Loobani AcademyDoes your pup poop and pee anywhere in the house? Having trouble potty training your puppy? Do you live in a place where it is not feasible to take a puppy outside to poop and pee? If the answer to all these questions is yes, this guide can teach you how to train dogs to pee on a pad.
Welcoming home a new four-legged friend is exciting for every dog parent. But it comes with many responsibilities, too, from feeding the proper meal to vet visits to teaching good toilet etiquette. One of the most daunting challenges is potty training your dog. Not all puppies are quick learners. Some will get it quickly, and others will need extra help learning.
Pet parents should remain calm, consistent, and patient throughout potty training. It can be overwhelming at first to train a dog where to poop and pee. Therefore, before taking this matter outdoors, you should train your dog to use a pee pad. You can make the whole process simple for you and your little furry friend by following this “how to train your dog to pee on pads” guide.
How Much Time Does Potty Training A Dog Take?
Depending on the dog and their prior experience with the process, your dog’s litter training can take a few weeks to a few months. Thankfully, several things can be done to quicken the process, but how long it takes depends on how much time you spend each day.
By observing your dog’s signals and checking for indications that they are about to urinate, you may determine whether or not they are ready for potty training. You should begin your training as soon as you see any of these indicators:
If your dog begins to circle or smell an area in which they have previously been, pay attention.
Whenever they begin to squat or elevate one leg while standing
If they lower their leg or lift it while moving about
The quicker your puppy learns, the more consistent you are.
- The more time your puppy can go without going potty, the better.
The most crucial thing to remember is that mishaps are usual, and praising your puppy for good behavior is the most excellent method to teach them not to urinate inside the house.
Everything You Need to Train Your Dog
Using pee pads to potty train a dog usually requires a few more supplies. Several more products, in addition to a stock of dog pee pee pads, might be helpful are:
- Pee Pads: The first and foremost thing to buy is the right pee pad for your dog. There are plenty of peeing pads for dogs available online. You can get the best washable dog pee pads, such as Loobani mats and covers. These are one of the best reusable pee pads for dogs that help prevent mishaps on your precious furniture and carpets. You may avoid running out of puppy pee pads as you advance if you have a sufficient quantity on hand. Throughout the training, ensure that you use the same type of pee pads because switching brands may confuse your dog.
- Your Dog’s Favorite Treats: Keeping your dog’s favorite traits handy will aid better learning. You can reward your dog with a treat every time they use a dog pee pads grass, or mat. This will reinforce positive behavior, and eventually, your dog will use a pee pad to get the treat.
- Timer: It would be beneficial to consistently train your pet to potty and pee when you set a timer. Even though a puppy’s bladder can be surprising, taking your dog to the pad will help you avoid accidents and educate your puppy on when to use a pee pad.
Choose the Right Size Pee Pad For Your Dog
Before jumping straight on the potty training steps, choosing the right pee pad for your dog is crucial. The beginning step is to select a size and a particular brand of the pee pad. Some dog owners favor trying out pads that look like grass. However, those might need more upkeep. The plastic grass usually has a drain system to catch your puppy’s poop, which must be cleaned and drained twice a week.
The material and size of the pee pad should be accurate for your dog. It should be comfortable, reusable, washable, and easy to maintain. Also, size plays an essential role. A small pee pad won’t be helpful if you have a giant dog. You will then require extra large pee pads for dogs.
Now the important question that might be striking your mind is how to know the appropriate size of the pee pad for your dog. Choosing is overwhelming with the wide selection of dog pee pads at Petsmart or Walmart. However, the selection process becomes simple when you know what to buy and which size to buy.
The following chart will help you choose the right size of reusable pee pads for dogs:
Dog Size | Pee Pad Dimension |
Small Puppies (up to 1 year) | 30 cm X 45 cm |
Large Dogs | 45 cm X 60 cm |
Gigantic Dogs (Dog breeds larger in size) | 60 cm X 90 cm |
The sizes of various brands may vary. These are the standard sizes that will be appropriate for dogs. You can consider them a minimum size requirement per your dog’s size. This chart will help you purchase the correct dimension of dog washable pee pads. You can use the same advice if you bring home an adult dog and want to house-train them. Extra large pee pads for older dogs are available; you can purchase them for adult dogs.
