Another Pee Thread - To Peepad or Not?

[violagirl]

My puppies are now 10 weeks old.

I'm trying to decide whether to get rid of the peepads or keep using them for awhile yet.
On one hand - they are pretty consistent in using the peepads if I am distracted for a second and they have to go. (Everyone seems to call me just at the end of feeding time!! ) On the other hand, I am trying to teach them to go outside.

I have noticed though that they seem to know they don't have to hold it and tend to have little pees when the peepad is down. However, if they go on the peepad then I have less pee to cleanup..however, maybe they would hold it a bit longer if they didn't have access to the peepad.

What should I expect at this point from my puppies in their ability NOT to pee on the floor?

[millitntanimist]

10 weeks may be a bit young to consider tossing them altogether, but you could start fading them i.e. move them closer and closer to the back door, peeing on peepad = praise, peeing outside = OMG supergoodpuupy+treats

[Jenn~n~Luke]

Personally I wouldn't use pee pads or newspapers period. To me it's just an extra step and makes it that much harder to teach a pup that the place they need to go is outside. I've never had a litter of pups though, so it would be MUCH harder for you. My mother believed in papers. Of all the dogs we've had over the years, the ones I trained without the papers were the only ones who didn't continue making mistakes in the house, and were totally trained by that age..so

[violagirl]

So how did you train them? Whenever you weren't standing over them they were locked in their crate? How long did it take before they caught on?

At this point they know they get treats only if they do their business outside but they seem to also feel ok doing their business inside. On peepads or no.

Maybe I should move their enclosure closer to the door so they can at least indicate they want to go outside? But it is colder closer to the door.

[luckypenny]

At 10 weeks old, it's perfectly normal for them to have accidents if you're not watching them carefully. The question is, do you want them fully housetrained?

[14+kitties]

It's an animal people!

Guess it shouldn't matter if that ^ is the case if they get a little chilly when they are outside doing their business. Get rid of the pee pads and take them out every hour on the hour or right after eating or right after playing or right after sleeping. If they squat after coming back in the house then turn around and take them back out again. This is your responsibility. This is what you signed on for. Within a few weeks or when they are around 3 or 4 months you will be housetrained. YOU have to make the effort to teach THEM when to go outside if you want to retain control over them.

[Jenn~n~Luke]

Originally Posted by violagirl

So how did you train them? Whenever you weren't standing over them they were locked in their crate? How long did it take before they caught on?

At this point they know they get treats only if they do their business outside but they seem to also feel ok doing their business inside. On peepads or no.

Maybe I should move their enclosure closer to the door so they can at least indicate they want to go outside? But it is colder closer to the door.

Well with Luke, when I got him at nine weeks he was already toilet trained. He had one or two accidents which were entirely my fault. I had company and wasn't paying attention to the signs.

I did it by paying close attention to the signs the pup gave that they needed to go. IE: Circling, smelling the floor,etc. I never crate trained, so no, they were never put in the crate while I was unable to supervise. I also let them out more often than every hour. When they first woke up? Straight outside they go. After playtime? Outside they went. After meals, out they go. It takes a lot of work to do it yes, but I'd much rather put a week of that in, than constantly be cleaning up accidents or messes for months. It blows my mind to hear of people with six month old pups or older who are still messing in the house. I will say though that in my experience the larger breeds have been the fastest and easiest to house train. Mom had a shih tzu who would still go in the house no matter what we did. That drove me batty lol. I find a lot of people make the mistake of taking the pup out, letting it run around and play for five or ten minutes, and instead of waiting until they have definitely did their buisness, they bring them back in, only to find the pup has gone in the house after being outside. As with any thing really, being given the opportunity to pee in the house over and over is a self fufulling behavior. Who wants to go out in the cold to pee if they know they can do it in the house as well? I wouldn't!LOL The thing is, you illiminate as many chances as possible for them to do things that will be reinforced, like chewing on thigns not allowed, peeing in the house...and make a HUGE deal out of every time they do what's right. Most pups will catch on fast that doing the good thing instead is much better for them. I hope I'm explaining this right. ((Hard to think when Tyler's behind me playing with Luke lol))

[violagirl]

Good news! One of the puppies will now whine and look at me when she needs to go out! Her legs are now long enough that she can run across the deck to "the spot". I took her out 3 times in a row - I really didnt' believe her whine the last time - how much pee does a puppy have? - but I guess that time she needed a poo so it worked!

The other puppy is more inclined to just run in circles on the deck and then back to the door. His legs also aren't long enough to get down stairs yet. So it may take him a bit longer.

I can't leave them outside in the bitter cold for a LONG time. They will just stand there huddled against my boots shivering.

I do get what you are saying about giving them the opportunity to pee in the house will create a self fulfilling behaviour. Which is why I'm really trying to stop the peepad thing and get them outside. They are brought out immediately upon waking, playing etc etc but sometimes they decide to go in the MIDDLE of playing. I can catch them sometimes but sometimes they get their business done before I can hurdle out the door with them.

Guess I'll just be patient and hope for an early thaw.

[violagirl]

Guess I touched a nerve with my hyperbole.

[luckypenny]

The reason I asked is because some people use pads with small breeds as it's more convenient for them, especially in the winter.

If you don't want them using pads, then get rid of them altogether and take your pups out more frequently. The crate is useful when you are unable to watch them for signs of needing to go out (they should only be large enough for a pup to stand, turn around, and lay down in). I don't know what your daily routine is like but with pups this young, it's a good idea to have your coat and boots next to your bed. Set your alarm really early, get dressed and take them out asap. As 14+ said, "take them out every hour on the hour or right after eating or right after playing or right after sleeping." Don't forget to reward/praise after each successful event. Do they pee during the night? If so, take them out right before going to bed and you may need to set your alarm to get up in the middle of the night. If you're able to be consistent 100% of the time, chances are they'll be house trained quickly. Just remember that young pups can't hold it long as their bladders are small and their sphincter muscles are not fully developed. Don't be alarmed if it takes a while.