How many of you piddle pad train...

[FuzzyPants 2]

I got Cassy as a pup in winter and we live on the second floor of an apartment so I piddle pad trained her. Now that she's full grown I'd like to train her to go outside. She's 9lbs so I'm worried she won't be able to hold it during the day so I'm wondering if I should train her to go outside only when we're home and otherwise continue to let her use the pads when we're not? So far I've never had trouble getting her to mark her territory when we go outside for walks but she doesn't want to poop outside. She'll hold it until she gets a chance to sneak into the room where her pad used to be so I'm not sure how to handle that.

[ruffian 4]

I trained for outside. Bristol is also 9lbs and she comes to the office with me at 8am and can hold it until we leave at 5 or 6, she has never asked to go out during the day, and has never had an accident in here.

You will have to start over with housetraining, she will need to have limited access until you break that habit. Bristol for some reason hates grass so come spring she wanted to potty by the washer and dryer, so she went back on her tether until the habit was broke.

Do you have a balcony?

[JasperandAkira'smom 4]

Mine go outside if I am home. When hubby and I are at work we always leave the pee mat down for them.

[storyweaver 7]

I trained mine to go outside, but I do confine him in the kitchen if I'm not home. No pads used, but Theodore can hold his pee/poo. My brother is able take him out or walk him if I'm not there.

[FuzzyPants 2]

Do you have a balcony?

I wish. If I'd had a balcony I would have put a potty patch on it covered in real grass instead of the fake stuff to train her. We want to move to a ground floor apt. or at least one with a balcony but we can't get out of our current lease until summer.

Jasper, how did you train yours to go both outside and on pee pads?

I've moved Casbah's pad from the bedroom where it was to the bathroom but she keeps holding it wanting to go in the bedroom. She pees outside when I take her no problem though. But half the day yesterday and all morning today she held her poop and waited to sneak into the bedroom to poop where her pad used to be at lunchtime when my husband came home and forgot to shut the bedroom door.

Edited February 29, 2012 by FuzzyPants

[Luna 8,676]

Our are trained (mostly, lol) to go outside: a pad on the floor is a pad shredded within seconds.

[Beau1124 2]

I had the idea to train on pee pads - even bought them - but hubby said no. He thought it would let Beau know it was okay to go in the house. So he was trained to go outside from the beginning. I also had the extra added benefit of having someone home with him all day.

[berrytzus 6]

I would close the door to where her puppy pad used to be. I would also watch her like a hawk in the house if you think she needs to poop. What I've found is that really moving them around helps them to poop. So maybe a trip around the block and then back to where you want her to potty. Use the same phrase each time (maybe a different one from peeing) and reward her heavily with treats and praise when she poops outside!

I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment and I use puppy pads for the life of my dogs. Gingerbread has been using them for 6 1/2 years. They will also potty outside if we're on a walk or at the park. But this way I don't have to go out in the rain (they HATE the wet ground anyway). I don't have to get up in the middle of the night if they suddenly need to potty. But the biggest reason, is that I want them to be able to go the the bathroom anytime they want to. I know I would hate if I had to stick to someone else's set schedule. I'm sure many do fine with that. But I like to give my dogs that little bit of control in their lives.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Luvntzus

[brees 1]

Brees is trained for both. The only time he uses his potty pad is when he is left home alone (although has access to it 24/7) or the weather is unagreeable as he is a first rate diva about wind, rain, snow, etc. Otherwise he will let someone in the house know he has to go outside.

Edited February 29, 2012 by brees

[emmasmom 14]

Ours go outside only.

[JasperandAkira'smom 4]

Jasper and Akira were always closed off to the kitchen since they came home and that is where they learned they could go to the bathroom. If we are home we take them outside, but if we are not home they stay in the kitchen and they always go in the same place.

[mimi07 19]

My girls go outside most of the time. We have a potty box in the house. I just got a large low plastic box like you slide under the bed and line it with newspaper (they also shred the puppy pads). They use it if I don't wake up at night or if we are gone for long periods of time. They have full run of the house and only have "accidents" when they are mad at me. LOL!

[chkinut 1]

i haven't gotten my Tessy yet....but i'm researching. my breeder says she uses both(not Tessy, but the breeder...lol....she uses pee pads and outside). she says she uses the pads for when it's bad weather outside. i need to talk to her further about this. what i'm thinking of doing is having a potty place upstairs in my house. that's where Tessy will be sleeping at night anyway.....in my room upstairs. so i was thinking of keeping a potty place up there when she's grown. i want it upstairs cuz we have 2 other dogs (more like hubbies dogs than mine) and one of them is not neutered. hubby refuses to fix him yet......must be a guy thing.....but i don't like it at all. anyway, i'm afraid that if i have Tessy's potty place downstairs then Rocko (the 2-balled wonder) may want to "mark" and pee all over her potty place. Rocko doesn't go upstairs....so i think it would be safe to keep it upstairs. my question is......can you train your shih tzu to mostly go outside? do they get confused if they have an indoor potty place? thinking its "ok" to potty in the house? i just know she's gonna hate stormy weather though. sometimes (although rare) we will get hurricanes here that last ALL day long and i just know she won't wanna go out there.....lol. rocko doesn't like the rain either....but i just put him out there anyway cuz there's no choice and he has ALL kinds of shelter in the back yard (shed, lean-to, and a boat house). but Tessy won't even be setting foot in the back yard. her place to potty will be the front yard. i'm new to this indoor potty thing. out of all the dogs i've house trained, i've never used potty pads. so i guess i'm just looking for some support from those who DO use both.

