# Retraining from outside to inside



## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

I know we've talked about this before, but I have never seen answers. I remember that Heidi got the grass box, but I never heard the end of that story. I'm not sure she ever got it to grow. Starting this winter, our place in Florida will be on the 23rd floor of a condo building. Coco is outside trained, and I'm wondering what we can do. Is there a possibility of retraining her to pee pads at this point. For those who don't know, she is 3. I did the pee pads when she was a young pup, but we like being out, and apparently she did, too. She used them when she was very young, and eventually wouldn't use them. She'd just wait until we got home and waited to go outside. I just can't imagine how this is going to work for us. HELP! Is it difficult to retrain them? Anyone successfully use the grass boxes? That would be fabulous if we could get her to use a grass box on the balcony.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I don't have personal experience with indoor training, but if Coco prefers to go outside, the grass box on the balcony would be the easiest transition for her. If you want to do a "test run" before purchasing an expensive grass potty box, I would get a few pieces of sod from Home Depot or Lowes and see if you can get her to go on them in a reasonable amount of time. I bet she would catch on fairly quickly.

I know Marj used to have Lady outdoor trained until she was injured and couldn't walk down the steps to take Lady potty outside...she said Lady caught on really fast to the pads.


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

I successfully did the opposite - went from 14th floor apartment to a house with a courtyard/backyard. It was okay - but hard work! Basically you go back to basics like your training a puppy. Luna has it down pat now and hardly ever makes mistakes (generally only when its raining and she really doesn't want to get her feet wet ) 

It took a few weeks for her to "get it"


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## BrookeB676 (Oct 17, 2004)

I don't have too much experience, but we do both in our house. We have pads in the dogs bedroom and in our bedroom and then they also go outside throughout the day. Of course, they also sometime miss the grass and the pad :smcry: 

I would start introducing her to pads again by setting up a playpen area and putting her in it to go "potty" instead of bringing her outside. Then when she goes, take her out so she associates that area with potty time. Then when you move you can just have the pads outside (we use the disposable ones which I find much better).


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

QUOTE (LJSquishy @ Aug 5 2009, 01:18 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=813796


> I know Marj used to have Lady outdoor trained until she was injured and couldn't walk down the steps to take Lady potty outside...she said Lady caught on really fast to the pads.[/B]



You are absolutely right. 

I put the pads right in front of the back door where Lady would always bark when she needed to go outside. I used a Seabreeze pen around them to lock her in when she asked to go out or after meals, a nap, before bed, etc. She barked and scratched at the door a lot at first, but eventually she couldn't hold it anymore. I immediately did the happy dance (as much as I could with all those broken bones :biggrin: ) and gave her a treat. It only took a couple of days to retrain her and Lady is not the brightest bulb in the package. She was also nine or ten at the time.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

QUOTE (Coco @ Aug 4 2009, 11:48 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=813780


> I know we've talked about this before, but I have never seen answers. I remember that Heidi got the grass box, but I never heard the end of that story. I'm not sure she ever got it to grow. Starting this winter, our place in Florida will be on the 23rd floor of a condo building. Coco is outside trained, and I'm wondering what we can do. Is there a possibility of retraining her to pee pads at this point. For those who don't know, she is 3. I did the pee pads when she was a young pup, but we like being out, and apparently she did, too. She used them when she was very young, and eventually wouldn't use them. She'd just wait until we got home and waited to go outside. I just can't imagine how this is going to work for us. HELP! Is it difficult to retrain them? Anyone successfully use the grass boxes? That would be fabulous if we could get her to use a grass box on the balcony. [/B]


Ollie's history is EXACTLY the same!

I wish I could train him to go indoors seasonally, lol. In the winters it would be nice if they would stay indoors. Outside doesn't bother ME, but they have to head out in the snow, etc. Even though we clear the snow, etc. You get the picutre. 

So please share when you come up with a plan that is a success! Good luck!

P.S. That's pretty impressive about Lady, Marj. Then again, she never ceases to amaze!


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

Hunter is a rescue and we have not been able to train him to go inside. We tried the pen adn the pads but he would hold it and hold it till eventually he had an accident. I would rush him (mid pee) to the pad but he would stop peeing. I tried getting him to use a pad outside, no luck. I'm not saying it can't be done - I just wonder if something in his past makes him scared or uncomfortable peeing inside.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

This probably won't help, but both my girls use both outside yard and indoor pads. Abbey was first trained for inside - but saw Archie using outside....so she did too. Now with multiple malts, Ava uses both without having to do much training. 

Maybe you need another dog....  ....just a thought.


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

QUOTE (2MaltMom @ Aug 12 2009, 12:48 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=816903


> This probably won't help, but both my girls use both outside yard and indoor pads. Abbey was first trained for inside - but saw Archie using outside....so she did too. Now with multiple malts, Ava uses both without having to do much training.
> 
> Maybe you need another dog....  ....just a thought. [/B]



Another dog? :shocked: Why didn't "I" think of that first? :huh: :huh: 

Thanks for bringing this back up again. I thought it was a lost thread a while ago, and I missed some of the posts. Thanks all for the input. I'm thinking I'm going to try the sod on the balcony. Hopefully, that will work, especially at 3 a.m. when she decides she can't wait. We will be working on it this fall, and I'll let you know how it works.

She wouldn't even use pee pads when I tried to train her to them. She just saved it until I took her out. It worried me, so she won!!

Thanks again!!


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

QUOTE (Coco @ Aug 12 2009, 06:54 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=816997


> QUOTE (2MaltMom @ Aug 12 2009, 12:48 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=816903





> This probably won't help, but both my girls use both outside yard and indoor pads. Abbey was first trained for inside - but saw Archie using outside....so she did too. Now with multiple malts, Ava uses both without having to do much training.
> 
> Maybe you need another dog....  ....just a thought. [/B]



Another dog? :shocked: Why didn't "I" think of that first? :huh: :huh: 

Thanks for bringing this back up again. I thought it was a lost thread a while ago, and I missed some of the posts. Thanks all for the input. I'm thinking I'm going to try the sod on the balcony. Hopefully, that will work, especially at 3 a.m. when she decides she can't wait. We will be working on it this fall, and I'll let you know how it works.

She wouldn't even use pee pads when I tried to train her to them. She just saved it until I took her out. It worried me, so she won!!

Thanks again!!
[/B][/QUOTE]

Boo was just like Coco,he refused to have anything to do with pads. Along comes Hannah,who would only use pads & 2 yrs later, Boo & Hannah have learned from each other & they're both trained to do both now. Good luck with the sod on the balcony.


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