Graduating from Puppy Pads to the Great Outdoors?

K

Kiyomi

Forums Regular
Kiyomi is now 18 weeks old and uses "puppy pads" with ease when she has to relieve herself. In a 3-floor townhouse with two carpeted floors and one hardwood floor, she will seek out her puppy pads on the 2nd floor when she needs to go.

"Unfortunately" she has been too well trained. We have a fenced yard and take her for multiple walks a day around the neighborhood and to the park, but she refuses to relieve herself outdoors She'll sniff the feces and urine of other dogs, and she enjoys checking her "pee-mail" from other dogs, but she won't go herself. After taking a walk, sometimes she'll run upstairs immediately and use her pad as if she held it the entire time during the walk.

With Vicky & I both working, we still would like Kiyomi to use puppy pads for when we're both away at work, but we'd also like to teach her that it's OK to go outdoors. Have other Sheltie parents had this problem? How would you teach a 4mo to use the lawn as well as the puppy pad?

Thanks!
 
Puppy Pads

When I got Sting at 4 months old not housebroken I set up a routine with him.When I was at work I had and ex-pen with his crate and a tarp on the carpet and pee pads.He always used the pee pads and hardly ever missed them. When I was home it was also in the dead of winter I had him out every 2 hours or after he ate and he always went.Sunday was my hardest day because I worked 12 hours and Sting was really good.If he was tired he slept in his crate or played with his toys or he always had something to chew on. It was like that for a month and then one day I was in bed and he crawled over on me and that was his way of letting me know he had to go out.He also slept with me at times.
 
Thanks, will try that

Sharon said:
Also forgot to mention try taking a pee pad outside and see if she will go on it.
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Next nice day we have, I'll try leaving the puppy pad outside and also taking a fresh stool and placing it in the grass. Hopefully she'll pick up on her own scent and figure it's OK to go in the lawn.
 
My papillon was particularly hard to housebreak (having Duncan as a puppy is amazing because he is so easy to train!). He did not want to go outdoors. So we used the 'grass scented' puppy pads indoors for a little while. When he was consistent, we were able to get him to go outside I guess because the scent was familiar. It might help to switch - it certainly couldn't hurt!

If all else fails, when you are home, go back to the crate, cutting out the pads altogether.
 
There's the reason I don't use pee pads. I teach them to go outside to potty from the get go. I never want going in the house to be an option.
 
HopeShelties said:
There's the reason I don't use pee pads. I teach them to go outside to potty from the get go. I never want going in the house to be an option.
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I'm with you. I'm not a fan of pee pads at all. I believe it just confuses the hell out of them. For example, if you go visiting someone, are you going to bring your pee pads with you and place them strategically in their house? No. You want your dog to learn to hold it until she can go outside. And believe me they can hold it. I still come home at lunch and even then, my boys rarely go outside even though they have the chance too. They are mostly in sleepy mode and barely even acknowledge me!

At 18 weeks, if all other house training has gone well, I would be inclined to crate her when you are not there and do away with the pads all together.

My tuppence.
 
Me to.Never used them,and will not for Trapp either. I'm pretty much an early riser,and am up several times in the night (Restless leg syndrome..hot flashes) you get thie idea.

I remember taking Earnhardt outside,and then he had to be walked,as we had no fenced yard at the rental house.So every two hours,or less we were a walking on lead to potty.Even in the middle of the night,walking around the yard,me saying,c'mon Earnhardt let's potty!

I always favored winter for training any dog,course depending where you are in the Carolinas,we don't get snow here.But I know Janets neck of the mountains they do. No pup likes being cold,so going potty quickly in the snow or cold happens rather quickly. Theres no diddling around~

I'm a big one for routines,and I dare say that Trapp will catch on quickly.Plus I have the added dog here,and 1-1/2 acres of fenced yard,so lots of room to play & follow the leader.
 
Yep for sure Barb! They can hold it,and will for the most part.I know there is a formula,and I'm sure that it may have been mentioned somewheres before I joined.But so many hours,per say to the dogs age.not sure how it goes.

You made Brian & I chuckle,when you mentioned your two not wanting or not acknowleging the fact that they "should" go,when you get home. It's tug of war to get Earnhardt on his feet to go outside some times.And he was crated,also as a pup.
 
I believe the formula is the number of months old they are plus one. Duncan is 9 weeks old, so 2 months old (ish) + 1 = 3 hours of being able to hold it.
 
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