HELP! Desperately trying to pad train and failing miserably. - YorkieTalk.com Forums

speedyb · 01-29-2014, 06:56 AM

Help!
I have a 2-year old Yorkie that is 90% housebroken, but with the arctic cold outside and perhaps the bigger apartment on the third floor, he has really taken to going to the bathroom inside. Our carpet is riddled with stains and my husband, who didn't want a dog to begin with, is not a happy camper. I am desperately trying to find a way to fix this by giving Oliver (the dog) an indoor option when he wants to go and isn't able to/doesn't want to go outside.
When we are home, he *usually* tells us he needs to go by crying a little and pawing at us. We take him out, he does his business, yay! If we don't respond immediately, he either gets really insistent or pees inside. Sometimes he doesn't tell us at all and will pee inside, although this is rare (but happens more during the day when I am home with him by myself, since I work from home). When we are not home, it seems like a free-for-all when we get back to more stains in the carpet and little poos. It has been getting worse over the last few months, and I am in desperate need of help.
I have been trying the confined space method that everyone suggests, but I am afraid I am going to give him a UTI or something! I tried to replace his outdoor potty times with his confined space and he just holds it the entire time. He even lays on the pad. And just cries. At the moment, he has not been to the bathroom for 16 hours, because he wont go in his confinement space and wants to go outside... Or at least out of his confined space so he can pee on the carpet.
Is there a way to train an already outdoor-trained dog to pee both indoors and outdoors? The idea was to make it so we would still regularly walk him, but when he is left alone or doesn't want to face the crazy midwestern windchill, he would have a place to go inside that is acceptable.
Please help. You can see how miserable he is from the picture of our staring contest this morning. Do I just leave him in his confined space until he is forced to urinate there (and then reward him)? Do I breakdown and walk him outside when I am home, and put him in that space when I am not home only? Any advice would be great.

rubymoon2072 · 01-29-2014, 06:58 AM

put the potty pad in the tub and stay with him until he goes......that is how I trained mine. Just a thought in case it helps..if he cant jump out then it may work to help him understand you want him to potty on the pad...then once he has marked on it use that one to put in the spot you want him to frequent.

richards6402 · 01-29-2014, 07:10 AM

It took one of mine a year to be completely potty pad trained so be patient. I started out confining her to a small area about 4' x 4' in our kitchen on a tile surface and stayed with her the entire time. When she went potty on the floor I would clean it up with the potty pad and leave that pad on the floor with her pee scent on it. After a couple of days she started going on the pad and I would reward with a high value treat right away and praised her in a high voice telling her what a good girl she was. As she got better going on the pad her area of confinement got bigger. Like I said, it took us about a year.

I have read that you don't want to confuse them by training inside and then expect them to tell you they need to go outside - do either one and stick to it. Patience and persistence are the most important things if you want to train to go on a potty pad.

speedyb · 01-29-2014, 07:33 AM

At the moment he is running to the door to tell me has to go to the bathroom, and when he does I put him inside his confined space so he can go there... but he just doesn't get it. He wont eat any treats and has to pee so badly that he is nearly shaking... just sitting here and crying because he wants to go outside. Should I keep him here until he has no choice and I can give him a treat when he does it? Can I just take hime outside and put him back in here when I am not home so he doesn't go on the carpet? I am really afraid of giving him a UTI... he is on 17 hours now.

I am not sure why he is willing to go all over our carpet, but will not go on this pad or the fake grass in his confined space.

I want a dog that we can leave out when he are not home, just as we had been doing for a year. I don't want to always have to confine him when we are not home to ensure he doesn't pee on our carpet. I don't know what to do.

Mary Bonus · 01-29-2014, 09:09 AM

17 hours????? Oh poor thing, take him outside! I wouldn't confine any dog for that long, let alone keeping him from peeing. Maybe you can try taking him outside, letting him do his business and carry the pad with you so that you can absorve what he does with it. Then carry it home and place the dirty pad where you want it in the house so that next time he wants to pee he smells his own there and accepts it as a suitable place. Same thing with poop. It is not gonna happen overnight, sp with a dog that has already learnt to go outside, but this method usually works. Just please don't make him hold it for so long. Good luck!

Deb1 · 01-29-2014, 10:24 AM

Yes, take him outside to potty! Is he neutered? If not he could be "marking" his territory! I have one that is pad and outside trained. She goes on her pad when I am busy and goes outside with the rest to potty if she wants. When we are away from home, she potties outside on command. I trained her this way right from the start. Praise for good behavior....... say go potty and when she does.... praise, praise, praise!

Confining works for some, but since he has just recently be subjected to this, he probably think he is being punished and just doesn't understand what you want. I would try getting his potty scent on the pad and see how it goes.

Could he be upset when you are working and wants attention and that is why he potties in the house?

I have a male that does that when his "dad" goes outside without him. I have to watch him close!