Edited October 11, 2012 by chkinut

[luvmybabies 165]

I use potty pads and they go outside. Sometimes they won't go when they are outside and want to use the indoor potty pads. It was costing me a fortune with the disposable potty pads so I got the old sewing machine out and made my own. I can make whatever size I want (always bigger than the disposable ones!) . I usually make ones in different materials so they are very colorful. I have over 20 of them and wash some every day (use Tide and Resolve). I just went to the fabric store bought some fabric (flannelette works really well), some quilted liner (what you use in silence cloths for the table) and some PVC plastic that is hospital grade. Put the three together and serge all around the edges. They are very absorbent and don't leak all over the floor like the disposable ones do!!

[chkinut 1]

I use potty pads and they go outside. Sometimes they won't go when they are outside and want to use the indoor potty pads. It was costing me a fortune with the disposable potty pads so I got the old sewing machine out and made my own. I can make whatever size I want (always bigger than the disposable ones!) . I usually make ones in different materials so they are very colorful. I have over 20 of them and wash some every day (use Tide and Resolve). I just went to the fabric store bought some fabric (flannelette works really well), some quilted liner (what you use in silence cloths for the table) and some PVC plastic that is hospital grade. Put the three together and serge all around the edges. They are very absorbent and don't leak all over the floor like the disposable ones do!!

wow! i WILL make my own! no problem! i use to use cloth diapers on my kids. but what is "silence cloths"? and where would i get the PVC plastic stuff?

[luvmybabies 165]

I just used the term "silence cloth" thinking everyone would know what I mean. I guess you are not old enough or I am too old!! lol. It is the stuff you use for a quilted lining. It is white stuff that is quilted itself but the white cloth is not finishing stuff. You would maybe use it for lining in a jacket to make it warmer. Does that tell you what it is? The PVC hospital grade plastic I bought at the fabric store too. Go to a fabric store and they should have all three things right there, just get a clerk to help you. I am also trying out some new stuff that new mothers are using for baby diapers, waterproof bags etc. but I got it on sale. It is more expensive. It is really light and so far I like it but I have to give the test of time yet. The PVC though works very well. You don't have to stick with flannelette as they eventually get all pilled so I do make some in fabrics. I usually buy stuff on sale! I make them usually 28 - 30" by 30 - 32" or thereabouts. None are the same size.

[chkinut 1]

I just used the term "silence cloth" thinking everyone would know what I mean. I guess you are not old enough or I am too old!! lol. It is the stuff you use for a quilted lining. It is white stuff that is quilted itself but the white cloth is not finishing stuff. You would maybe use it for lining in a jacket to make it warmer. Does that tell you what it is? The PVC hospital grade plastic I bought at the fabric store too. Go to a fabric store and they should have all three things right there, just get a clerk to help you. I am also trying out some new stuff that new mothers are using for baby diapers, waterproof bags etc. but I got it on sale. It is more expensive. It is really light and so far I like it but I have to give the test of time yet. The PVC though works very well. You don't have to stick with flannelette as they eventually get all pilled so I do make some in fabrics. I usually buy stuff on sale! I make them usually 28 - 30" by 30 - 32" or thereabouts. None are the same size.

thanks SO very much! i am so excited about this! tomorrow i am going to the fabric store to get everything. it's like i'm making my own child cloth diapers....lol! :lol_2:

[missy dawn 22,220]

Mine use the pee pads pads.They used to shread them,well Missy did anyway,until we bought the trays to go with them.They hook the down so they cant shread now.Minnie goes outside because she refuses to go on a pad.(she showed up at our house one day at about 3 years old)she was already trained for outside.I tried the washable pads,I hated them!Throwed all of them in the trash!

[chkinut 1]

Mine use the pee pads pads.They used to shread them,well Missy did anyway,until we bought the trays to go with them.They hook the down so they cant shread now.Minnie goes outside because she refuses to go on a pad.(she showed up at our house one day at about 3 years old)she was already trained for outside.I tried the washable pads,I hated them!Throwed all of them in the trash!

really? i was gonna make my own. maybe i'll just make 2 and see how i like them. i'm still wishy-washy on all this pad stuff anyway. i have never trained a dog to use a pad. but then i've never had a small dog that hates wet grass either. i'm concerned about that. i'm home all day so i don't have the problem of her not being able to be let out. so i'm very wishy-washy on it all right now. :dunno:

[missy dawn 22,220]

It may work for some people(washable)But for us it was the smell for one thing!UGH... and after we took them out of the washing machine,it was like you could still smell a bad odor!I'm a clean freak so maybe this had something to do with it.They were just NOT for us.