Question about washable potty pads

[boopster]

Noob question - but I'm still trying to figure out what to do about housetraining. I'm leaning toward the washable pads, but one question keeps nagging at me... How does the dog tell the difference between a fabric pad that's ok to use, and any other fabric surface in the house?

[lovespandp]

You know a breeder once told me " if you are pad training the dog will never learn where to go, he will always pee on rugs.. carpet..etc" and its true pnut has tons of accidents. Thats why dh and I are going to start training him outside! We are going to get some astroturf and stick it on the patio and go from there~~ puppy training 101 ( by the way pnut is 3 )

[YorkichonBella]

I'm extremely lucky with Bella in that she never has accidents. I've always kept the puppy pad in the exact same area. I also use a washable pad underneath the disposable ones. At first I kept a puppy pad in two different rooms, but she is 3 now & only uses the one area which is great for me.

On trips or visiting I just show her where the pad is & she does great. I'm not saying the puppy stage was a breeze, but once she got it, it stuck. Good Luck with yr baby. Praise Praise Praise is the trick, I think.

[107barney]

If you place the pads in designated spots and train the dog to go on the pads in those spots, they will learn where the spots are. I keep my pee pads far away from rugs so there is no confusion. You can also put the pad inside a defined area like a litter box to help the dog to understand that this is the bathroom.

Good luck - it is a training issue, and like all training issues, you must be consistent and reward with positive feedback. I have area and throw rugs all over my house, and if you stuck your nose in them, they smell like baking soda and lavender from my vacuum, not dog urine.

[WV~Yorkies]

That is why I like disposable ones. I tried the washable with my older ones and they started peeing on everything on the floor. With 3 kids alot of clothes on the floor. I do use the washable with my newborn puppies.

[tigker86]

Actually...I was having a massive debate about this about 2 - 3 weeks ago. Pee pads in designated spots work. I did put mine on the carpets as well... Lexi didnt confuse it with the pee pad until I tried training her to go outdoors.
I'm starting to train lexi to pee outdoors because I notice after awhile if you don't air out the room it starts to smell even though I remove the pads and change them when I come home from work etc.
If you do have carpet, you hvae to watch your yorkie constantly...the moment you see her circling you have to put her on her pee pad. Some of them are already scented so they know that's where they are supposed to go. if they use the pad make it seem like the best thing in the world. (Sometimes I swear after Lexi pees, she looks like she's so proud of herself after, LOL.
If they make a mistake and go where they are not supposed to go you scold them and say no! then placed them on the area the pad is at and point and say good.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by tigker86

Actually...I was having a massive debate about this about 2 - 3 weeks ago. Pee pads in designated spots work. I did put mine on the carpets as well... Lexi didnt confuse it with the pee pad until I tried training her to go outdoors.
I'm starting to train lexi to pee outdoors because I notice after awhile if you don't air out the room it starts to smell even though I remove the pads and change them when I come home from work etc.
If you do have carpet, you hvae to watch your yorkie constantly...the moment you see her circling you have to put her on her pee pad. Some of them are already scented so they know that's where they are supposed to go. if they use the pad make it seem like the best thing in the world. (Sometimes I swear after Lexi pees, she looks like she's so proud of herself after, LOL.
If they make a mistake and go where they are not supposed to go you scold them and say no! then placed them on the area the pad is at and point and say good.

I never have any smells in my house of urine. If the house is smelling of urine, I suspect someone has been peeing where they should not be peeing and as the urine is breaking down in the air, the ammonia smell is giving off (not healthy!). I would get a black light and survey the room and treat each and any spot of pee that you find.

Outside is also a good option - mine go outside in a designated spot in the garden and they use washable pee pads as well. Again, my dogs are not permitted to piss all over the house, or the yard, and they are trained not to do so. I can't speak for others but I just wonder why anyone would put up with that kind of unacceptable canine behavior. We all know that dogs, and especially yorkies, will take advantage of us if we allow it.

[dwells1959]

Harlie is doing excellent with the pad and goes for days without and accident on the tile. We started with disposable pads but if they miss and hit the edge, it wicks underneath. I bought the washable pads from http://www.odcmerchandise.com and would never use disposable again. They are always dry underneath! Even a near miss will wick into the fibers. The peepee disperses and dries very quickly as opposed to sitting on top of a plastic liner. They wash up fresh and fluffy and she loves them as much as we do. They are recycled hospital bed pads prepared and packaged by handicapped adults...a super organization to deal with.

Don

[Reese1]

We use the disposable pads and except for accidents in the beginning, they have worked great! Camden took longer, but we didn't get her until she was 2 1/2yrs old.

I do think key is keeping pads (whatever type) in the same spot is key. When we have moved the pads, they would get confused. They LOVE their routines!

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by 107barney

If you place the pads in designated spots and train the dog to go on the pads in those spots, they will learn where the spots are. I keep my pee pads far away from rugs so there is no confusion. You can also put the pad inside a defined area like a litter box to help the dog to understand that this is the bathroom.

Good luck - it is a training issue, and like all training issues, you must be consistent and reward with positive feedback. I have area and throw rugs all over my house, and if you stuck your nose in them, they smell like baking soda and lavender from my vacuum, not dog urine.

I agree. At almost 15, Lady's vision isn't that great (she had trouble finding her breakfast bowl yesterday even though I put it right in front of her), but she never misses her pad.

[MyTrixie143]

Mine use washable pads as well. I keep the pad in the same spot and they go to it every time. In fact just a few days ago I had a laugh. Gracie is a little stinker, she is still in the ornery puppy stage. So she likes to move the pad, I constantly have to check it and put it back in place.

So I sat back and watched her one day and she moved the pad into the middle of the room far from where it normally is. I thought she would end up going back to the corner where the pad normally is and pee there as they are so use to it being there. But nope she was a good little girl and after she dragged the pad to the middle of the floor she went and peed on the pad, lol.

A few of mine are pad trained as well as outdoor trained. I do prefer them to go outdoors but it just isn't a possibility when winter comes here.

Oh and I've never had problems with the pee smell either. Once I switch out the dirty pad with a clean one there isn't a smell. I wash the pads using detergent and bleach and they come out smelling and looking like new every time!!