# Potty Pad or Outdoor Training?



## Sparkys Mom (Feb 18, 2006)

As I've been reading the forum it seems like most of you have trained your malts to potty on potty pads instead of outdoors? I'm wondering how many train to go outdoors and quit using the potty pads entirely? I get my baby this weekend and plan on crate/outdoor training. I did this when my late doxie was a baby and it worked very well so hope it will with my Maltese, too.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> As I've been reading the forum it seems like most of you have trained your malts to potty on potty pads instead of outdoors? I'm wondering how many train to go outdoors and quit using the potty pads entirely? I get my baby this weekend and plan on crate/outdoor training. I did this when my late doxie was a baby and it worked very well so hope it will with my Maltese, too.[/B]


Mine do both. The reason behind this is sometimes they cannot hold it til we get home or in the middle of the nite (I won't go outside in the middle of the nite)..or one has to go when the other doesn't and it leads to running in and out all the time (I won't let them outside by themselves EVER). That's my story and I'm stickin to it.


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## Guest (Mar 18, 2006)

We have always trained our Malteses to go potty outdoors. Not to say the pads etc. aren't ok. We have also had a larger dog at the same time. They really help train the little guys the outside "ritual" A friend of ours has a "pad trained" Malt & does extremely well with the inside results. I guess it is preference as to which you desire and have the best luck with. The outside training is a little more difficult in bad weather, but they get through it.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

We would have liked to train Scooby on pads and outside for the weather conditions are so changable here but he just wants to go outside and refuses to use pads, we have no choice, but he never gets us up in the night and he never messes in the house, he is very good that way. We also have a fenced in yard for him and I feel quite safe outside at night with him and besides he only goes out once at night and then in the morning it is dark in the winter but it's fine with us we just stay out there with him till he is done. He always come right back in when he has the job done.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

Sparkey does both. I have a little patio or porch and a doggie door to it. So in the morning and during the day he goes out by himself on a wee wee pad in the patio. but when I come home around 7pm he likes to go out for a walk and take care of his business. For sure everytime we go for a walk he pee's like 20 times and poo poo once or twice. 

In the morning when he goes out by himself he rush in and run like the speed of light and get's all happy that he did it and runs around the table 5 times and end up right next to his cookie jar and wants a treat. 



I started to only use the pad for him in the beginning and then when he was older we went for a walk and that was it. he loves it, so he holds a little for his walk, and everytime right before the walk as soon as I put his leash on he will drink a whole bunch of water


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

Abbey potties outside. I have to watch her like a hawk on rainy days because she'll leave me surprises!







Princesses weren't meant to walk in wet grass, I guess!!


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

> Abbey potties outside. I have to watch her like a hawk on rainy days because she'll leave me surprises!
> 
> 
> 
> ...










Sparkey is the same. I found that out couple of weeks ago. thank God it doesn't rain here so often. but if it does and it's at night and time to go out for a walk he get scared of going through his doggie door and I don't like to go out in the rain, so he had an accident. I got him some booties and we went out in the rain last night and the shoes were destroyed and he tripped a lot of times, dragging the shoes. I need to find the perfect fit ones and some socks. those are great for rainy days.


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

Perri is 7 months old and he has been trained to go outside only. When it rains, he gets put under my raincoat and taken out under my (high) deck where he goes on some leaves I put there. However the ground underneath will get a bit wet sometimes from the water that will fall through the cracks of the deck, so I am not looking forward to rainy days when he has his full coat. 
I had wanted a dog for some time, and planned on getting a Pet-A-Potty for it as I do not like the thought of pads in my house. However, I got Perri only a week after I found him, so I did not have time to save up for it (it is pricey) or order it. After he was trained to go outside, I got the dog litter and matching litter box for him to try, but he wanted nothing to do with it. I even got a piece of sod and put it in the litter box to see if he'd use that, hoping that if he did I could order the Pet-A-Potty, but that didn't work either. I guess he was too well trained...








