# Which way do we go? Inside, Outside or both?



## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

My husband and I are thoroughly confusing Bella with potty training. She was being trained to go outside. She started having a lot of accidents in the house - making a straight line to squat on the living room carpet before you could even turn your head to catch her. Also thinking toward winter weather, I decided it would be best to have her go inside all the time, and give her constant access to pee pads. I've even ordered a Ugodog that will arrive next week. Yesterday was the first attempt at 100% pee pad. She will pee on it without much fuss, but will hold her poop. She pooped on it once but looked like she was ready to be fussed at  . I praised her galore for every pee pad/potty attempt. Then last night she held her poop until she got into the computer room/ play room and pooped on her pillow and the floor. :blink: Is this something that would get better with sticking with it and being consistant?

So I need your wisdom on this one. I know we have sent her WAY too many messages and I need 1 clear path to support her in. Hubby says to train her on both and not let her have living room carpet access until she is fully trained. Which way should we go? Both, inside or outside? I just want to do what is best for Bella...and I want to stick with it! Thank yall!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Being trained to do both is the best of both worlds, but you need to pick one method for now so she isn't confused. I'd pad train her for now then later on she may go outside on her own. That's how Bailey has been. He arrived pad trained at 12 weeks and was close to five months until he finished his shots and could go outside. He instinctively knew to potty outside so now he does both. Lady was trained to do both, although she never liked to poop on her pad. She would hold it until her walks. Some dogs won't poop and pee on the same pad so you have to have two available.

I agree with your husband. Don't let her have access to the living room until she's potty trained. Giving her too much freedom just encourages accidents and once she's gotten in the habit of pottying in the living room, etc., she will want to go back there.


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## BellaEnzo (Nov 1, 2011)

I would stick with the peepee pads for right now, espically with the winter coming, I know it can be harsh weather up there. Maybe start leaving a peepee pad where you are going to put the UgoDog so she starts getting the idea that that's her area.

Btw Bella looks adorable in the new sig pic!


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

I really like her using the pads/ Ugo Dog idea. My only real concern is about her holding her poop and being so obviously upset by doing that. Is that something that would change, or should I could with taking her out mainly during poop times? I like that she goes out, it's just not realistic as a 100% of the time kinda thing. I can't tell you how much I've stressed over this. Seems silly I know, but I just want to make sure we set her up for success, and I hate seeing her frustrated. Thanks again for the guidance yall. Hope to repay the favor some day.


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## petula (Sep 18, 2007)

It was when we started using the Pup-Head indoor potty, which has fake grass, that training really clicked for Farley. He instinctively knew that anywhere outside was his to use, so the fake grass seemed like a good way to make the connection between outside and inside. I don't know that he was exactly fooled that it was the real thing (in this picture taken the first day we got it, he seems to be saying, "Are you kidding me? You think I'll buy this?"), but I do think that the particular grass-like texture under his feet made more of an impression on him than pads did, and kept him from confusing any household items similar to pads (like rugs) as an appropriate place to pee. To this day, although prefers to use the great outdoors, he uses the Pup-Head when he can't get out there.


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## RudyRoo (Jun 24, 2011)

I don't know if there is any right or wrong answer to your dilemma. Or if there is I sure don't know about it! I have the exact same problem with Rudy. I would love to have him indoor potty only, and have tried really hard to get there, but the little dude will only go #2 outdoors. The fact that he only wants to go poo outside isn't really a problem in and of itself, but for me the constant worry that he _might_ have to go causes me to get up constantly and take him out. So maybe it's more my problem than his  

Is Bella consistent in her eating schedule? If so, then it is much easier to guess when she will need to poop. Rudy hates food (except mine), and often misses meals at some point in the day, so it's harder to guess with him. 

One thing that worked with us for a while was taking a pad, and rubbing a small corner of it into the grass on the spot outside where he always seemed to go to poo. Indoors, I then put that pad away from his pee pad, and put it in the area of the house where he always seemed to have poo accidents (a hallway). Since his natural instinct indoors was to go in that spot in the hallway, and his natural instinct outdoors was to go in that spot in the grass, I combined the two and it gave him a separate place to poo in private. This worked well until I switched brands of pee pads recently. Now he just refuses to go poo indoors and will hold it. I'm curious about the UgoDog system you just ordered so keep us updated how that works for you!


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## BellaEnzo (Nov 1, 2011)

@Jennifer- Farley is too cute! I've always been curious about these fake grass indoor deals. I've read lots of reviews that say it's a mission to clean. What's your opinion. 

