weekends, early in the morning she would get out of bed and go in the (empty) closet where her pads were and go in there, then come back to bed. i wouldn't even have to take her to go potty, she would take herself. LOL

Just got an account today as we are new Yorkie owners. We had a Maltese for 7 years (died last August) So we purchased another Maltese last year. We have done the wee pads for 8 years and love it. Its nice to know that if you end up staying out longer then you thought your dog can still go potty.
We decided to get another pup so last week we got a 10 week old female yorkie (2.2lbs) now 11 weeks and 2.4lbs. so here we are again working on potty training again! I love having puppies, but sooo much work.
We used the crate / kennel training method and it worked pretty well. For some reason our Maltese started having accidents now that we have a new pup. We have 4 boys under 7 and are leaving town for a week monday so we are sending the Maltese to doggy boot camp for 6 weeks to be re potty trained along with all the basic commands (would do ourselves but pretty busy with all the kids).

Now off topic a bit. I have looked at growth charts and read a lot, just wondering how accurate they have been for most Yorkies. I think it shows ours should be about 6 pounds, same as our Maltese. Pretty accurate or a little bit of everywhere? Of course I would love her no matter what, but would be nice to have her in the 4-6 pound range.

Ty

:thumbup: I agree.

I'm debating this myself.

Brody is 12 weeks now, and he seems to take naturally to going outside in the yard, and going as soon as he's let out of "his area." So while we have him in his crate in an xpen with pee pads, if we leave his crate door open it seems he thinks the whole xpen is "his area" and will wait until we take him out to play and *then* he goes. :sigh

I'd rather have him trained to go only on pads, but I am so confused as to what to do. Right now he seems to just go anywhere he pleases.

I mean, if he seems to know and feel comfortable going outside in the yard, I would take advantage! ;)

If you do a Search on the forums for Potty Training, you will find a gazillion good tips on potty training! :) There's some good advice on here.

Mine go outside only. Yes in the snow. Yes in the rain. Yes at 7am. I let them out, feed them and go back to sleep. Sam is 6lbs and Loki is 13lbs. We did not get Sammy until she was 10 months old and we still got her trained in 6 months. They ring a bell. We also have a 2 story house, although no fenced yard (that would be nice!) we have a townhouse and they go outside on Flexi leashes to the tiny front lawn and then on regular leashes for walks (once a day, if I feel up to it and the weather is nice) True, they can't be left alone for more than 5 hours but we are rarely gone that long and if we are, they either come with us, go to grandmas, or someone comes to let them out.

IDEAL would be a doggie door & dog run. Loki goes outside 20 times a day and he would happily let himself out!!!

Anyway, it's possible. And I don't know that dogs actually "prefer" a pad, but can problem be trained to use one. The nice thing about grass is it smells/feels different than carpets, which seem quite similar to a pad to a dog :rolleyes:

Whatever works for you!
 

My dogs from the past were outside trained only....I lost my
Bichon of 13 years last Memorial weekend from congestive heart failure. Bella (part Yorkie/Maltese) and 4.8 lbs. came to me September and was pad trained within 1 week. She is almost 1 year now with very few accidents. I am an apartment dweller and having her pad trained lessens my concerns about other dogs in the area and what they may or may not carry. I don't worry about whether the property was sprayed without my knowledge. I am not concerned when my work prevents me from arriving home on time to let her out. And when it snows several feet I am not out shoveling her an area to use at 11:30 p.m.

When traveling with her at pet friendly hotels, B&B's, or the homes of friends or family I bring a pad or two with us. She uses them without a problem. Bella will go outside if we are traveling by car and need to make a rest stop but prefers her pad.

My advise would be to choose the method that you will be comfortable with. You will figure it out and if one doesn't work try the other. Enjoy the process together and best to you and your newest addition.

Honey Bear is trained both pee pee pads and outside. She never sat at the door and "acted" like she had to go out. I had a German Shepherd, Nova, that would sit by the door or come get you to let her out. But Honey Bear never gave an indication she had to go. So hubby and I decided to leave her pee pee pad out. She will use the pad when she needs to go. We take her outside on a regular schedule. She knows to go outside and when we are out and about she knows to go when we walk her on the leash with harness. I love that she can do both. It gets pretty cold in Alaska during winter. I don't like the idea of taking her out in below zero temps this winter although I'm pretty sure she will love the snow! She does have a winter jacket and booties....hubby thought that was ridiculous when I bought them!

Mine go inside and outside .

At home Remy goes inside and outside. The inside situation is more convenience for me, I live in a condo in the city. He only uses the pad in the early AM or very late night when he does not go outside.

At my office, he only goes outside and when he "sleeps over" my parents or girlfriends when I travel he only goes outside