Anyway, I would recommend training your dog to go both indoors and outdoors. There will always be a situation when it is convenient for your dog to go either place. You'll really be thankful your dog can go indoors as well when it's a cold rainy night trust me! 
The first couple of weeks are going to be trying and they seem to last FOREVER and you might feel like your dog will never be potty trained (I know I did), but keep with it! It will happen! And you'll have this wonderful forum to help you when you need it--I wish I had found it sooner!
Check out the pet-a-potty site--it's a wonderful idea. Enjoy your new baby!
http://www.petapotty.com/


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2006)

Hi,


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2006)

Hi, This is "richard". I wrote to you earlier about outdoor potty training for your dog. I forgot to tell you a couple of things that prove helpful. If our "Tucker"( 2 yrs old.) wet or did the other in the house when he was a pup, we took him outside even when he had already messed the house. He is always on a leash or lead. If he did something again , we praised him, if not we bought him in the house. We kept doing this about every hour until he had to go again. If he wet outside, we praised him, bought him in & gave him a treat, saying "good bouy" several times & patting his head. This all took some time, pprobably a couple of weeks. He finally got the hang of it. We kept the large dog in the house when we took "Tucker" out. He got wet when it rained, so did we. He got snow on him, so did we. He was hot, so were we!! He now stands by the door if he has to go. We put hiom on a cable lead and he is outside by himself. We watch him to make sure he is ok. A very nosey dog so likes to stay out awhile. He still gets a "treat" every time he goes out. It gives him something to look forward to whrn he comes in. He goes out just before we go to bed, and usually has to out around 7:30 am. Thats ok because we have to get up. I hope you find your "solution". Good Luck!!


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## bellasmommy (May 8, 2005)

I use the indoor pads and they have worked great. I just didn't want them to have to wait all day to go outside while I work.


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## Zoe and Bella's mom (Jan 23, 2006)

Maybe I am lazy but I find it so easy to train them to puppy pads! Also, it is great when you have to be gone for a while during the day because they can still easily potty when needed - right on the paper! It took awhile to train Bella







but both dogs are so good now about using their papers.

Ginny & Zoe & Bella


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

I was going to train Indy to go outside, but when we brought him home it was still very cold out side. The first time I took him out he just stood in one spot shaking and I made up my mind to train him on pads instead. He was just over 2 lbs at the time and I had put a jacket and boots on him so he would be warm, but he was just this tiny little fluff ball shaking by the snow and I just couldn't keep doing that. I have come to like the pads as far as on days when it is very cold, raining, snowing, windy etc. For us it has worked well, if I lived in warmer climate I would do the outside potty training with cross training on pads for times when needed.


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## Fenway's Momma (Dec 6, 2005)

We trained Fenway outside. Well, we are still in training, but a week and a half after we got him he was sleeping through the night with us. He has never gone in the bed/lap/couch. And when he was still having accidents he did them usually in the same area in the kitchen by the door we take him out to go. It's been a month since a pee in the house and about two and a half weeks with out a poo.














It can be a pain when the weather is cold. Almost everyday this past February I wished we went with the pads!

As he gets older I notice that he can hold it longer during the day. He is still on a schedule but it is much more realaxed and I am trying to have him tell me that he needs to go out. He goes out alot less then we where bringing him out when we first got him. He still isn't 100%, I am sure...I am still making bets w/ my bf whether he left us a present while we where gone-the bf always bets aginst him, lately I have been winning!! I am very proud of him!









The main reason I didn't teach him to the pads b/c we visit alot of friends/relatives and I talked to a couple of them and they really didn't want the pads in their house-none of them have dogs- but I felt I had to respect their choice. I also am with Fenway all day so I think it was easier to train him. If I wasn't able to bring him to work, I might have looked into pad training more.

oh and a tip...if you catch him during clap your hands to distract him and then bring him outsid to finish. Or after the mistake happens, I would pick it up with a paper towel say "potty outside" and I would bring him and the mess outside, let him smell it ,and keep saying Outside potty, and then the next few times I brought him out, I would bring him to the towel and tell him "potty oustside' and then the "good potty" when he would go outside.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

