# Potty Training on Puppy Pad ( Jump Start )



## bluebuzz81 (Jul 29, 2008)

Hi,

I am a owner of 2 maltese, a male ( 9 Month ) and a Female ( 8 Month ). I work about 10 to 12 hours a day so my babies stay inside the bathroom lined with puppy pads. I have lined the bathroom with puppy pads and have a little room in front of the bathroom that's carpeted so I put water, food and their crate in there for them. While I am not home, they pee on the pee pad and have no accidents on the carpet ( The area of the carpet is very small ). When I come home I let them out, Pee and poop and run around for about 30 mins outside. Then I bring them back in play with them give them tons of treats chewys and let them run around the house til we go to bed. I really hated locking the poor babies so I sent them to a doggy school for 5 weeks. The lady did not include the puppy pad training with her obedience training, but I told her I would pay her extra if she got them go on the pad so she agreed to train them. Absolutely no luck with it and also they are not obedience trained at all. Totally a waste of money. According to her, my dogs are extremely intelligent, but she said they are so bonded to me they would not listen to her. So I am extremely bummed that I have to continue to house train them. 

I let them run around the house during the weekend and also, take them very frequently to the pad and outside to pee. This is my problem. They pee on the carpet and tile area ( Kitchen ) on weekends and also when I come home from work. They run around play play play after eating treats and chewys and they have accidents. But sometimes they actually go to the pee pad inside the bathroom and pee. I think I may be giving them too much freedom in the house? But should I lock them up even after coming from work? I feel so terrible that they have to stay for 10 to 12 hours by themselves as it is. Also, at night time I sleep with them in bed because I feel bad about my work schedule and sometimes they have accidents on my bed also. Does anyone else have crazy work hours like mine? If so, how did you get your dogs to pee on the pee pad? I would love to have them totally trained to go on the pad so I can let them run around the house while I am at work. I would love to just lay pee pads in certain areas and they go there when they have to go and run around the house and play when I am gone. 

Another question. I have purchased a pee pad called a Jump Start from Natural solutions. It was extremely ridiculously expensive, but it was a money back guarantee if your dog is not trained in 6 weeks. Suppose to have training packet in the thing, but I have not located one yet. Has anyone have any sucess with this? If not, do they really give you your money back? Thank you.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

Well, I only trained one at a time and Sophie was very young (8 weeks) when we started and Annie was approximately 8 monhts. 

But what I did do was set up an exercise pen in the room where we spend all of our time and covered the floor with pee pads, they also had their bed, water and food in there. One of pads was placed in a potty tray to differentiate that one from the others. The same type of tray that I eventually planed to use for their pads outside of the pen.

Gradually, we were able to remove the pads little by little until only the one pad remained. While we were home they were hardly ever in the e-pens. But, when they were out we watched them like a hawk and confined them to the room we were in. As soon as they showed any signs of having to potty we quickly took them to the pad and then praised and treated them like no tomorrow when they went. Sophie still comes running for a treat after she poops and she's going on 3 years old! Even if she poops in the middle of the night she has to wake me up - not so much for a treat, but she will bark until I flush it _-_ I mean she stands on my chest and barks until I wake up!!! She does this if Annie poops in the middle of the night, too! Can we say OCD???? Then she goes right back to sleep. 

Anyway, Sophie took to it right away and hasn't had an accident since puppyhood. Annie was a little more difficult to say the least. She's a rescue, lower to the ground, and didn't always stop moving when she has to pee - the girl is always on the move. But eventually we did figure out the signs she exhibits right before she has to go. She goes immediately after she eats - I mean she sometimes has to stop eating to go poop. She still has little incidents when pooping, but she always starts on the pad and just seems to have to walk when she poops so sometimes it ends up on the floor next to the pad. The poop - not the pee.

So, you just have to watch them constantly if they are not confined. Learn the signs they exhibit - most likely sniffing and circling and praise, praise, praise them when they go where you want them to. Do not scold them when they have an accident, just take them to where you want them to go. Also, you may want to teach them a phrase that means potty. I always used "pee pee potty pad" and as they were learning if I saw them sniffing someone place I didn't want them to go I would say that phrase and it reminded them they had to go to the pad.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I hope this makes sense - I'm tired, can't sleep and my mouth still hurts - so my brain isn't firing on all cylinders,

Linda


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. Send-away training in general is not successful. Another person may be able to teach your dog basic behaviors, but dogs do not generalize well. That means they do not generalize the behavior to a new person or place. This is why YOU need to learn how to train the behaviors and YOU need to work with your dogs separately. A group training class provides you with instruction on how to train a behavior and is a great place to socialize your dog. 

2. Your dogs have WAY too much freedom. Only after they have pottied should they be let out to play. And only while you are actively supervising them. It may help to gate them in a room with you. 

3. Your dogs need feedback to housetrain them. That means you need to be there when they go potty to praise and give them a yummy treat. Sending them out on their own or leaving them in the pen and walking away is not going to cut it. 

4. Dogs thrive on a schedule. Write one out to include feeding, play time, potty time, etc. Stick to it. If you need to make a copy and check it off as you go every day, do it! It will speed you training along.


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## k9Cracker (Feb 22, 2006)

I agree, just ALWAYS have both eyes on them and when you can't lock them up. 

I think the lady really should not be calling herself a trainer and should have given you your money back. At the training place I work at we have a board and train program, but we have the owners come in twice during the stay to work the dogs to help the dogs make the switch back home and also to help the owners learn to ask for the right behaviors. We also have follow up weekly lessons that are included. I think without those things, JMM is right...sort of pointless.


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## bluebuzz81 (Jul 29, 2008)

Question, so during the time when I am at work, should I crate them? It's too long of a time. Or is what I am doing fine? Also, because I leave the pee pad inside bathroom I really do miss a lot of times when they do pee on them. SHoujld I get like a pee pad holder and place them in the living room and inside my bedroom? So I can supervise? Also, is it better to have a lot of potty area in the house or one? Which makes it easier for the dogs to catch?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Your daytime arrangement sounds fine...maybe start reducing the pad area tiny bit by tiny bit. 

I prefer to pick ONE place (that bathroom) and take the dogs there to potty. Maximum 2 spots. You need to take them to potty...do not depend on them to go find the pad.


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