# Anyone not use pads and car trip advice?



## kal74 (Jul 6, 2015)

We'll be picking up our pup (Maltipoo 8 weeks) next week, I'm very excited and can't wait to meet our little guy! Since my husband works from home I'm hoping to try to just get Chili to go outdoors, he's currently using pads, am I crazy and asking for more trouble? I planned to take him out every 30 min to 1 hr during the day to start and we have ordered a doggielawn grass patch for the middle of the night when he has to go. We do plan to crate train him but also have a playpen area. I know a lot of small dog owners use pads for one reason for another but I'm hoping to take advantage of the nice weather now for outside training if possible, I didn't know what other advantages there is to pad training vs outdoors. 

Also, the drive from pickup is 7 hrs, it will be myself, my husband and 3 kids. I have a small travel crate, blankets, towels, wipes, a kong, water and food and pee pads. I'm so nervous about the ride, and not sure if I'll hold him, crate him or a combo of both but wanted to be prepared. Has anyone done a long trip with there young pup and have any advice? 
Thanks!!


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Eight weeks is a bit too young to leave his Mother and I would suggest if you ask the Breeder to hold on to him until he is 12 weeks of age. That is usually the rule of thumb as far as Malts are concerned. And it would not be advisable to let him outdoors until he has all of his shots as well since one never knows what is lurking in the grass/sidewalk.

I am sure that there will be others who see your post and give you some advice as well.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Eight weeks is too young to leave Mama and siblings. You'll probably have a baby that's going to do a lot of crying, chewing on everything(including your hands and feet) taking a long time to housebreak, waking in the middle of the night, lots of pee and poo messes(even in the crate) and being way too young to be on grass because of the risk of Parvovirus. You will also need to feed him 3 to 4 times a day and make sure that he diesn't become hypoglycemic. 

It would be a whole lot better if he was with the breeder until 12 weeks. Your experience will be a much better and puppy will be happier and safer.


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## kal74 (Jul 6, 2015)

Thanks I appreciate the advice, I'm just realizing he seems to be young but as of now were leaving tomorrow to make the drive and plans have already been set so I have no choice but to pick him up, delaying at this point is not an option so I plan to do the best I can.


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

I have never used pee pads, Pipper goes outdoors only. As other have suggested, 8 weeks is a bit early to leave Mom. You will just have to be extra cautious with him. Pipper was 10 weeks when I got him, I didn't know that he should have stayed with Mom for a few more weeks. Good Luck with your new little one and can't wait to see pictures.


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## _BabyBella (Jun 18, 2015)

I picked up my Bella and it was about a 4.5-5 hour drive. It was just me making the trip so I put her new bed in the passenger seat next to me with some paper towels under it in case she spit up. I'd been leaving jackets and stuff inside the bed the week or so before so my smell would be on it. My breeder said she would be ok without food and water (she was 12 weeks though), and she make it without really having to go potty. She did really good, mostly slept the way back in her bed, but she did spit up water/clear once. I was worried about her having to go to the bathroom or getting thirsty but she did ok, and then I fed her when we got home, with the same food the breeder had been using.


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## LOVE_BABY (May 5, 2015)

*Yes, 8 weeks is way too young to leave the mother & littermates.*



kal74 said:


> We'll be picking up our pup (Maltipoo 8 weeks) next week,



* 8 weeks is way too young to be removed from it's mother & litter mates*. _This time spent with his litter & mother is key in the healthy emotional & psychological development of your dog._ You will be doing your dog a huge favor if you leave him there longer until he is at least 12 weeks old.


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## LovelyLily (Mar 26, 2013)

Kal74, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new puppy! I wish you many many years of happiness with your new bundle of joy.

Wanted to respond to your puppy pad question. I was enthused with the idea of using puppy pads prior to getting my maltese puppy. My prior dogs were on the small size (15-25 pounds) and were trained solely to go outside, so in getting a maltese who would be much smaller there was finally the option of puppy pads and that seemed great especially with snowy winter weather.

I started out with puppy pad training, followed advice on this forum on how to train her, she eventually did great, and then I was told by a trainer that in her experience most of the pad trained dogs had lifelong problems with accidents in the house. Possibly confusing to them that they could pee on the pad but not pee on the carpet, or bedding, etc. So I switched her over to solely going outside when she was several months old (maybe 5 months?). Glad I did that. From ten months onward she never never had an accident in the house (though I do not leave her for hours on end so that she would have a problem). Prior to that for months accidents were rare--the occasional attraction to one area rug or several small throw rugs that I ended up throwing out. Only time I wish she was puppy pad trained is when we have a lot of snow, but even then not such a big deal.

