Getting rid of these stupid pee pads...
 

Every single day when I get home from wherever it is that I've been gone, Cali has decided to COMPLETELY TEAR UP HER PEE PADS.:mad: :thumbdown :mad: :thumbdown I mean, she puts her all into pulling them out the pee pad holder, ripping it to shreds, then of course this makes the holder disconnect and pieces are everywhere. Then, she will still pee and poop on top of this mess. And if she's feeling particularly devilish, she'll pull all the bedding out of her crate and put that on top of the heap of sh-t and p-ss...............very frustrating. Then she'll slop all her toys through the sh-t and p-ss. It's like a cornucopia of sewage right there in the comfort of my own home. :doh: And I know it's because she is bored during the day and is just getting into all types of mayhem. But I figure if everyday I have to clean up all this mess anyway, what is the use of having the pads? Yesterday I made the commitment to myself that she is going to start being trained to pee outside only. I'm not putting no more pads down, she'll either hold it or just pee/poop on the small space outside her crate. And I'm gonna move her, crate, and ex pen from the kitchen to the laundry room (for the times we aren't home). I can't take all this crap in the kitchen anymore.
So, getting back on track, I take her outside to use the bathroom last night at 11:30pm. She was a good girl and held it all the way until she heard my alarm clock go off at 5:30am. I immediately got up, went into the kitchen and saw her about to take a squat :eek: rushed and scooped her up, took her outside, and immediately she pee'd.:thumbup: I went back in the house and she pooped not long after on the floor, but I wasn't too mad because I hadn't stayed out long (didn't realize she had to poop too). But when we got back in the house, I put her back in her pen, and she pee'd AGAIN! I tried to be calm, cleaned it up, and that was that. *Sigh*......I guess I am just asking for y'all to pray that this works better for us. :xfingers: I think she became too dependent on the pee pad, but the problem was that she would pee on whatever was furry/fuzzy/soft (rugs, carpet, a shirt that may have fallen on the floor) and I think she is just confused. I want her to pee OUTSIDE!! I hope it works.

Sorry for rambling, just had to get that out.

Spicy seems to also pee on anything soft like the rugs or towels. We have hardwood downstairs and he never goes there but he will go on the carpeted stairs, carpet upstairs, or the rug on the hardwood. How do you help them distinguish between the pads and every other soft thing??

Exactly. And I have carpet all throughout my house. So, she just thought she could potty wherever. I'd keep my eye on her like a hawk and before you know it, she's squatting to pee! They are so close to the ground to begin with, it's hard to tell. But you can definitely see that yellow spot once they walk away.
Now, Cali will also pee on the floor if it's close to the gate or ex-pen side. I think it's because her pad is always up against one corner of the expen. Now I've got to get her out of that habit. But do you think it's bad to just remove the pee pad all together?

I agree with you, I have also been taking Hannah outside to potty and she is doing great. I do still leave a pad in the dinning room though just in case. If I am home she never uses the pads but if I am gone and my daughter or husband is here she uses the pee pads- they are so lazy. Good luck.

Good luck with the outside training, hope it works for you:) I use the washable pads for mine because we don't have a yard and live on a very busy street so I feel better with them going inside. I've read that a lot of people have made the transition from pee pads to outside with success!

Honestly, I am new to this potty training myself but I think you are supposed to keep moving the pads closer to the door until you eventually move it outside. However, that may be for when the puppy actually USES that potty pad regularly! :)
It seems to me that potty training is just hard to get through whether its a child or a puppy and patience is the key. I'm reading all I can about how to do it and it seems that just like with kids, there are several philosophies out there. I think the important thing is to stay consistent and keep supporting eachother! :)
Now, how do I upload a picture of my little darling on here like everyone else has???

Ok, figured out how to add the avatar but now I need to go take a new picture that shows a closeup of my Spicy! By the way, since working on this thread he has pottied AND pooped on his potty pads! It's like they know when they need to be extra good. ;)

Best of luck. I didnt like the pee pads either. I had to train My Jewels to do both because sometimes if the weater is bad she wont go outside. Chachi is a good boy he always goes outside

pee pads
 

Ahhhhh, those stories brought back memories.

I used piddle pads for my first dog. She went on them pretty good. The problem is that it teaches the dog it's ok to urinate and deficate in the house. The puppy obedience teacher warned me about this. As a result my first dog pee'd on the rugs and mat at the back door. I did not use them when I got my second dog. I just put the pup out frequently to poop and pee. My second dog trained fairly easily for a Yorkie, and that was in the wintertime. It took me a long time to break the first dog from peeing on my throw rugs in the house.

When you see they have pee'd where they shouldnt taken them to the spot let them smell & say no no no or whatever you usually say, in a bad bad puppy way, not yelling, then take them to a puppy pad w/pee on it let them smell & say good girl or boy & pet. They want to please. But you will have to clean that area or wash the rug immediately so they dont forget. But patience & persistance-they'll get it.

You are right......and the teacher at Petsmart tried to warn me against the same thing. But Cali broke her leg ten days after I got her, and she had to be virtually immobile for six weeks. The pads were the easiest. Now I'm hoping I haven't got her stuck in this pee pad hell. I went through it with my Shih-tzu: never used pads, he just held it best he could until I got home, but for the most part, it took a good seven or eight months. I need to get back in that mindset. I can do this!

That would be very frustrating, have you ever crate trained-you might research that and a good bit of play/exercise when you get home & before you leave if possible. It takes alot of stradegy & patience-you have to see it from the puppies view then try to help her rethink her behavior & thats not easy. It sounds like you are trying but about at your wits end-I hope you can figure out whats best for your family & puppy soon.

Yeah, we are sorta on and off crate training. She has no problem being in her crate, but she also has no problem going to the potty in her crate. So I have no idea how long she can hold it, because sometimes she'll hold it for hours, sometime ten minutes. She's not the type to cry and whine to get out if she has to go. She will just proceed to use it, then get downright comfortable in it. I'll pay attention to her food and water intake, and it's the same thing: she may hold it for a long time, or she may not. I do think she can hold it through the night (from 10ish to 5:30ish) since she's quite inactive. But during the day - anybody's guess.

I guess I'm at my wits end, but I have done this before with my Shih-tzu I used to have. But not to the point where I wanna get rid of her. I know it's possible. The only difference is with my Shih-tzu, he wouldn't EVER poop in his crate. Cali has the amazing ability to become best friends with her crap.

I have learned the hard way that all puppies train at different ages. I am currently fighting with mine to use a pee-pad. Luckily Sophie does not tear hers up, she just relocates hers then goes back and pees where the pad should be. But in the last 5 1/2 wks rewards and a whole lot of praise seems to work with her. Good Luck!