Another thing might be a belly band to prevent him from peeing everywhere.

I am just throwing out ideas in hopes of something helping.......best of luck!

speedyb · 01-29-2014, 10:45 AM

Yes, I broke down and let him out. Poor guy. I let him walk around and do his business outside, and have been watching him closely after/putting him back in his confinement area... which I definitely think he hates. His food/water is in there (along with a bed, toys, etc.), and when he isn't in there I keep the area open so he can go in and out of there on his on will to get a drink.
This is his first 24 hours of this, so hopefully it gets better. I wish I knew to train him like this from the very beginning, but I never thought we would be having this problem! He is neutered.

01-29-2014, 06:58 AM	#2
rubymoon2072 Cedric♥Lola♥Keylo Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Gilford, NH, USA Posts: 9,209	put the potty pad in the tub and stay with him until he goes......that is how I trained mine. Just a thought in case it helps..if he cant jump out then it may work to help him understand you want him to potty on the pad...then once he has marked on it use that one to put in the spot you want him to frequent. __________________ Cedric N Lola N Keylo RIP Punkee Princess

01-29-2014, 07:10 AM	#3
richards6402 Love My Girls Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Decatur, IL Posts: 1,507	It took one of mine a year to be completely potty pad trained so be patient. I started out confining her to a small area about 4' x 4' in our kitchen on a tile surface and stayed with her the entire time. When she went potty on the floor I would clean it up with the potty pad and leave that pad on the floor with her pee scent on it. After a couple of days she started going on the pad and I would reward with a high value treat right away and praised her in a high voice telling her what a good girl she was. As she got better going on the pad her area of confinement got bigger. Like I said, it took us about a year. I have read that you don't want to confuse them by training inside and then expect them to tell you they need to go outside - do either one and stick to it. Patience and persistence are the most important things if you want to train to go on a potty pad. __________________ Karen, mama to Macy and Molly It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. (Mark Twain)

01-29-2014, 10:24 AM	#6
Deb1 YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,983 Blog Entries: 3	Yes, take him outside to potty! Is he neutered? If not he could be "marking" his territory! I have one that is pad and outside trained. She goes on her pad when I am busy and goes outside with the rest to potty if she wants. When we are away from home, she potties outside on command. I trained her this way right from the start. Praise for good behavior....... say go potty and when she does.... praise, praise, praise! Confining works for some, but since he has just recently be subjected to this, he probably think he is being punished and just doesn't understand what you want. I would try getting his potty scent on the pad and see how it goes. Could he be upset when you are working and wants attention and that is why he potties in the house? I have a male that does that when his "dad" goes outside without him. I have to watch him close! Another thing might be a belly band to prevent him from peeing everywhere. I am just throwing out ideas in hopes of something helping.......best of luck! __________________ Proud Mommy to Max, Teeka, Tatiana and forever in my heart Tameka! My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from my puppies eyes! Last edited by Deb1; 01-29-2014 at 10:25 AM.

01-29-2014, 07:33 AM	#4
speedyb Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 11	At the moment he is running to the door to tell me has to go to the bathroom, and when he does I put him inside his confined space so he can go there... but he just doesn't get it. He wont eat any treats and has to pee so badly that he is nearly shaking... just sitting here and crying because he wants to go outside. Should I keep him here until he has no choice and I can give him a treat when he does it? Can I just take hime outside and put him back in here when I am not home so he doesn't go on the carpet? I am really afraid of giving him a UTI... he is on 17 hours now. I am not sure why he is willing to go all over our carpet, but will not go on this pad or the fake grass in his confined space. I want a dog that we can leave out when he are not home, just as we had been doing for a year. I don't want to always have to confine him when we are not home to ensure he doesn't pee on our carpet. I don't know what to do.

01-29-2014, 09:09 AM	#5
Mary Bonus Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Argentina Posts: 79 Blog Entries: 1	17 hours????? Oh poor thing, take him outside! I wouldn't confine any dog for that long, let alone keeping him from peeing. Maybe you can try taking him outside, letting him do his business and carry the pad with you so that you can absorve what he does with it. Then carry it home and place the dirty pad where you want it in the house so that next time he wants to pee he smells his own there and accepts it as a suitable place. Same thing with poop. It is not gonna happen overnight, sp with a dog that has already learnt to go outside, but this method usually works. Just please don't make him hold it for so long. Good luck!

01-29-2014, 10:45 AM	#7
speedyb Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 11	Yes, I broke down and let him out. Poor guy. I let him walk around and do his business outside, and have been watching him closely after/putting him back in his confinement area... which I definitely think he hates. His food/water is in there (along with a bed, toys, etc.), and when he isn't in there I keep the area open so he can go in and out of there on his on will to get a drink. This is his first 24 hours of this, so hopefully it gets better. I wish I knew to train him like this from the very beginning, but I never thought we would be having this problem! He is neutered.