# Transition from pee pad to outside



## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

Teddy made 1 year on Dec 22nd, 2013. He is 5 lbs, and gotten neutered in Nov 2013. 

He is such a good boy. He knows how to sit, paw, lay down, stay, roll over, play dead, "dance", fetch, and "go to your bed". He is also 100% potty trained on the pee pad. He is also free to roam the apt 24/7. I'm such a proud mama! I really didn't think this day will ever come that we only have 1 pee pad in our apartment and he is not gated in 1 room anymore. I'm just so happy!!

One thing I am not happy about is the pee pad stinking up my apt. I change it a couple of times a week because it smells so bad. So I am wanting to transition him to go outside 100%.

I've read numerous threads and articles..but it really didn't answer my question.  I know I have to move the pee pad closer to the door, and then eventually we make it outside to the grass...but my question is...*once the pee pad by the door is gone...will he just know to hold in his pee? *

We crate him at night, so he does hold his pee until we wake up in the mornings. He holds it for more than 10 hours. And when we let him out for breakfast, he goes straight to the pee pad. So he can hold in his pee while being crated. I'm just questioning if he can hold it at all if there is no pee pad around at all anymore?

He has free roam of the apt while I am at my 9-5 job, so does this mean I have to crate him now? So he can learn to hold his bladder? And I'll take him out immediately when I come home and again after dinner.

He has gone potty in the grass before when we take him with us to visit my inlaws. Basically I just took him out every 30min. And he likes to poo on the cement instead of grass. :HistericalSmiley:

But I guess I have to go through the motions to see what he responds to. And just be consistent. He was pee pee pad trained within 1 month with no mistakes..so I do not doubt he can't do it. Just confused on what I should do now, is all. Any thoughts and advice is appreciated! I leave you a photo of my Teddy bear. :wub:


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I have to change my pads when Lisi has used them 2-3 times & she will not pee on one that has poop on it! I immediately remove any poop. I am surprised your pup will go so long on the same pad!


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

I was thinking it should be switched out daily? You could try reusable ones that you just wash regularly if the cost is an issue.

I do not have advice on the transition though sorry.


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## BeautifulMaltese (Dec 4, 2013)

For the most part, when they get it...they get it....the whole potty thing, but it may be a bit confusing for him to just take away the pad and all of a sudden leave him alone all day. Why not try to start transitioning him to going outside, but leave the pad only when when you are not home? 

I have never done the pee pad thing, but plan to this time with the new puppy. I am concerned that it might be hard to get him to go outside if he gets to used to the pad, but others say it can be done so I'm gonna try it so I have the pad as a backup when I'm not home or weather is bad :thumbsup:

Please keep posting with your progress....I'm interested in how you make out! :clap:


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## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

edelweiss said:


> I have to change my pads when Lisi has used them 2-3 times & she will not pee on one that has poop on it! I immediately remove any poop. I am surprised your pup will go so long on the same pad!


Yeah he's not high maintenaced at all  He can fill the whole pad up, (if I let it happen which I never do) and can still use it to potty. I also pick up the poo immediately after he's done it as well.


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## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

shellbeme said:


> I was thinking it should be switched out daily? You could try reusable ones that you just wash regularly if the cost is an issue.
> 
> I do not have advice on the transition though sorry.


I have been switching them out almost daily..and his urine is terrible! It doesn't help that we live in an itty bitty apartment. So the smell can be smelled everywhere. If this was a house..I would have no problems.


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## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

BeautifulMaltese said:


> For the most part, when they get it...they get it....the whole potty thing, but it may be a bit confusing for him to just take away the pad and all of a sudden leave him alone all day. Why not try to start transitioning him to going outside, but leave the pad only when when you are not home?
> 
> I have never done the pee pad thing, but plan to this time with the new puppy. I am concerned that it might be hard to get him to go outside if he gets to used to the pad, but others say it can be done so I'm gonna try it so I have the pad as a backup when I'm not home or weather is bad :thumbsup:
> 
> Please keep posting with your progress....I'm interested in how you make out! :clap:


I think so too  He's used to being crated for a couple of hours a day when I away doing errands and at the gym...so -shrugs.

Yes, I have faith that this can be done! Just got to roll with it and see how he takes it  

I do think I will crate him when I am way for work, and then come home for lunch to take him out though. So it won't be too bad. I want to set it up where he knows to hold his bladder once the pee pad is gone. For now, I will move the pad to door. Will do this for a month..and then start taking him out 

Will keep you all posted in our progress!


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

Good to keep pad & put dog in crate while @ work. Otherwise he has no out & that could make him get separation anxiety. They like going outside better so with time he will go less & less on the pad. You should start with bell training @ same time. There are threads on this in the forum. I buy small cheap pads & change every urination. I don't like having him walk on previous urinations. If you leave him out while at work always leave a pad by the door as a backup- his out. My dog is a inside dog. But on vacation he went only outside and only used his backup four times in fifteen days while staying in motels. Not bad for a one year old dog. Your dog will do great I sure.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I would suggest an Iris pen w. a pad inside in place of a crate---that is a long time for him to be caged.


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## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

Ann Mother said:


> Good to keep pad & put dog in crate while @ work. Otherwise he has no out & that could make him get separation anxiety. They like going outside better so with time he will go less & less on the pad. You should start with bell training @ same time. There are threads on this in the forum. I buy small cheap pads & change every urination. I don't like having him walk on previous urinations. If you leave him out while at work always leave a pad by the door as a backup- his out. My dog is a inside dog. But on vacation he went only outside and only used his backup four times in fifteen days while staying in motels. Not bad for a one year old dog. Your dog will do great I sure.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Thanks for the advice! This is what I am planning to do. He has no problems being crated...so I really have no problems going this route.


