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Does anyone have their small dog go on pee pads instead of outside?

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Chloe

1240743		 
 
Barked: Wed May 23, '12 6:41pm PST 
I have a 5 month old dachshund puppy. I do work full-time and the breeder said to get a large crate and line it with newspaper so that she can go during the day. That she shouldn't go outside until a certain number of weeks after she had all her shots. I also bought some pee pads and was trying to get her to use those.

Sometimes she goes to use it by herself, sometimes she goes wherever. I know that dachshunds are notoriously hard to housebreak.

I can't decide whether to try to transition her to going outside, or stick with the pee pads. It's a lot easier to just let her go on a pee pad, especially when winter comes, she's only 5 lbs right now and won't get a whole lot bigger.

I was just wondering how common it was for people with small dogs to train them to use pee pads, instead of training them to go outside?
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Foxxy

Pocket Wolf		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 12:53am PST 
I think it's more common than people will admit. i train my dogs for both. I don't have a backyard that they can run in, so we take them every 4-6 hours, but at night, there might be times when they need to use the pads, and it is an acceptable area, rather than them going wherever they please. One place in the house that they know they won't be punished for relieving themselves.

It was a trial and error process. We tried using the dog litter and dog pan we tried to work with them on the astroturf mat thing that we got at the as seen on tv store, but they're only consistent with the pee pads underneath a ratty old welcome mat. anywhere else and they know they've done wrong but tehy avoided the astroturf like the plague and they just looked up at me dejectedly when we were trying to get them to use the dog pans.

But yeah, we've got them trained to pee on pads indoors, though it's not an excuse not to take them outside or on daily walks. I wouldn't be willing to do this with a bigger dog, but seeing as how they're half cat sized, it's really not too much more trouble than cleaning the cat pans daily.
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Kodiak

The cheese ninja		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 7:36am PST 
I think it would be counter-intuitive and confusing to try to get her to go to the bathroom in a crate. It would have less of a negative impact on crate/potty training to have the spot be as far away from her crate as possible. Either way, you are going to have to do the usual potty training stuff- supervise her all the time when you're in the house, confine her to her crate when you're not in the house, say AH AH! when she goes somewhere besides the pads, rush her over to the pads, and praise her and give her a treat when she goes on the pads.
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Chloe

1240743		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 7:53am PST 
We also have two huskies, so I have two large crates and then a small one for her. I have been keeping her in the large crate during the day while I am at work so that she can go to the bathroom if she has to. And she really can't be trusted to be free while no one is home and I also can't expect her to hold it for 8 hours.

I have had her since she was 9 weeks old and I think the breeder's advice wasn't the best but I didn't know any better and whatever damage that has been done is done. I just need to do better moving forward.

I don't want to confuse her and I would think trying to train her to go outside and use pee pads would result in thinking that she can go wherever she wants. I need to contain her somehow during the day so instead of a large crate it could be a puppy pen, (not sure if there is much difference besides the pen not having a floor or roof), but she will need a way to relieve herself.

Will even that be confusing if I tried to train her to go outside while I am home, but then during the day she can use her pee pad?
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Milton

Im just a little- guy		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 10:35am PST 
You could get her an ex pen. I have one in my closet. The ex pen would allow her more room. If I was in your situation I would set up an ex pen with a pee pad. At 5 months she should have more bladder control but probably won't hold it more than 6 hours.

I don't use pee pads. I think they are messy. They can confuse dogs and elongate house training.
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Member Since
04/08/2012		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 3:32pm PST 
My dogs is trained to go on the pads. He is only about 3 lbs and is a Chihuahua, they can't regulate their body temps well so going outside when its cold is not a good idea. I trained him by placing a fence in type area for him to stay in with his food and bed, giving enough room to roam. He quickly learned to use the pad.
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Chloe

1240743		 
 
Barked: Thu May 24, '12 3:55pm PST 
Did you put the pad in the fenced area with him?
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Nicky

it's my party &- i'll cry if i- want to		 
 
Barked: Fri May 25, '12 6:39am PST 
I don't think it's the best idea to teach her to potty in her crate. Instead, you could put a gate up around the crate with a pee pad on the floor. The pad can even be just outside the door, or you could cover the whole area with pee pads and slowly remove them 1 by 1 so she gets the idea.
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Kodiak

The cheese ninja		 
 
Barked: Fri May 25, '12 6:49am PST 
Since she needs to be confined, I'd put the pads along the back wall of the kennel or pen. If she is just learning to use the pads, you need to praise her every time she uses them, and not try to discourage her from using them when you're home. However you should have a specific outside potty spot that you take her to right away when you get back from work. "I'm allowed to go in these two spots" is easier to understand than "I'm allowed to go anywhere outside, and sometimes I'm allowed to use the puppy pads." When she goes on the puppy pads, give her a calm "good girl." When she goes in the outside potty spot, give her praise and a treat.
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Heidi

1249299		 
 
Barked: Fri May 25, '12 8:45am PST 
I agree with everyone else that going inside the crate isn't the best idea. The idea of the crate is to prevent her from going until you can let her out.

If you have any very small rooms in your house, such as a bathroom or large closet you could babygate, you could place the pee pads there and have her use them.

If not, go with a pen as everyone has suggested. I'd suggest looking on Amazon for the pen. I was reluctant when I saw the prices of kennels and pens in stores, but when I went to look on Amazon they were so much cheaper!
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