# Puppy pads / newspaper / housetraining!



## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

Hi

It's been 8 years since we last had a puppy and we're about to have a new arrival in 3 weeks time, so I've been shopping and reading. The biggest thing that seems to have changed over the past 8 years is there are now these 'puppy training pads' and a bewildering variety of pads and sprays to help with housetraining. We just used to use newspaper - is this not the 'done' thing now? 

There were colour changing pads which change colour when used, pads impregnanted with a scent to encourage the pup - blimey, it's worse than kids! Any advice welcome - or reviews of which pads are the best! Hadn't expected so much choice!

Thanks

Sophie
x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Do not use paper or puppy pads. a waste of time and money. just go straight to putting her outside in the garden after a meal, every 40 minutes, when she wakes up etc.


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

SEVEN_PETS said:


> Do not use paper or puppy pads. a waste of time and money. just go straight to putting her outside in the garden after a meal, every 40 minutes, when she wakes up etc.


I was wondering if they just encouraged them to pee indoors 

I've got a lot to catch up on!

Thanks

Sophie
x


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

I agree... using paper or pads indoors just encourages the puppy to toilet inside, and makes the toilet training take so much longer!

You are going to have the odd accident no matter what method you use, but taking the pup out immediately after sleep, playing and excitement, and 15-20 mins after food and every half your -40 min when its awake, your likelihood of accidents will be greatly reduced 

x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

sophiew said:


> I was wondering if they just encouraged them to pee indoors
> 
> I've got a lot to catch up on!
> 
> ...


you're right, it does encourage them to pee indoors.


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

Blimey, they must be making a FORTUNE out of the puppy pads then!!! The big packs were £30.... should have known it was just a marketing thing!


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## Ducky (Nov 23, 2008)

i know a few people with small breed dogs who use them the dogs whole life! dont really agree with it at all. dogs pee outside!! 

yeah so dont waste your money on them  persistence and vigilance is all u need


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Completely agree with the above, toilet train your dog, rather than half train it. 

The majority of things pet shops sell are gimmicks, just choose what you actually need


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

There was a chap in Pets at Home with a little Jack Russel type who he's only had a few days (an adult) and it's started cocking it's leg - and he was buying puppy pads! Resisted trying to tell him that they wouldn't work...

Sophie
x


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

I think paper is a wise decision really as there are always times when you simply forget or miss the signals to take them out sometimes they may go outside and not be finished tso paper indoors isnt a bad idea.... puppy pads though - ive never used them and dont really see the point. Just praise when the go where you want and do not react when they dont. Keep your eyes peeled!!


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2009)

I only ever used newsaper, and only by the back door (exit) as others have said the pads are an utter waste of money imo.


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

Puppy pads are an expensive rip-off and you end up having to train the dog twice - once to use the pads, once to wean them off the pads. Newpaper is cheaper but still a waste of time.

Take the puppy outside every 20 minutes to start with AND:

After food
After a drink
After a sleep
After a training session
During the ad breaks when you're watching telly
Whenever you see sniffing/circling


Clean up accidents with a solution of biological washing powder.

Have eyes in the back of your head.

Crate the puppy if you can't watch it - while you're cooking etc, or any time when you're likely to be distracted.

Wherever a puppy soils most is where it will think the toilet is. Simple as that. Your job is to make sure that the puppy is in the right place at the right time, every time 

ETA as the puppy grows, you can start to extend the 20 minutes but gradually - the more often you take it outside (note I said "take", not "put") the more you set him up for success.


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

Thank you - I know we've managed it with our previous dogs but it seems to long ago! Have read up on lots of it too so think we've got a plan now and shall be following your advice!


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

if you are going down the puppy pad route. Argos sell a 40 pack for £11.79. ive used them for whelping but not for toilet training.


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

Thank you - that's good value, but I think I've decided against them having read the replies!