Potty Train Your Dogs in Just 4 Steps
The thought of toilet training a puppy fills many prospective dog owners with fear. When you first start, the task appears so impossible. The impossible, however, becomes achievable if you divide it into smaller, more manageable steps, just like many aspects of dog training and everyday life.
Step 1: Start with the basics.
- Introduce your fluffy friend to their new house.
Your new pet might be filled with fascination, curiosity, terror, or delight, just like a human unfamiliar with a place or group. The most significant time to build the groundwork for a positive and enjoyable bond with your pet is right now. Set realistic expectations for your dog and stick to them if you want your puppy to settle in, gain confidence, and trust you and everyone else at the house.
Show your dog only the locations that are appropriate for them. If you do not want your fur baby to relieve themselves, don’t let them wander and discover by themselves at first. Block off any areas that are off boundaries, including the attic or the bedrooms, and prevent your puppy from exploring them.
- Observe their breed needs and behavior.
Research the breed characteristics, particular requirements, and behavior you ought to be mindful of and watch out for in your dog. Even though most dogs are incredibly bright, they don’t think like people. When we expect them to grasp basic commands or communicate their desire to urinate or excrete with you, problems frequently arise. You must, therefore, be prepared to comprehend their communication style and examine the cues they offer and receive from you.
- Keep a watch on their pee and poop timings.
It is best to keep your dog close to you so that you can monitor it throughout potty training. This will enable you to check for early indications that it wants to go and contribute to accident prevention. When they begin to circle, scratch and sniff, those are indications that they might need to urinate or poop.
Whining, sniffing, barking, or any unexpected behavior change are a few indicators dog owners should watch out for every day. Take the dog on the pee pad immediately when you notice these indicators.
- Interrupt mishaps
If your puppy is peeing or pooping indoors, stop it immediately by clapping your hands together and saying “no.” Lead the dog toward the pee pad after that. Stop your dog from peeing or pooping anywhere other than on a dog’s indoor pee pad. But only startle them, don’t scare the dog.
This is to catch their quick attention and let them know you don’t like when they mark or poop inside. Additionally, it would help if you used the exact phrase or gesture each time. If the dog is taking a dump, you might not obtain the same outcome because most puppies can’t stop it. However, you should continue to do this as part of your teaching strategy.
Don’t punish your dog for any pee or poop mishap. The dog is unaware that it is acting up. Avoid pressuring your dog to smell or repeatedly telling the dog of its behavior. Your little puppy won’t be able to recall it and might start to fear you.
Your dog may become confused and perhaps experience harsher effects if you punish them for entering the house. Your dog will likely escape from you when they have to relieve themselves in locations that are difficult for you to access since they only know that you become angry when you catch them going pee.
Step 2: Create the right surroundings.
- Choose a specific place to potty train them.
It is better to designate a specific location at your home and place the best dog outdoor pee pads. If your dog wants to relieve itself, take it there. Choose a place that is free from other pets and is simple to clean up. Slowly your dog will begin to link the location with its “bathroom” after once smelling the urine.
Choose a location that is simple and quick to reach to avoid mishaps. Throughout the training process, you should also come to this location regularly. Additionally, if you confine your dog to a specific part of your house, keeping a tight check on him will be simpler. You can accomplish this by utilizing baby gates and locking doors.
- Select a particular word command or sound.
Some pet owners have this problem: their dog won’t pee on puppy pads. It can happen when you don’t use a particular command to lead your dog to the pee pad. Therefore, use specific words like go or similar commands each time you lead your pup outside to their area. Your puppy will learn to go to the designated location after hearing the order. The dog will begin to grasp the instruction and what you are asking.