You are getting her at eight to nine weeks of age. Have read the posts warning you against that. I concur whole heartedly that it would be best for you and your pup if she could stay with the mom/breeder longer. With the toy breeds it seems it is day and night compared to other larger breeds in regard to where they are at developmentally at eight, nine, ten and eleven weeks of age. The toy breeds are much more fragile and delayed in development. I got my dog at eight weeks. She is not mixed, so you may have a bit of a better experience since your will possibly be a bit bigger since she is half poodle. She was so tiny when I got her. Breeder refused to keep her longer, insisted she had always had them placed when they were that age and that it was fine. 

When I took Lily home for the brief twenty minute drive she was terrified in her little plastic carrier. Cried and whined, scared. When I removed her from it found that in her upset she had pooped herself, diarrhea all over her. Same thing happened when I drove her to the vet the next day. Had problems getting her to eat, would push out with her tongue and not understand how to eat. Gave her canned food that I put on her tongue. Was scary with her so small and having trouble with eating. After a few weeks that was resolved, but would have been so much better had she been with her mother during that time. Kept puppy nutrical on hand. Was so tiny and fragile, easily hurt, and was not safe to have her around my young grandchildren other than a few minutes of very closely supervised time.

First months I had her in a large wire crate alongside my bed at night and in a small Iris xpen with pee pads covering the entire floor area during the day when I was not here. Worked well. As she got a bit older enlarged the size of the pen by adding more panels, and decreased the area of the pee pads. She quickly caught on to only going on the pads. The biting was horrible, beyond with my past dogs, and she truly did have bite inhibition issues and that went on for a very very long time despite my many many attempts to work with her in various ways. (In the end ignoring it worked best, everything else worked as positive reinforcement for her.) She is now two and a half years of age and when very overtired she will at times revert to her puppy behavior of running around and frantically trying to give a nip at my feet. Hopefully your dog will not have this issue that is very common to those removed from their moms too soon.

A blessing for me has been this forum. Wonderful wise and informed advice on just about everything.

Great advice about food, potty training, grooming and training can be found on this forum. 

Again, welcome! I hope the transport goes well. 

Linda


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

I have two boys that I taught to potty outside from the beginning. I do wish I would have taught them to use potty pads though, especially with how harsh out winters are. Also, if I lived in a condo I would definitely have used potty pads instead. I guess the potty thing depends on where and how you live. I wasn't too concerned about the boys catching parvo in our own yard but some people are more concerned about it so that's all up to you. I kind of feel like using both methods confuse them-but that's mostly because I have tried and failed multiple times to get them to use potty pads after they have been trained to go outside. 

I think most poodle puppies go home at 8 or 9 weeks of age? I don't know what's normal for a malti poo. Most people worry with maltese about hypoglycemia and such.

Anyway, expect to get peed on if you hold him the whole drive  When I brought my boys home I swear they peed ever 15-20 minutes at first. It tooks us a loooooong time to get bladder control-usually-in my experience (which isn't much with two boys) they don't get real control until 18 months of age. Oh sure, they know where to potty well before then-but they can only hold it so long.

You might have him in a crate with a towel or pad or something, or even something on the floorboards between your feet or accross your lap. I really don't know what the best option would be with such a long drive and such a little puppy. We had a trip of about 1.5 hours. I had a towel in my lap or a blanket. I'm not sure that's the smartest way to do it but it's what we did.

Your packing list sounds good to me


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Responsible breeders of toy breed dogs insist on keeping their puppies until at least 12 weeks. The AMA code of ethics requires it.

You are getting a mixed breed and I would be very concerned about the breeding practices of the person you are getting him from. But if you are insistent on bringing him home at this age, please make sure you research hypoglycemia as well as the dangers of over vaccination. If the breeder has already given him shots, he may or may not be protected since giving parvovirus and distemper vaccines before 9 weeks risks interference from maternal antibodies. Be sure and take precautions and I recommend you titer before giving any additional vaccines.

Good luck.


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

It is easier to pad train but also go outside. Mine is an inside pad trained dog but will go outside if given the option. Nice for bad weather & no worries if gone for a long time.


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## littlefluffbabies (Apr 17, 2013)

When I picked up Katie it was a 7hr drive. I crated her the whole way and stopped every couple of hours to let her out for a cuddle and a pee pee. I just put a pad on the floor of the truck and she went right away. i just felt that she was safest in her crate, which was secured with the seat belt. She was a very happy girl and didn't cry at all. .


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## kal74 (Jul 6, 2015)

Thanks for everyone's advice, he did great on the ride home, I held him the first two hours and he was great but seemed restless, we stopped and put a towel with pee pad on the floor in the front and he didn't go but loved laying down there so for the rest of the trip he preferred to stay down and sleep and was great for the last 5 hours we gave him ice cubes and offered kibble and he ate/drank but didn't pee that night till 9pm, it was so long but he's doing great and I'm so happy he's home!


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