# Transitioning Pad to Outside



## BuddysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

Hello, it has been a very long time since I've posted on here. If anyone remembers, we have Buddy, who was about 2 when we got him and he was not trained...we went through a lot getting him trained but with the exception of marking on occasion (belly bands are a God send!) he is completely trained so no issues there.

We got a new puppy last Saturday. Her name is Lucy and she is the cutest little Morkie ever. She was 1 day shy of 8 weeks when we got her and and only weighs 2 lbs so I started pad training her (I'm afraid she might get sick outside while she is still so little and has had only 1 round of her shots). I'd like to transition her to going outside after all her shots though. Buddy goes outside only so I feel like she should too since she will probably follow him everywhere anyway! Is there a certain time that is best to make the transition? Can I do it anytime after her 3rd round of shots or does she need to be fully pad trained first (and maybe she will by then, I don't know)? And will doing this only confuse her?


----------



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

From what a good number of former posts indicate from others here on SM, everyone seems to feel that little ones should have all of their shots before taking them outdoors. And since your little Lucy is very little, and only 8 weeks old, I would not take her outside until she has her shots. We only let outs outside in our Backyard when they were little and still only take the out in our backyard.


----------



## BuddysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

Yeah, we are pad training her for that reason, I am just wondering if there is a certain timeframe to transition her to outside. If I start transitioning her after her 3rd shots I'm wondering if that will confuse her? I wonder do I need to wait until she's completely pad trained or is earlier better? Anyone have advice on this?


----------



## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

I'd completely pad train her & she will then follow the lead from the other dog with the outside part. I have a inside dog but when visiting my daughter Cody goes outside with the other dogs. I do keep a pad out as backup.


----------



## BuddysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

Thank you!


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

BuddysMommy said:


> Hello, it has been a very long time since I've posted on here. If anyone remembers, we have Buddy, who was about 2 when we got him and he was not trained...we went through a lot getting him trained but with the exception of marking on occasion (belly bands are a God send!) he is completely trained so no issues there.
> 
> We got a new puppy last Saturday. Her name is Lucy and she is the cutest little Morkie ever. She was 1 day shy of 8 weeks when we got her and and only weighs 2 lbs so I started pad training her (I'm afraid she might get sick outside while she is still so little and has had only 1 round of her shots). I'd like to transition her to going outside after all her shots though. Buddy goes outside only so I feel like she should too since she will probably follow him everywhere anyway! Is there a certain time that is best to make the transition? Can I do it anytime after her 3rd round of shots or does she need to be fully pad trained first (and maybe she will by then, I don't know)? And will doing this only confuse her?


Why do you have your puppy so very young? And why has she already received shots? You may want to look at Dr. Dodds vaccine protocol: Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | 2013 and 2014 Canine Vaccination Protocol - W. Jean Dodds, DVM to make sure you don't overvaccinate your puppy - there are very serious health consequences that show up later in life when your dog has been vaccinated too many times. 

As for training, once you have pad trained they are trained to go in the house and retraining is very difficult. They will still almost always go outside but taking away the pad so that they only go outside is hard to do. 

If you want them to use pads when you're gone, make sure that you always have a pad available in the desired spot.

And yes, avoid having your pup anywhere that might carry parvo, even your own back yard, until the 14 - 16 weeks shot.


----------



## BuddysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

The breeder had her first set done at 7 weeks. The guidelines I was given was the second set is to given between 10 and 12 weeks and the 3rd set between 14-16 weeks. I've made the appointment for her 2nd set at 12 weeks. The vet didn't say that was wrong but I'm sure she will go over it at the appointment. Here where I live, puppies leave their mother at 8 weeks. We brought her home around 9pm the night before she turned 8 weeks. She is doing great! Potty training is going well too, she is catching on quickly 

Thanks for the information on keeping a pad in the house after the transition. I will definitely do that!


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I just realized you have a mixed breed. You have purchased a dog from the type of breeder who may not be well versed in what's best for toy breed dogs - we call them back yard breeders. Toy breeds should not leave their litters before 12 weeks because they need the extra "puppy education" they receive from their moms and litter mates. For example, you will need to teach your puppy "bite inhibition" which is normally learned from playing with litter mates. You may want to research some of threads here to see what advice is available for these "left too young" puppies.

I would also encourage you to read up here on vaccinations. The 7 week set of shots likely had no positive effect because of interference from maternal antibodies. This means your puppy is likely still unprotected while receiving an extra dose of some of the additional ingredients that have been linked to auto-immune disorders and other problems down the road. I would recommend using the Dr. Dodds link to make sure your puppy is protected without being over vaccinated.

Good luck with your puppy!


----------



## BuddysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

Oh I had no idea. That is sad actually....to not have the tiny puppies best interest at heart. The only behavior problem we have seen so far, is that she does want to bite everything (including hands and feet) but we don't allow her to. We will hold her and give her something she likes that she can chew on. I read up on it a little after I got your message last night and we have also started doing the "yipe" that puppies do when they get hurt when she bites at our hands and that actually works well! 

I haven't read up on the shots yet but I will for sure! I want to make sure she is safe!

Thanks so much for the information!


----------

