If my boys are outside, they will go a lot, but if we are in someone's house, they are distracted. I think Kaji is just smart and he knows that he can get you to go outside when you are at your one friend's house. :D Anything to be outside. Although my boys almost always have a human home with them, I use pads and outside. We can't let these little ones out in our backyard alone or off-leash, and I don't want my senior citizen father to try to harness the dogs and get them down the stairs in front or back, or out through the garage in inclement weather. Dad is in great shape, but it is still a hassle for him.

Secondly, I don't want to go outside alone late at night. It's very dark and woodsy here, lots of creatures creeping and slithering around. :D

Before I had Max, I would have said pads are gross. Really it is no different than having a kitty litter box. In fact, it's cleaner. Both Max and Teddy come to me when they have to poop because they want it taken care of right away. If I walk away for a second, Max will wrap up the pad. :p

Ive never counted. They go out more in the morning and the late afternoon and evening. That is when everyone is home and they are more active.

:lol tears soooooooooo funny!! I have to take my girls out WAY more since we adopted Honey...but I don't mind! Glad I didn't start the reward system now...I'd probably need to set up a tent! hehe

My bigger dogs just go out into their fenced off yard when they have to go, but I take Lexee and Tucker on leashes.. Lexee is ok with going out about 3 times a day, she generally poops twice.. Tucker needs to go out every hour and half to 2 hours... starting at 630 am untill around 9 pm...which I feel is alittle excessive, but when I was training him that is how often I took him out so he got used to it, because I take him out so often, Lexee goes too. He poops twice a day first thing in the a.m then again around 3 in the afternoon.

8 am - wake up, pee & poop at home
Have 2 NV Medallions and we get ready and go to office

11 am - pee & poop at office

In the afternoon he gets at least 1 walk, and pees again

We usually walk before we go home, and he pees again

Then pees right before bed time

So, a minimum of 5 potty breaks. He poops twice every day, both times in the morning. If our afternoon is not too busy he may get outside a total of 6 or 7 times b/c I can walk him a few extra times at the office.

I don't think pads themselves are gross.... I just find that with *most* pad trained dogs, I constantly see posts like "oh, he misses it sometimes! But oh well, it's no big deal" and "Yeah, they mistake rugs for pads!" I think that's gross. I don't care how firm poop is, to just in a sense "allow" it, is a little gross. I know all dogs have accidents, including Jackson. If I'm not diligent enough to take him out (and generally, it IS my fault, for not listening to him barking at the door, thinking he didn't have to go) he will poop in the living room, I'd say it happens once every 3 months.

I just think that if a dog is truly pad trained, they will basically always go on the pad, with a few minor accidents here and there. But I swear, most people I see that use pads say their dogs miss the pad all the time, or just go on a rug. I mean that would be like if my dogs peed as soon as they got to the back door. It's close to being outside, right? So I'll allow it. I wouldn't not ever use pads -- if I had a dog that had to go more frequently, or a young puppy, or possibly even if I lived in a high rise apartment or something, it'd be something I'd definitely consider. Also, if I could not get someone to let Jackson out mid-day and he was home for 8hrs, it'd be something I'd consider, but I doubt he'd use them. Jackson just personally wouldn't use them, even as a young puppy, so I don't think they'd work for us. When we went camping and put 3 expens outside the RV door, the other 2 dogs would go right in the expen, not Jackson! LOL. That boy needs room to sniff, he's so annoying, haha. Oh and I don't like litter boxes either -- hence why I don't have cats, lol. I just don't like pee/poop in the house at all.

I understand you 100%. The only reason I have accepted the whole pad thing, is because I had no other choice. I read how some members have more than one pad in a room, or one pad in every room. That is not acceptable in my house. The humans don't have places to potty in each room, and since Kaji is almost human anyway, he's bound by the same rules. If I'm home, not only will he run to his pad in the bathroom, but he'll come demanding for me to come see and clean him and "it" up. To my surprise, pad training ended up working really well.

I want to switch to washable potty pads, but I'm afraid he'll start to mistake rugs for the pads. Not cool in my book. But, I'm hopeful. Kaji knows the bathroom is his potty room, and he won't go in any other room. So it might work?

I didn't read all post but I think that half of the time she pretends to use the bathroom outside. She just wants to "Investigate" Brat face!!n She is soo cool.

First, my apologies for the multiple posts earlier. I was having YT trouble.

I have to brag a moment about Max and Teddy: they always go to the pad, and they always hit the spot. They haven't had an accident since the first few weeks Teddy was home and Max was guarding the pads. (he didn't guard food, but he loves those pads :rolleyes:) They both are really principled about the potty thing, and they love the attention they get for doing it right.

My Bijou goes outside every hour on the hour. Some times I think she gets caught up more in the excitement of me saying "potty" and going to the front door. But she usually goes out and I watch her do a little dribble and head right back to the door. LOL

See, that's awesome! I have no issue with a dog who always uses the pad. :thumbup: Smart boys you've got there, or maybe you're just a good trainer! :):)

My Bella is outside trained...and I'm training Harley to be outside as well and he is only 18 weeks so right now we go out a lot :)

430am Bella & Harley...peep and poop
6am Both before leaving for work...pee
8am Harley...pee
11am Both...pee
2pm Harley...pee
330pm home from work..both pee
630 both...pee and poop
10pm last time before bed...both...pee

I bring my babies to work with me...I feel very lucky to be able to do that, but there are days I just can't...and my friend will babysit Harley for me and I leave Bella at home...I do leave a potty pad in the bathroom for her but she will not use it, she will hold it until I get home at 330.

If only I could be equally successful in other areas of training, lol! Really, they are good boys in that regard. They don't potty in other people's houses, stores, or other public places. When we stayed in a hotel, Max sniffed the wall where another dog must have gone and he lifted his leg, but he looked at me before he did anything, as if to ask, "is this alright?" I gave him a firm no and he went to the pad. I even put my hand on the wall and carpet to make sure he hadn't done anything. :thumbup:

I firmly believe that close supervision, when possible, and over-the-top praise are the keys to our success. We even praise outside on our walks.

Totally agree! I STILL will tell Jackson 'good boy!!!' when he goes potty outside. I guess it's out of habit.

:thumbup::thumbup: That is great! I think Yorkies thrive on praise and attention, lol. Seems like other dogs, once you have them potty trained, they are fine on their own.