The dog will understand when and where to urinate and defecate as a result of doing this. When you need your dog to leave, use that command. It will be more apparent this way.
- Clean right away if accidents happen.
When your dog has an episode on furniture or your carpet, it’s crucial to clean the area carefully. This will lessen the dog’s desire to return to the exact location. Don’t use an ammonia-based cleanser; instead, use an enzyme-based one.
As a result, the smell and the dog’s interest in the location will be reduced. Dogs are drawn to the pungent ammonia smell of urine and identify it with their scent.
For this, ammonia is sprinkled onto some training pads to entice a puppy to visit them. White vinegar can also be used to mask the ammonia odor.
- Invest in suitable indoor pee pads for dogs.
Get the best quality indoor pee pad for dogs. This will help you prevent mess and protect your flooring from accidents. It will help create good surroundings for your dog for potty training. It will be easier for them to recognize the potty spot; with time, they will only learn that and relieve themselves on pee pads.
Step 3: Establish a routine.
- Stay consistent with the potty routine.
One of the cornerstones of potty training is consistency. Use the same door whenever you take your puppy on a pee pad. To assist the dog in associating the location with the right action, you must always take it to the exact location and repeat the same command.
After each meal and in the morning, take your puppy to the pee pad area. When you get home, let your dog out of the house or the kennel. After playing or drinking water, after a nap, and before sleep, lead your puppy to a dog training pee pad.
When the dog is still learning, and in the initial phases of his training, you can also take him to the pee pad area every 20-30 minutes. This may prevent mishaps and offer you more opportunities to compliment your dog for acting appropriately.
- Observe how often your dog needs to poop or pee.
Keep a close eye on the frequency of your puppy’s urination demands. This will enable you to become familiar with their routine and foresee when they will need to go on the dog training pee pads.
- Schedule trips to the pee pad area around meal times.
A consistent potty schedule will help with maintaining a regular food schedule. Puppies typically need to go potty right away after eating. After every meal, take your dog on the pee pad to help them remember where to go and reduce the mess.
Step 4: Reward your pup for following the instructions.
- Praise his successes
Whenever your dog uses the proper spot, always give it praise. Use a pleasant voice to let the dog know it has made you happy. They will be emotionally interested in conducting their business in the proper location if they are consistent with the praises.
- Offer rewards to encourage them.
Rewarding your puppy with dog treats will encourage them to use the washable pee pads. Every time they use the pee pad, reward them with treats. It will help them recognize where to pee and poop and safeguard your expensive furniture and flooring from the mess.
Pee/Potty Pads Options Available
The days of scattering some newspaper on the ground and hoping for the best in dog toilet solutions are long gone. There are many ways to teach your dog to urinate inside only in designated areas. A few of them are mentioned in the table below:
Options | Durability | Easy to Use | Washable | Price Range |
Litter Boxes | Yes | Moderate | Yes | Starts from $20 |
Fabric pads | Durability varies from brand to brand | Highly | Yes | Starts from $15 |
Grass pads | Yes | Moderate | Yes | Starts from $35 |
Fabric pads: Standard puppy pads are made of layers of spongy material that absorb moisture. They are inexpensive, simple to use, and clean. Also, they are leak-proof, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your flooring.
Litter boxes: Yes, you read that correctly: Like people, a dog can also use litter boxes. The recyclable paper pellets in these boxes soak your dog’s waste.
Grass pee pads: Real or synthetic grass can be used to create grass potty mats. They serve as a simple and natural stepping stone for owners who want to advance their puppy training to the outdoors.
There are many other options in the market, such as a dog pee pad holder with sides, whelping pads, crate mat, couch pee protector, and more.
Make preparations for your absence.
It’s possible that this isn’t the ideal time to adopt a puppy if you must be gone from home for longer than 4 or 5 hours each day. You might want a more seasoned, house-trained dog that can’t wait until you return. You might need to do the following if you already own a dog and must be gone for an extended period:
- Make arrangements for someone to take them for toilet breaks, such as a responsible neighbor or a trained pet sitter.
