Dual Potty Training? Outdoors AND pee pads? Is this possible?

[Rhiannon224]

Both my boys are trained for both, I will not take them out at night or in the rain. The puppy loves to be out in the rain, he's my little maniac, but between frogs, snails, and slugs I won't take the risk. The only negative thing about the pads is the puppy isn't learning bladder control because he can go on the pads whenever he wants. My older male did the same thing as a puppy and it took him a little longer to learn to hold it instead of squeezing out a dime size pee on every pad. I feel that the potty training has been a lot easier since he's been using the pads and we only have an accident inside 10% of the time. Pretty good, in my opinion, for a 15 week old.

The only part of potty training on pads I hate is that I have to have pads in every corner but when he starts to learn to control himself I will start removing one pad at a time until we are down to two pads. My older Yorkie was down to one pad at about 1 year old.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon224

Both my boys are trained for both, I will not take them out at night or in the rain. The puppy loves to be out in the rain, he's my little maniac, but between frogs, snails, and slugs I won't take the risk. The only negative thing about the pads is the puppy isn't learning bladder control because he can go on the pads whenever he wants. My older male did the same thing as a puppy and it took him a little longer to learn to hold it instead of squeezing out a dime size pee on every pad. I feel that the potty training has been a lot easier since he's been using the pads and we only have an accident inside 10% of the time. Pretty good, in my opinion, for a 15 week old.

The only part of potty training on pads I hate is that I have to have pads in every corner but when he starts to learn to control himself I will start removing one pad at a time until we are down to two pads. My older Yorkie was down to one pad at about 1 year old.

If you limit freedom to a smaller area, you can use fewer pads. It is true that a small puppy will not want to travel too far (i.e. across the house) to get to a pad, or won't want to leave an area of excitement and maybe miss something.

I don't think pads affect learning bladder control. Max always had a pad, yet when he was neutered at 6 months, he held it after surgery for a few hours until he got home. In fact, he screamed his way out of the vet's office. They wanted to keep him overnight, but he was desperate to get home to his pad. When we got home, he sprinted to his pad and peed a lake.

Even when he was younger than 6 months, we couldn't take him away from home for too long because he wanted to get home to his pad. That was the only downside to pad training for us -- Max thought he could not go outside. Silly boy.

[thelittleyorkie]

Originally Posted by Maximo

If you limit freedom to a smaller area, you can use fewer pads. It is true that a small puppy will not want to travel too far (i.e. across the house) to get to a pad, or won't want to leave an area of excitement and maybe miss something.

I don't think pads affect learning bladder control. Max always had a pad, yet when he was neutered at 6 months, he held it after surgery for a few hours until he got home. In fact, he screamed his way out of the vet's office. They wanted to keep him overnight, but he was desperate to get home to his pad. When we got home, he sprinted to his pad and peed a lake.

Even when he was younger than 6 months, we couldn't take him away from home for too long because he wanted to get home to his pad. That was the only downside to pad training for us -- Max thought he could not go outside. Silly boy.

Yep, I'm planning on using an X-pen for that very reason.

I don't think I'll be using the pads for a long duration.... I might just use them until the pup learns to "hold it" through the night. How would I encourage "holding it", and at what age was Max old enough to "hold it"?


Would you all recommend using washable or disposable pads?

[Maximo]

The length of time the dog is able to hold it is individual to each dog. Also depends on how long you sleep at night. When Max was a 13 week old puppy, he would use the pad at about 11 - midnight when we went to bed. He often used it again by 5 am.

The are pros and cons to both disposable and washable pads.

[Kerryn915]

I agree that a "potty command" word is the best idea. Mine get very excited when they hear "outside" and I use the command word when we are outside also. Then at night before bed if it's very late I will take them over to the pee pad and say the word and they know to pee right away. It takes some persistence But they catch on quickly. My older boy always pee'd right on the edge of the pad. Drove me nuts bc it always got on the floor. Luckily mine is in the kitchen which is tiled. You could also put a tarp down on the carpet and put the pad on top of that to prevent your carpet being ruined.

