# Switching from pads to outside...



## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

I hate this time of year!!!!

We've only done the housebreaking thing once before, and it was in June!!!
So right now, Nelson pretty much goes on the paper 90% of the time. Has accidents, only a few times. He holds it through the night. Sometimes he goes into the kitchen by himself and just goes on the paper. Other times he has does that sniffing around, so stick him on the paper and he goes. Or like before bed we encourage him to go on the paper. So he is kinda getting the paper concept good.

However...when should we switch to outside. I think it's way TOO cold for that. For example, it is 15 degrees outside right now. How do you take a baby outside every few hours to pee, when its that cold out? And especially since sometimes he goes fast or right away. We have to get our winter coats, hat and gloves on, boots. His jacket, and harness and leash.
It was so easy during the summer. I mean you had the challenge of housebreaking, but the weather wasn't an issue or hinderance.

Will it be hard if he just continues to go inside on the paper for the next few months till the weather warms up a bit? I hate the thoughts of making him go out there to learn when it's this cold...especially because sometimes too it takes a while of encouragement to get him to go. So how can we make him stand out there in the snow and expect him to learn...when he probably won't even want to be out there?

What else do people do that get puppies in the dead of winter?? :huh:


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## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

That's why we use potty pads. LOL  I know, I'm no help to you. Good luck with the training though!


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Pepper goes outside in rain, sleet, snow, etc....always has. She has never been offered another option. To keep your pup from becoming confused, you will need to be consistent--- Equally important, I bet he needs a coat for outings if it's _snowbank city _where you are right now. Take him *out* to do his business (give him an associative command for it while out there too), and while he's inside keep him tethered to you (or your eyeballs on him at all times) or crated. This will give him no opportunities to pee/poo in the house, but only on trips outside. Praise when he goes outside, but make sure you take him out often enough to insure success: after naps, after feedings, after playtime, after crating. You need to set him up to succeed, not fail, so try to minimize accidents as they will set back his training. As for now being such cold weather.............Unfortunately, if you want him to use the great outdoors, you will be subject to the prevailing season, so bundle yourself and him both up. Or wait til Spring time to outdoor potty train. Just remember, winter will come again, tho. 
Also, do not make the mistake of picking him up to carry him to the door for these outings (walk him over to it)......he must eventually learn to go to the door himself when he needs to go. You don't want to end up with a dog that just stands around in the house hoping to be picked up when he has to go.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Oh I know winter will come again. As we did the "outside" with Andy for almost 15 years, rain, snow, sleet, shine. But he learned in the summer time. I feel it was easier to teach then, and easier for him to learn when it wasn't some 14 degrees out with snow and ice.

That's just what I'm wondering about. If it will be a problem waiting to swtich to outside in like March/April. Jan. and Feb. are always the worst and coldest months here. We took the poor guy to the petstore today, with a jacket on and wrapped in a blanket and he was still shivering, while carried to the car. So I hate for him to have to stand out in the cold snow to learn how to be housebroken.

Atleast by next winter he'd be over a year...and more than 2-3lbs by then...I won't feel as bad, but he's a baby now. That's what I feel bad about. Terrible time of year to get puppies!!!! :HistericalSmiley:


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

When we got Ollie it was in December in MA--he was 3 months & already pad trained. I was a stay-at-home-mom at the time and I also don't mind the cold so I just did the drill and took him out frequently, did the whole bundling up routine, etc. 

Your choice isn't difficult--you can either keep him going on the pads until spring OR do the outside routine now. Either one or the other. GEtting him to transition to outside once spring comes won't be difficult.

We have a cleared, large, fenced yard and a doggie door. My two go out all by themselves now and potty and come right back in when it's cold out. It's GREAT.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

Be very careful switching things up or you'll confuse the little guy. Why are you thinking about stopping the peepads if he is 90% on them? And why switch him when it's so cold? I think you'll have a higher success rate with switching (if youa re trying to get him to be an outdoor wizzer) if you wait til the weather is comfortable. Just my opinion.


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## MandyMc65 (Jun 14, 2007)

Jax is/was trained on pads. I lived in a 2nd story apartment and was not going to take my dog outside in the middle of the night by myself (safety). 

I had the pads out on my balcony so he still had to ask, go out a door and be 'outside'. He also knows 'go potty' or 'hurry up' mean he needs to do his business and fast. We bought a house last year, so now I use pads in my garage so he still has to ask, but I don't have to deal with rain and dirt. He also knows to go potty outside. Once trained it isn't that difficult to switch, especially if you put the pads somewhere he has to ask in the first place. I don't like having pads just laying around so they can go whenever they want. I like to use the pads as their yard. Instead of a big open green area, they have a small square of white


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## Toby Cooper (May 30, 2008)

QUOTE (MandyMc65 @ Jan 1 2010, 05:15 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=868922


> Jax is/was trained on pads. I lived in a 2nd story apartment and was not going to take my dog outside in the middle of the night by myself (safety).
> 
> I had the pads out on my balcony so he still had to ask, go out a door and be 'outside'. He also knows 'go potty' or 'hurry up' mean he needs to do his business and fast. We bought a house last year, so now I use pads in my garage so he still has to ask, but I don't have to deal with rain and dirt. He also knows to go potty outside. Once trained it isn't that difficult to switch, especially if you put the pads somewhere he has to ask in the first place. I don't like having pads just laying around so they can go whenever they want. I like to use the pads as their yard. Instead of a big open green area, they have a small square of white [/B]




Hi,
I was thinking about putting a pad in the garage and then taking Toby to the garage to do his chores glad to see that it works. As I've been getting very cold going outside with him I need to try it and see if I can get him to use pad in garage. He goes outside all the time it's just getting cold for me.
Linda


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

My girls use both the outdoors and the pee pee pads. For the winter I actually set up an xpen lenthwise that holds three pads and has a door. Sometimes I just put Ava in it and tell her to go....left up to her, she'd always choose outside :blink: and like you said today it was in the teens!!!! 

The boys have chosen to only use outside. But when it's really really cold I have a problem with Tinker - so he's wearing a belly band today. :thumbsup: 

Good luck. I'd wait for warmer weather if I were you.


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