How To Train Older Dog To Use Pee Pad
Author: Cathy Madson, MA, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
Published: September 23, 2020
Updated: Jan 5, 2023
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Has your puppy decided that their potty pads are best used equally a bed? Or consider their indoor grass patch their new favorite chew toy to shred?
It might be time for your pup to transition away from using pee pads altogether.
Or possibly you've relocated from an flat to a dwelling house with a grand, and want to accept reward of using the outside as your dog'southward only potty spot.
If y'all're set up to get your puppy or domestic dog to stop using pee pads, you'll want to go virtually it the right mode! When done besides quickly, it tin can confuse your dog and result in potty accidents.
Avoid just removing the pee pad or indoor grass patch altogether — that's asking for your dog to detect an alternative "pad" somewhere else in your home (like your bathroom mat or hallway rug).
Read on for tips and tricks for instruction a dog who uses pee pads to but get potty outside.
Education a Pee Pad Trained Dog to Potty Outside
Move Your Dog'due south Pad Closer to the Door in Pocket-size Steps
Every mean solar day, motility your dog's pee pad a human foot or two closer to the door that leads exterior. Eventually, it will be placed right by the door that leads outside.
Once your dog has done well with their new location, ready the pad outside, right by the door. This step requires that you sentinel for when your domestic dog goes to the door, so you tin can open up it and give them a potty break on their pad outside.
Afterward they've gotten comfortable using the pad outside, you can outset to make the pad smaller. For dogs that use pee pads with built-in attractants, consider using potty attractant spray in their new outdoor potty area.
Reduce the Number of Potty Pads in Your Home
If your dog has several pads throughout your home, you'll desire to wean them off multiple potty spots, so they are only going to ane pee pad closer to the door that leads outside. You can do this much the same fashion you've been moving the main pad closer to the door. Start moving actress pads closer to the main pad in modest increments over time. Then, when you've reached the aforementioned room, take away the extra pad altogether.
If you have a pee pad on each level of your multi-story house, it'due south often easier to simply block off your canis familiaris's access to the upstairs or downstairs pee pad areas using a babe gate or by closing doors.
Take Your Domestic dog Out for Frequent Outside Potty Breaks
Exist proactive! Give your canis familiaris plenty of outdoor potty breaks then you lot can then advantage them for going in their new potty spot. The scent of previous eliminations in the outdoor area volition aid them associate it with where they should practise their business.
PRO TIP: During the beginning steps of moving the pee pad closer to the door, when y'all run across your dog get to their pad, have them outside instead. This will help speed up the transition process.
Reward for Going Potty Outside!
Each and every time your dog goes to the bathroom outside, reward them generously! A treat and praise after they've finished up is teaching them that it's manner more than rewarding to go potty exterior than anywhere else. This footstep is crucial for transitioning away from indoor potty pads.
Watch for Signs Your Domestic dog Needs to Go to the Bathroom
Carefully watching your canis familiaris during pee pad transition training is crucial for success, especially after y'all've placed the pad outside. Whatsoever time your dog goes to their pee pad while information technology's inside, accept them outside instead so you tin can reward it. When you're unable to lookout them closely, place them in their crate or playpen to help prevent accidents, and encourage them to hold it longer.
Signs that mean your domestic dog might need to get potty:
- Sniffing the floor
- Seeking out a hiding spot or somewhere out of the mode
- Pacing or circling
- Going to the door
- Pawing at the door or yous
- Whining or barking
- Licking their groin or rear-end area
Consider Teaching Your Dog to Utilize Doorbells
Teaching your dog to use a doorbell or buzzer is a great way to stay ahead of any accidents. Once a dog has learned that ringing the bell ways the door opens, it'south easier for them to allow united states know that they want to go potty. However, using potty bells only works if you've been consistent in rewarding their outdoor firm training! Otherwise, they don't know they're supposed to get potty exterior, then why band the bell to open the door?
After you've moved their potty pad exterior and they've learned the new location, you can innovate the bells. You can do this in a couple of ways. Some owners teach their domestic dog offset to target the bells before pairing them with the door opening. Others hang upwards the bells or put the buzzer by the door and add ringing them into the potty break routine. Whatsoever time you lot're on your style exterior, encourage your domestic dog to striking the bong or push button and advantage with the door immediately opening and lots of praise!
Watch Preventive Vet puppy Finnegan show off his potty doorbell skills in this video:
PRO TIP: If y'all're using a cablegram like the one shown in the video to a higher place, make certain the button is easily visible for your puppy to run across and then target. We placed ane of these blue felt stickers on Finnegan'due south buzzer (dogs can see the colors blueish and xanthous better than others) so he knew where to button with his nose.
Dog Doorbells, 2-pack
Mighty Paw Smart Bell 2.0 Door Bong
Transitioning a dog that'southward been potty pad trained to only go exterior takes fourth dimension — consistency and patience are the keys to success in this process. You're teaching your dog a new addiction and breaking an one-time one at the same time, and so don't get discouraged!
We'd love to hear your experience in transitioning your puppy or dog abroad from indoor potty pads. Let us know what's worked for you in the comments!
Related Resources
DOWNLOAD: Puppy Potty Log – helps with keeping track of accidents and potty schedule
Stop potty accidents and get assist with house training in our Puppy Essentials: Potty Training Workshop
Includes cocky-paced preparation lessons, downloadable resource, video demonstrations, and more than – all for only $9.
About the author
Equally Preventive Vet'southward domestic dog behavior expert and lead trainer at Pupstanding Academy, Cathy focuses on helping humans and their pets build a strong relationship based on trust, articulate advice, and the use of positive reinforcement and force-free methods. With over thirteen years of experience, she has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs on a wide variety of training and behavior problems. Beyond her i-on-1 consultations through Pupstanding University, she besides teaches group dog training classes at Seattle Humane. Her specialties include canis familiaris aggression, resource guarding, separation anxiety, and puppy socialization.
Cathy is certified through the Certification Quango of Professional Dog Trainers, holding both the CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA designations. Cathy is a Fearfulness Free Certified Certified Professional person, a member of the Clan of Professional Canis familiaris Trainers, the Pet Professional Society, and the Domestic dog Writer'southward Association of America.
When she'due south non geeking out about dogs, yous tin can find her reading, hiking with her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, or paddleboarding.
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Source: https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/train-your-dog-to-stop-using-potty-pads
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