Can't decide; outdoor vs. pee pads

[smelcerk]

Get my baby girl (13 weeks old) in two days and my husband and I still can't decide which method would be best. We would prefer a sweet dog that will trot to the door, ring the bell, and let us know she needs to go out, lol. Do not like nasty pee pads in the house. Hate stepping on pee or finding baby poop piles under the bed even more. We live in Idaho and cold weather will be here soon which I know yorkies hate. Do you think there is hope for outdoor training with the cold weather or would I be better off just doing the pee pads and trying to transition to outdoor next summer?

[Maximo]

I believe it depends on your pup, you, and how easily you can get her outside often. Max would happily go out in any type of weather, even when he was a small puppy. If your puppy is willing, go for outdoors.

We chose to use pads and outdoors because we live in a woodsy area that is very dark at night. Our house and yard are not great for taking a little dog outside in the dark. Plus, it's easier for my 75 year old dad.

It is very possible to pad train and switch to outdoors later if you choose to do so.

I never dreamed that I would have a piddle pad in the house, but it works very well for us, humans and dogs.

[Lovetodream88]

Not all yorkies hate it outside when it's cold mine loves it and there are always coats. Really it's up to you. You don't let them have free run of the house until they are potty trained so you don't find little accidents.

[BabieChloe]

I use both pee pads and going outside for potty time. My yorkie doesn't do well in the cold because she's small and starts to shake. Even after a bath she shakes.. when it's hot inside because she is somehow cold. I do put a jacket on her though, and she was a baby last winter. She just turned 1 so maybe she'll do better in the cold this year lol.

It depends on what you want but I like knowing that Chloe can go pee/poop whenever she wants and not need to hold it in.

If you don't like the pads I know that there's fabric type of pads with designs on them, I believe 107barney makes them if that's something you would like better.

[Britster]

I don't really LIKE potty pads, but admit they'd be nice during the really cold weather. Jackson never took to them anyway (I had them out as a pup). I just think they're gross to have around the house, they've always grossed me out (when the dogs actually use them constantly to poop/pee). I know some that just leave it out for emergencies, or working long hours, etc, and that's totally understandable. I guess that's why I don't have cats either, LOL, I don't do litter boxes. I just think that when pups get used to being able to just go whenever they want, they go more frequently, when most adult dogs should be fine for at least 6 hours.

If I was going to be working long hours, I would maybe leave a pad out somewhere if I had a dog that used it. OR, have some sort of separate area (maybe like a little fenced in area in your house or something, with some sort of ex-pen), so that they still have to bark or let you know they have to go when you're home. That's just me personally. I find dogs who are potty pad trained seem to think rugs, etc, are also okay to pee on. It's hard for them to differentiate. I just don't think I've ever heard of a dog 100% potty trained to pee pads without ever having accidents. It's just not something I want to deal with personally.

In the winter, my dad lets his dog go pee on the porch lol. I also have a screened in porch, not carpeted, that Jackson will go pee on if there's snow in there. But otherwise, he won't even go in a small space like that anyway.

[Rachael1983]

Go with outdoor. Don't confuse them with potty pads! I've made this mistake. Emma thinks the bathroom mat is also her potty pad. Crate train and even though the dog is small and cute, remind yourself if this was a big dog would I allow them to pee/poo in the house. I'm reaping what I sow now, so start off this way and it will alleviate any headaches and frustration later.

[MarkFromSea]

Go for outdoors! Carry him out, if need be, very often. Tell him "go potty"(or whatever you want to use) and praise him profusely when he does so. Once the pattern is established in his head, you should be good to go. Don't ever make him wait too long though ever, just wouldn't be fair and it disrupts the routine. We are always present when Gucci is outside, sometimes with a leash attached. They can move really fast!

[BobbiB]

Sheldon uses washable pads in the house because we are in an upstairs apartment, but he also will go outside.

[Vereen]

I'll have to vote for the pads. While not perfect, I like knowing Joni can go when she needs to and not wait for me to pickup on her signal. Our area has a large family of hawks so she never goes outside without her harness and leash on and that would be a pain to deal with several times a day and especially at night.

I have pads in certain discreet areas and she's generally good about hitting those but we do occasionally have the mistaken bath mat accident.

I look for good deals on the pads and toss soiled ones frequently - to maintain as much hygiene as possible.

After many years of taking our last little dog (RIP) outside for potty breaks, I find this is just simpler for us all.

[SirTeddykins]

I use pads with Teddy and I have found that he has not been confused at all which I think is mainly due to the fact that I put his pads in a kitty litter tray.


That way, he associates the pads with being in his box so it is more his box which he uses than the pads which are just good for sanitary reasons if that makes sense?


I have found the pads to be great because he never has to wait to go so he's never had any accidents since we trained him at 14 weeks.


HOWEVER, the downside to this is when we take him to a friends house, for example. Because he's never had to ask to go, he doesn't know how; therefore, I have to keep an eagle eye on him to make sure he doesn't go in their house due to lack of a specified area being available.


