How to train puppy using training pads and going outside?

Question

I currently have a 3 1/2 month old toy poodle. I have had him for about a month 1/2 and do have a crate for him. I only put him in his crate when he sleeps at night and he has never had an accident in his crate. I keep the crate next to my bed at night and if he has to go potty, which he occasionally does during the night, he wines and I take him outside or to the pad and he pees right away. He has gone a full 8 hrs at night without having to go. I leave potty pads out and he goes on them but still occasionally has accidents, usually in the area around the pad. I work during the day so I am out for about 8 hrs. I know people say to crate him, but I find that inhumane I'm assuming he needs to have water during the day, so he will just end up soiling his crate which I don't want to happen.I confine him to an area and leave water for him, toys and a pad which he always goes on. He holds his p**p until I get home and am able to walk him. When I am home, I take him for walks and he knows to walk to the grass and go. Since he's still so young, I know he won't be able to hold his blatter while I am at work so I have to leave the pads down for him. My other dog who was a miniature poodle was able to hold his blatter all day for about the same amount of hours when he was an adult. Will I be able to take away the pads eventually when leaving him alone during the day or should I always keep them out? Of course I would like for him to go only outside, but I rather him go on the pads during the day then have accidents and go on the floor.

Answer 1

i'd always keept them out. you only need one. yes, it is inhumane to keep your dog crated for 8 hrs. it was never meant to be for that. if you are gone for 8 hrs, hire someone to walk your dog or watch him. take him to a doggy day care center. or, puppy proof one room and place him in there. it is a VERY bad idea to let him roam free all over the house at this age. he will either get hurt or destroy something valuable. A lot of people put their pups in the bathroom or kitchen with a bed, food, and water. Some put a baby gate up in the hallway so the dog can roam the entire hallway with a bed, food, water, toys, and the puppy pads. be creative with it, but do not let him wonder all over the house for 8 hrs. that is just asking for trouble.

Answer 2

You have to wait until your dog is old enough to hold its bladder before taking the pads away completely. Usually the easiest way to train them with pads is subtly start moving the pad towards the door that leads outside where you want them to use the restroom. Eventually you can put the pad outside the door and the dog should end up whining when they need to use the restroom at that door which makes your job easier. Hopefully this helps. Good Luck

Answer 3

I think you have the right plan, but as you know at this age your puppy can only hold its potty for 4 hours at the most.  The bladder isn't grown until 6-months-old, so hang in there.  Here are some tips, use what helps.

I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it.  I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate.  Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep.  When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on.  So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out.  I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time.  They have to graduate to more space.  If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them.  I take them out the same door each time.  I tie a dinner bell to the door handle.  Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it.  So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty.  When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty.  Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty.  Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't.  So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her.  So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy.  If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst”  and take her out right away.  I never yell* or spank* my puppies.  Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go p**p until 10 minutes later, so wait for the p**p.  I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not.  Puppies train at their own pace.  While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down.  I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old.  If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over.  I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them.  When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her.  All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl."  This is the time I train her how to behave in the house.  So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture."  I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things.  You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble.   Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.



REVISIONS:



*I use a crate to train with.  It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried.  I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured.  The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. .  However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you.



*Outside, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using.   When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty.  You can move it away as they get older.  The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty.  Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens.  The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.

*Bedrooms, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me.  Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty.  While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to.  They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever.

*Treats.  While I use treats for training, you don't have to.  I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them.



*Some puppies will go potty in the same spot each time.  Some puppies have to be told to go potty.  A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for p**p, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops.  This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs.  By using commands, the puppy won't get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home.  The command will tell them what you want them to do in an unfamiliar place.  You might also want to use a leash method, so the puppy doesn’t sneak off, or for strange places.

*Yelling.  It is not a good idea to "yell" or "spank" your puppy and then take them outside when they have an accident.  They may get confused and think that going outside is punishment.  While you want to correct them, if you are extreme, they may not want to go outside again.  Shake it off, and resume your schedule.  You have to keep it real.  Puppies train at their own pace,  but a puppy can only hold their potty for a few hours.  A guide would be 1 hour for each month of age, plus 1 hour, so a three-month-old puppy should only be expected to hold their potty for 4 hours at most.  

  

Source:  These tips, tricks, and ideas were contributed from many brilliant minds.  Thanks for your help!