From Outside to Inside

[Mama_to_Rex]

Rex is currently trained to go outside and does REALLY well. I want to train him to be able to use pee pads. Has anyone done this? Can it be done? All tips and responses are appreciated. Thanks!

[ashleyann1955]

My 7-month old Bonnie was trained to only go outside when I first got her. Then, when I moved to my apartment (2nd story) when college started up again I bought a "Pet-A-Potty" which is basically like a flower box with grass for her to go in.

I really thought this helped since it was kind of a "transition" from outside to inside with the grass.

(They have a lot of different kinds of products with this same idea online.)

[krisknr]

Why would you want to pee pad train?
I would say if there isn't a real need don't do it. You take the chance of undoing his potty training.

[bchgirl]

I know some here love pee pads, but honestly it's training the dog to go inside.

If he's doing well going outside...I wouldn't attempt to change it. Two of mine are totally trained outside...Reggie came pee pad trained and I was unsucessful in changing to outside completely...so now I still have pee pads down.

[Brodi mom]

If i had a fenced in yard i would but i hate the real hot weather and the cold so i choose to do the washable pee pads plus if im not home they go and i dont have to be home at a certain time to be home to take them out.. Good luck

[phfgkl]

I have pee pad trained mine for almost 11 years now. The oldest started out by using newspaper( I had a dog run over a few years back, so started pad training after that). I find it's much harder, once they've gone outside to train them on pee pads, than vice versa. I love having mine pad trained, I don't have to have any set schedules, etc etc. to me pad training is the way to go... Plus when its cold or rainy out, I don't have to try and get them to go out, nor do they have that "stinky" dog smell

[PunkinPie]

I've just started trying to get Punkin to use pee pads as an option inside. I have always been home with her all day (for 2 + years) but expect to have to leave the house for 8 - 9 hours for work so we need an alternative.

So far I have taken the pee pad out side and encouraged her to use it. I would pick her up set her on it and tell her to 'be a good girl and tinkle'. She knows this phrase so it only took about 5 times of me putting her back on the pad (on the first time we tried this) before she peed on it. My plan is to keep doing that and bring it closer to the house each trip to pee until we get in the house.

Hopefully it works. I don't want to undo anything, she is amazing at coming to tell me she has to go out.

[NewYorkieLover]

Originally Posted by Mama_to_Rex

Rex is currently trained to go outside and does REALLY well. I want to train him to be able to use pee pads. Has anyone done this? Can it be done? All tips and responses are appreciated. Thanks!

When I first got Lexi, I was training her to go outside. It was still early, and she hadn't fully gotten it yet. She would go outside...sometimes, sometimes not. When she did have an accident, I rarely caught her, and since we had major home renovations, I was in the kitchen with her almost all of the time. By not "catching" her, she was not learning NOT to go in the house.

One morning, there was a very bad lightning storm, and I didn't feel it was safe to go outside. I put her in the litter box I had gotten, but hadn't yet used, with a pee pad in it. She went, since it was first thing, and she always goes right away. I did something different for this - even though some of the experts recommend against it... I gave her a treat. And throughout the day, I would put her in the pan and keep her there. When she went, she got a treat. A few days later, I heard rustling. I looked over, and she had gone in the pan herself. Hooray! Since then, by 4 months, she is basically potty pan trained.

I love it, because I never have to worry about if she has to go - how long it's been since we've last been out - if I waited outside long enough for her to go. I am enjoying it even more, now that the weather has been rainy and colder. I can't just let Lexi out in the yard on her own, because she is small enough to get out of our fence.

Good luck!