My parents trained their Yorkie on a pad and I believe they take the pads with them when they stay over at someone's house.

[DBlain]

if your home is set up for it, I would vote for outdoors. My last male yorkie was pad trained and even though he had access to a pad 24/7 on occasion he would still go on throw rugs. my sister's yorkie goes outside and inside on a pad but still has plenty of accidents and she can not have any throw rugs because of it. Bringing a pee pad dog to other peoples home is not easy, first you are always worried because you never know if they are going to have an accident or not, and more often or not they do.

Lola only goes outside and we live in MI. My house smells so much better because of it and I now feel comfortable taking her to other people's home. However with that being said I have several things going in my favor that makes this possible. 1. I work from home so I am available to let her out during the day. 2. she has an extremely good bladder and can last 7 or 8 hours if she needs to. 3. My front porch is covered and right off the steps is grass. I use a retractable leash, and if it is raining or cold I stand under my porch or stay inside with the leash extending out the crack in the door. She then runs out where I can see her and comes right back in so I don't have to get wet or cold. 4. We have a snow blower so when it snows, which is often, my husband clears a good size patch right outside our front door. 5. Lola does not mind the cold, the snow or the rain, but I do notice that she does her business a little quicker if weather is a factor. 6. Our house is several levels so I strung a bunch of jingle bells on the end of a ribbon which she learned to ring when wanting to go potty.

If you go the outside route here are a few tips, regardless if you have a fence use a leash. Don't let the dog lead you all around the yard, stand in one place with something like a retractable leash. If you keep letting them lead you to all the places they would like to sniff you will be out there forever. Plus it's nice to be able to control where they walk so they are not tramping through mud, puddles, gardens ect, (their feet stay cleaner this way) It's nice to have them go on a leash because you see what and when they have done something. My sister's dog goes out in a large fenced yard so she never knows if the dog went or not. I also like the fact that I get to control where the dog wets, in the hot summer months I take her to the shady part of the yard, which keeps the grass from getting urine burns. I also have Lola potty like normal before we go for a walk, I would prefer not to have to carry a bag of poop through the neighborhood. Make sure they know the potty words, Lola knows potty, poop, and peep. She does #2 most of the time on her second time out, but then will try to come back in, but since I also want her to go pee, I will say Lola go peep, Lola go peep and it's funny she puts her tail down turns around and pees. The most important thing is consistency I was lucky with Lola we got a routine down when she was a puppy and 3 years later we still follow it. Good Luck

[DBlain]

I know a lot of people think it is easier with the pads because they are down on the floor and the dog just pees and you don't have to go out with them. But from experience I can tell you I spent more time, on my hands and knees wiping up pee dribble, rolling up and disposing of yucky newspapers (which I used) sanitizing the litter box the paper was kept in and so forth, then I spend taking Lola out. Also I think because my dog had access to the pad he went a lot more and never seemed to learn bladder control, but he was a male and now I have a female so maybe males just go more. if you do use the pads, I would remove throw rugs, like others have said they seem to confuse them with potty pads

[rescuemom51]

I too vote for pads.... My laundry room is directly off my kitchen and that is were I put the pads. I trained Annie with treats and she is 100% on the pads! If she poops, I pick it up with a piece of T-paper and throw it in my powder room toilet. That way I never have the smell to deal with and her poo is very firm and easy to pickup. Since Annie is only 4 pounds everything is very small and easy to handle. She will pee on her walks but most of the time she waits to go on her pad. I'm in PA and know she will hate winter. This way she doesn't wake me up to go out and I don't have to worry about missing any cues to go outside.

[Wylie's Mom]

I use washable pee pads, but if I had it to over again - I'd do outdoors bc I think when you let them go indoors - it's somewhat confusing for them and there will almost always be accidents, for most dogs. That's been my experience. Pads are definitely convenient, but what you really need to ask yourself is "do I want to deal w/ off-pad pees/poops"? And remember, you won't likely be able to use ANY rugs in your house if you pad train bc they view rugs as "pee pads" too.

[DBlain]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I use washable pee pads, but if I had it to over again - I'd do outdoors bc I think when you let them go indoors - it's somewhat confusing for them and there will almost always be accidents, for most dogs. That's been my experience. Pads are definitely convenient, but what you really need to ask yourself is "do I want to deal w/ off-pad pees/poops"? And remember, you won't likely be able to use ANY rugs in your house if you pad train bc they view rugs as "pee pads" too.

It's interesting to hear you say that, at first I thought it was just my dog who would pee on the throw rugs, but my sister's dog does it and just about any small dog that has come in my home that is pad trained goes on one of the throw rugs. I finally took all of my kitchen rugs up and replaced them with the foam kind, but I still needed throw rugs other places so it was frustrating. I am not sure if this is true by a retired vet in my neighborhood said it's just not natural for dogs to go indoors on a pad so you will always have problems.