My boyfriend and I were just looking at one last night at PetSmart. I wonder if Bella would take to using that as she will no longer use PeePee pads. She refuses to go on them which is a pro, cause I was worried about her starting to go inside everywhere with Enzo, but it's a con because when it is raining hard we can't take her out and she will hold it for hours. She refuses to go outside in the rain.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

So sorry you are going through this with Rudy too. It's a challenge and we all just want to help our fluffs as best we know how. I free feed Bella, so unfortunately scheduled poops aren't really an option. I've worried about hypoglycemia, so I keep a bit of kibble down for at all times. Being hypoglycemic myself, I need to free feed her for my own peace of mind. 

I think I am going to start trying to get her to at least do most of her pottying inside. If I find she's holding her poops too long (to prevent using the pad), then I'll take her out. I hope to gradually get her to go inside at least 95% of the time. This will take time, but it seems like with practice, that it will be the best thing for everyone. 

I am excited to get the UgoDog (should be here on Monday). By then, she will have plenty of practice on the pee pads, so at least it won't be completely foreign to her. I'll keep you all posted! Thanks for everything!!!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Summergirl73 said:


> So sorry you are going through this with Rudy too. It's a challenge and we all just want to help our fluffs as best we know how. I free feed Bella, so unfortunately scheduled poops aren't really an option. I've worried about hypoglycemia, so I keep a bit of kibble down for at all times. Being hypoglycemic myself, I need to free feed her for my own peace of mind.
> 
> I think I am going to start trying to get her to at least do most of her pottying inside. If I find she's holding her poops too long (to prevent using the pad), then I'll take her out. I hope to gradually get her to go inside at least 95% of the time. This will take time, but it seems like with practice, that it will be the best thing for everyone.
> 
> I am excited to get the UgoDog (should be here on Monday). By then, she will have plenty of practice on the pee pads, so at least it won't be completely foreign to her. I'll keep you all posted! Thanks for everything!!!


How old is Bella now? How much does she weigh? Hypoglycemia is really just a concern in the first three months unless she is super tiny. It's really hard to potty train a puppy who is free fed.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Hi Marj,

Bella is 4 months, 1 week and 6 days old  . I weighed her yesterday on our scale and it looks like she is about 4 lbs. She is due to go to the Vet for her rabies shot soon (but I keep putting off that horrid shot) - so I'll get a better weight then. 

I'm thinking I need to stop projecting my own hypoglycemia fears on to little Bella. (It's been a really challenging road for me personally). I think Bella will benefit from a proper and structured feeding schedule. Is there one that you recommend? 

She seems really confused with the potty thing right now (totally on me I'm afraid). I like the long term goal we've set though and am hopeful with consistancy she will be mostly pottying inside. I've been really thinking about her dislike of pooping on the pads. I'm wondering if it's because she doesn't like to poop and pee in the same location? If she takes well to the UgoDog, then I may order a second one and place it in a different location (away from the pee one) and see if she'll use that one for pooping. The UgoDogs are pricey, but it would be worth it if she'll take to for both pee and poop.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I do think your fear of hypoglycemia is being transferred to Bella. At her age and weight, I don't think it's a concern. You can always give her a small treat inbetween meals to calm your fears. 

It really is much easier to potty train if you feed meals on a schedule.

I bet Bella may not want to poop and pee in the same place. Lady was the same way.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Thanks so much Marj. I think you are right, I need to back off of the free feeding and get her on a schedule. We will all benefit in the end. She's such a good girl who just wants to please us and have fun. I sure do love this little bug ♥.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Summergirl73 said:


> Thanks so much Marj. I think you are right, I need to back off of the free feeding and get her on a schedule. We will all benefit in the end. She's such a good girl who just wants to please us and have fun. I sure do love this little bug ♥.


If Bella is anything like Bailey, about 5-10 minutes after eating he poops right on schedule. I think that is the easier part of housetraining. Peeing is a lot less predictable! Bailey can hold it for eight hours at night, but when he's running around and playing he can pee every 15 minutes!


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## ZACHDAVE (Apr 28, 2010)

Daisy is 2 and a half and trained for outdoors only. The problem is that she refuses to poop in rain or windy weather outdoors. I have a Pup Head from when she was a puppy but she never used it before we had her trained for outdoors. She does not understand that I want her to use the Pup Head now. How can I help her get the message that it is OK to use it? One issue might be that it is so small - Daisy is used to making her wide ciircles before she poops.. and the Pup Head is not big enough for that. But how in general can I help her to learn to use it?


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## ZACHDAVE (Apr 28, 2010)

Daisy is 2 1/2 and always goes outdoors. Proble is that she won't poop outdoors in the rain or windy weather. I have an Pup Head but she doesn't understand that it is OK to use that. How can I get her to understand it is OK?


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