Kodie is trainned inside as well... but we have gone on walks before and kodie REALLY REALLY had to go poo..lol.. soo he went outside as well... but has never peed outside yet. Only if I put a puppy pad down.. lol.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I tried unsuccessfully to pad train Boo when I brought him home in the winter.He had many accidents & seemed to confuse area rugs with potty pads.Even when he meant well,he would miss the potty pad.So,I started the outdoor potty training a month later & it was so natural to him,that he was trained in no time.I do hate that he has to go out in the cold & rain & snow sometimes,but he seems not to mind & if it's raining really hard,he will hold himself until the rain eases up.I have a long lead attached to our back porch railing & I just hook him up & send him out the door.I stand on guard in the doorway & watch out for him.He also has a little raincoat that I put on him when it's raining.Every other day,I scoop up the poop & get rid of it so there are never any odors or messes around the backdoor area.It was rough at first & I would bundle up & go outside with him everytime & have a treat ready for reward.I hate cold weather & I got wet some days.But he did catch on really fast.


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## Sparkys Mom (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my question concerning pottypads/outside. 

My Sparky came to us a week ago Sunday. He is doing great going outside ...of course I take him at the suggested times and watch him. I do have pads down but he has used them rarely. He goes to the patio door and looks out when he has to go. I have a chime (suggested here) hanging by the door and am trying to teach him to "butt" the chimes with his head or paws. I am learning the signs (sniffing and turning in circles - poopy) (starting to squat with legs straight out in back of him (wet) and that really helps. I have him contained where we are a lot and that is the computer/tv room. He has his "den" (wire crate) and toys. Just put in a baby gate yesterday as stepping over a 18 board is not good with two knee replacements and arthritis in the lower back.

Sparky is giving me the exercise I need ...and it is great. Soon I will start leash training him so that we will take walks after he gets his final shots.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions. Will continue reading new ones.

Carol (Sparky's Mom)


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

Hi Carol, So glad Sparky is doing well! Sounds great! Has he grown since you brought him home? They change so fast at this age.

I'm a definite outside potty trainer. Since our fenced yard is right outside the kitchen I can't imagine training a puppy to go inside on purpose. It does require a schedule and a lot of attention given for a while, but I think worth it. It also requires a stay-at-home "parent" at first. Frosty never had accidents in the house, even for the few times we've been gone for 8-9 hours during the day. After he was potty trained he has had the run of the house all these years. No cages or pens of any kind. He never chewed on things or even bothered food left in reach. I'm sure I won't be that lucky on the next furbaby!! He's been the exception that way. The only thing I would do differently is I would crate train. It would be nice to have done that now that he is elderly.


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## Scooter Pie's Mommy (Mar 6, 2006)

> Thanks to all of you who have responded to my question concerning pottypads/outside.
> 
> .....Just put in a baby gate yesterday as stepping over a 18 board is not good with two knee replacements and arthritis in the lower back.
> 
> ...


Hi Carol (Sparky's Mom)!

This may be besides the point but I noticed you had 2 knee replacements! Wow, just want to say bravo to you, I know that takes courage. My Mom had this done (at different times each) and she calls them her bionic knees.







Her knees set off the metal detectors at the airport, it's quite amusing since she is so innocent. 

Sparky is so cute and sounds like the outdoor potty training is going well so far. Our little guy goes on pads mostly but will go outside too. We have to have him pad trained for certain reasons. 

- Geeta aka Scooter Pie's Mom


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## Sparkys Mom (Feb 18, 2006)

I had mine both done at the same time. Was a rough few weeks but so worth it. And they set off the alarms, too. I have also had a total shoulder joint replacement. So along with the underwire bra, the joint replacements, I really set it off... laughing.

I'm sure your Mom feels like it is really a miracle to walk without pain again. I know I sure too...

Thanks for caring...

Carol


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## Bijousmom (May 29, 2005)

Bijou does both. I think that he prefers outside but he also uses a Wizdog to keep his feet dry inside the house.


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