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

no probs. yes they are good value


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## xxwelshcrazyxx (Jul 3, 2009)

I have used both, but the pads are so expensive to buy. So I kept mainly to newpaper which is what the puppies I had were used to from being trained by breeder, I put one by my back door and eventually they went outside. I always put one on the floor just in case of accident if I went out and at least it is done on the newpaper and not on the floors. But it is preference and it dont take long to train them to go outside so you havent got papers around weeks and weeks onend. xxxxxxxxx


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## Siani (Sep 21, 2009)

I was told by my breeder he the pups were used to paper so I started with those, but with pads underneath for extra absorbency. The first time required he went straight to it, but the 2nd he went where he wanted. By the end of the first week he mostly used the paper but then he started to change. He started biting (on another post!) and the paper was either for lying on but mostly for grabbing and diving under the table with to rip to shreads :frown2:.

On the advice of our vet we stopped the paper and as he lives in his crate we always take him straight out as soon as he comes out of it. We have had no accidents for over a week and thought all was going well till yesturday morning. He came out for his breakfast and went for a wee 1st then wanted to come straight back in (he will normally stay a bit longer if he needs to do anything else!). He was then wandering around the kitchen while I was sorting his breakfast cause at 13 weeks it is still moistened with water which takes a few minutes. He had just been attacking my legs and I was trying the high pitched yelp and after a few attempts this seemed to work but he then turned round and poo'd in the middle of the kitchen. Was this a reaction to the yelping though it didnt have that affect when I used it again later, or do we still just have a way to go?


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## louise82 (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi I'm new on here but, have just been reading through this thread. The reason I read it is because I also have a new puppy who is going through toilet training etc. I must admit I chose to def steer away from newspaper and training pads. Like a few have already mentioned, this to me just encourages them to go indoors anyway. You just double the training process trying to get them to go outside.
All I do with my puppy is, after a meal, sleep, play or drink take her in the garden. I stand out there with her, trying to be as boring as possible. So then once she goes for a number 1 or 2 I quickly react with a game of ball and a bit of praise. Inbetween the meals etc I also take her out, this is usually every half hour. When she has an accident indoors ( which is going to happen for the first few weeks), I completely ignore her and just carry her out to the garden and leave her there while I clean up the mess. I dont even tell her no. This way she will learn she gets no reaction when she goes to the toilet there but lots when she's out in the garden. You can only do this though when you catch them doing it. Otherwise he/she will have no idea what is going on. It seems to be working well for me. Only having 2 accidents at the most each day. I also make sure she is fed the same time everyday and give her last feed at a certain time of day so that when bedtime comes she should be all pooped and wee'd out


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## Siani (Sep 21, 2009)

I'm also doing the same as you Louise though I was told when we take him out he is on the lead until he is relieved and only then does the lead come off. We do comfort breaks about 6 - 6.30 am and last thing at night before we go to bed and even at 8 weeks when we brought him home we never had to get up in the night. 1 weekend we did have 2 accidents in the crate during the day but that was our fault as we misread he was telling us he needed to go out. When we come back from walks he will pull to go into the garden if he needs to go before going in, which was why yesturday morning was such a shock


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## RohanCarthy (Sep 13, 2009)

Hi

Our lab puppy is 14 weeks now and pretty much instantly got the hang of going outside to poop. He will cry at the door if i'm not paying attention rather than going in the house which is great.

Weeing on the other hand... even when he goes outside he will go again on the bathroom floor within five minutes of being out. Or on the mat in front of his crate.

Can any one advise on how to get him to connect needing to pee with going outside as well?.

We toilet train in the same way taking him out frequently saying 'be clean' just before and when he has down it. Big praise every time.

He is progressing brilliantly with everything else but I am going through kitchen roll and spray at a rate of knotts!


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## Siani (Sep 21, 2009)

RohanCarthy said:


> H
> 
> He is progressing brilliantly with everything else but I am going through kitchen roll and spray at a rate of knotts!


 Know what you mean, I was also told to use white vinegar to kill the ammonia and so stopping him from smelling where he has gone before. Not sure if its worked as we now take him out more regularly.


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