[thelittleyorkie]

Originally Posted by Kerryn915

I agree that a "potty command" word is the best idea. Mine get very excited when they hear "outside" and I use the command word when we are outside also. Then at night before bed if it's very late I will take them over to the pee pad and say the word and they know to pee right away. It takes some persistence But they catch on quickly. My older boy always pee'd right on the edge of the pad. Drove me nuts bc it always got on the floor. Luckily mine is in the kitchen which is tiled. You could also put a tarp down on the carpet and put the pad on top of that to prevent your carpet being ruined.

When is the right time to say "go potty", so that it's not too early, but not too late?

[Kerryn915]

I say "do pee pee" lol... As soon as they are outside and sniffing I start saying it and when they do it then I praise them. Also I snap my finger and point at the pee pad and say "do pee pee" and it's funny actually bc they know when I snap and point that they are supposed to pee. I did it every time I put them on the pad... Honestly it sometimes takes up to 10 minutes in the beginning (inside) I rewarded them with lucky charms cereal... Not the marshmallows just the actual cereal. They loved those so I would bring the box out and it would motivate them more when they were playing dumb. Also sometimes if they aren't used to going outside it may take a few trips before they know what to do outside. But once they take that first pee outside they are hooked lol.

[SophieKatesMom]

I used a professional trainer to teach Sophie Kate the command, I only observed but what she would do is start saying the command when Sophie Kate would start sniffing like she was looking for a spot.


Once she went she would get a lot of "good girls" and a high value treat (in our case it was a Cheerio). Now 5 years later I still issue the command and she gets a ton of praise every time just to reinforce it.

[My lil friend]

"Go sniff" is the command here. I once won $10 from DH because he couldn't get one of the pups to pottie,due to rain. He told me that you cannt make a dog poop on command. I took pup out ,under an umbrella, said "go sniff" ,dog squatted and pooped. We went inside. I got a free coffee or two at Starbucks. Only Tilly will use a pad. Its there for all of the girls,they all know what it is,but Kenzie and Mina think that they are two grown up for such things.

[thelittleyorkie]

I think I will have to use both methods (outdoors and puppy pads)--the winters can get pretty harsh here in MO. Last year and the year before that, we had TONS of snow. Usually we get 18+ inches of snow per winter.

How long did your pups take to master the "Go Potty" command?

Which would you recommend training for first--outdoors, or puppy pads?

Do the scent-infused puppy pads actually work?

[My lil friend]

Tilly is just now really getting the hang of pottie pad inside,not floor. She has understood "go sniff" (our command) for quite a while.
The scented disposibles didn't work here because she wanted to play with them and tear them up,not good because they have plastic on them. I have washable pads. Theses are actually waterproof pads from the baby store,alot less money. I started out rubbing the new fresh pad on the old one before I removed it. They stay in her crate with the door open.
You should of seen her face the first time she tried to tear a washable pad up.

[SophieKatesMom]

Originally Posted by thelittleyorkie

I think I will have to use both methods (outdoors and puppy pads)--the winters can get pretty harsh here in MO. Last year and the year before that, we had TONS of snow. Usually we get 18+ inches of snow per winter.

How long did your pups take to master the "Go Potty" command?

Which would you recommend training for first--outdoors, or puppy pads?

Do the scent-infused puppy pads actually work?

I cannot remember how long it took for Sophie Kate to learn the command, I do know it was not right away and I had to remember at first to say it even if she went before I said the command (once I noticed she was going I would say the command).


I started with outside first and we were having a hard time getting it correctly. This is why we brought in a professional trainer and had her evaluated (problem was I was not keeping a schedule). It seemed that once she understood the command the inside Pad part came easy, just placing her on the pad and stating the command.


Remember at first the most important thing to remember is do not move the pad.