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## OhDORA (Mar 23, 2012)

edelweiss said:


> I would suggest an Iris pen w. a pad inside in place of a crate---that is a long time for him to be caged.


This is what I trained him with when he was a pup. Trying to get away from pads...But I am teaching him to hold his bladder, so crating is a must. How else will they learn?  he loves being crated, and will cry and paw at it for us to open it every night so he can go to sleep...so being crated for 4 hours, out for an 1hr, then back to 4 hours will do him no harm. Thanks for your input.


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

Leave his crate open when you are home that is his den his safe place. When I leave my husband tells me the dog goes in there until I get home. When we both leave I crate him because he is the only dog & I don't want him scared. The longest we have crated him was 6 hours one evening. He has never had an accident. Most times not more than four hours.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

My Kitzel was in a port-a-crib from the time he was 3 months & only went on the pad at one end the first couple of wks. From then on he held it---I didn't crate him at all---so I didn't teach him, he just did it. He can hold it for hours & hours, but I am not sure how healthy that is either---can lead to UTIs.


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

I agree about possibility of UTI's Edelweiss because mine has a bottle in his crate and he does not drink while we are gone. I think he does that on purpose. But I'm retired and only crate him about once or twice a week. What playpen do you have?


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I change the pee pads several times a day!! If I didn't it sure would smell! Mine don't like to use a pad that!s been used more than couple of times. I would never go back to outside training. Pee pads are way more convenient especially in Ohio winters.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Have you considered spraying the area around the pad with one of the odor enzyme removers? I think leaving the pad down too long is the odor problem. Also is he getting enough water to drink? Diluted urine should not have an offensive odor if the pad is changed regularly.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

OhDORA said:


> I have been switching them out almost daily..and his urine is terrible! It doesn't help that we live in an itty bitty apartment. So the smell can be smelled everywhere. If this was a house..I would have no problems.


I am reading in your initial post that you changed his pads TWICE a week. However, on this post I am reading that you are switching them out almost daily. So, I am confused. 

Snowball's pads are normally changed after he uses them one time. Every once in a while they are changed after he has used it twice ... but, not that often. And, when he does his BM's ... I take a wipe to pick up his poopies and then flush them down the toilet ... and, throw away the pad he has used for that.

I cannot imagine using the same pads over and over. Of course, it would stink up one's home if the same pads are used over and over without being changed.

Another reason why I change the pads often is because I don't want to think of Snowball stepping on a wet pad when he needs to use it.

Maybe in your case you might want to consider washable pads?

I cannot imagine taking my fluff baby away from using the potty pads. First of all, I think it would confuse him ... especially since he had been completely trained to use them before he came home with us at fifteen weeks. And, I would never subject him to go outside to potty under extreme weather conditions. When Snowball goes for walks he then often pees or does a poopie ... he is trained for both inside and outdoors. (actually, we didn't have to train him for outside ... he did it on his own)

I am also reading in your initial post that Teddy has freedom "24/7" to your whole apartment. You also share how much he loves his crate. I think it's great he loves his crate. However, in my opinion, to crate him for long hours, in order to discourage him from going to potty when you are not home, does not seem like a good thing at all. As others have mentioned ... for him to have to hold going to potty for so long, could cause urinary tract infections. And, to crate him for such long hours, does not sound healthy for him mentally or physically.

This is just my own personal opinion ... but, it seems that with entirely changing your fluff's routine ... of expecting him to potty outside, and not use potty pads at all anymore ... and, to crate him for the purpose of holding when he has to go ... is unhealthy for your baby ... again, both mentally and physically. Please consider how stressful this could be for Teddy. 

My husband and I use the disposable pads ... but, maybe you could consider using reusable pads that are washable? 

Your Teddy is an adorable looking fluff! :wub: I wish only the best for you and him ... and, with that, hope you can work something out that will allow both of you to be happy. :tender:


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Snowball Pie's Mommi said:


> I am reading in your initial post that you changed his pads TWICE a week. However, on this post I am reading that you are switching them out almost daily. So, I am confused.
> 
> Snowball's pads are normally changed after he uses them one time. Every once in a while they are changed after he has used it twice ... but, not that often. And, when he does his BM's ... I take a wipe to pick up his poopies and then flush them down the toilet ... and, throw away the pad he has used for that.
> 
> ...





Yes Marie, I totally agree! He is doing exactly what most people want their dogs to do! Trained to pee pads 100% is awesome! I'd just change the pads frequently... No odor!


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## IzzysBellasMom (Jan 16, 2013)

I also want to chime in, although I live in Louisiana, which is warm and we don't ususally get snow. So many people who have outside trained are wishing their dogs were trained to pee pads. I know even I wish mine were trained inside when you have to take them out and it's freezing outside. And especially Izzy wants to sniff the whole yard before she does her business. Even with ice and snow on the ground, she will take forever before she pees. Are you sure you want to change him over to that. Why not do both, a lot of people on here have their pets trained to be both outside and pee pad trained. Just start taking him out for regular pee breaks and see if it catches on before you take the pads away totally.


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## jeannief (Aug 6, 2009)

I wish Mason was pad trained especially rainy or cold days. If I could figure out a way to switch him to pee pads I sure would. It is cold in Ohio at 11:00 pm in winter.


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