- Teaching them to relieve themselves in a specified indoor location on a pee pad will help. However, remember that doing so can make house training take longer.
- If you intend to train your dog, keep them in a space big enough to accommodate sleeping and playing, and a separate bathroom. You can use pee pads to cover the floor.
How to Sense Your Puppy Pee/Potty Needs
As a general rule, split your puppy’s age in months in half to get the number of hours they can go between pee breaks when planning your puppy’s toilet training program. A 4-month-old puppy, for instance, can typically go two hours without needing to go potty again.
As a result, while creating a routine, say for the mornings before work, if you get up at 6 am, you can take to the pee pad right away and then lead your dog to the pee pad once more at 8 am.
It should be no surprise that a regular feeding schedule plays a significant role in determining when your dog needs to relieve itself. Puppies should eat at least three meals each day spread out throughout the day because their stomachs are still delicate and small. As a result, if you feed your pooch in the morning, midday, and evening, you can predict that each meal will be followed by a sudden urge to relieve yourself.
Puppies often need to go potty within 30 minutes of eating, though some can go more or less according to their activity level. Your puppy’s toilet training routine could be seriously disrupted if you leave food or a big water bowl out so they can drink at their leisure.
Mistakes You Should Avoid While Training Your dog
- Placing a pee pad down anywhere there is an incident: This is a horrible idea because it will confuse your puppy. Pee pad training establishes a single location where your puppy should relieve himself. So, placing a pee pad wherever your dog pee or poop will make potty training difficult for your little dog.
- Punishment for mishaps: It’s pretty simple to believe that continuously saying “bad dog” and making them realize they have made a mistake will be helpful, but this is incorrect. As previously stated, it will terrify your puppy and divert attention from the behavior you are trying to teach them.
- Problems with restricting your dog to one area: It’s more accessible to toilet train a puppy if you confine them to a particular area of your house. Of course, you don’t have to restrict your puppy to a single space indefinitely, but it might be a good idea while the training phase is in progress.
Wrapping Up: Keys to Successful Dog Potty Training
You can train your puppy quickly, teach them exactly where to pee and poop, and help them establish good boundaries in your home by having a plan, being patient, and paying attention. Teach them how to use pee pads for dogs that are washable and reusable and make your home less messy.
The most important things to remember when potty training your dog are consistency, patience, a timetable, and lots of praise. Utilizing equipment like a kennel can be very helpful to you during the potty training process, and keeping a schedule will help your puppy create a habit that will remain.
However, your temperament has a significant impact on how your puppy grows. You are the essential part of potty training your puppy, so be your little pup’s most prominent supporter when they get it correctly and don’t worry about the mishaps!
FAQs
- Why does my dog pee next to the pad?
Your dog is probably urinating close to the pad since it doesn’t know where else to go. It is not acting this way out of arrogance or to attract attention. You can teach your god to pee on the pad using commands and hand gestures. Also, use the step mentioned above to learn how to train dogs to pee on pads.
- Why won’t my dog poop on the pee pad?
Your dog won’t learn to pee or poop on the pee pad immediately. It takes time to learn. So you should not worry. Be patient and encourage your dog to use the pad correctly because it will require a few tries to become used to it. Put your dog on a leash so it won’t roam, and then bring it over to the pad to introduce.
- What should I do if my dog ate some of his pee pad?
Your dog is probably alright if he ate a tiny bit of his poop pad. It is unlikely to develop an intestinal obstruction or any other significant issues. Call the veterinarian immediately if you’re still concerned about your pet or if it is behaving unusually.
- What age is ideal for potty training a puppy?
You can begin potty training when a puppy is about eight weeks old. Ideally, it would help if you began potty training your child between 8 and 16 weeks. Young puppies have small bowels and urinary bladders. Nevertheless, it takes them roughly five months to fully develop bladder control. While you can immediately start toilet training an adult puppy or dog, if they’ve had a long period to form undesirable habits, it can take much longer for the teachings to stick.
