# Cam's first long stretch left alone in an x-pen



## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

We left him for 6 hours in a large x-pen w/ access to his crate, food, water, towel (that he likes to lay on) and a pee pad. 

Note--he's never used a pee pad before, he always goes outside. So I didn't expect him to know what it was for, but he does like to pee on small area rugs (lol, he's only 4 months old and has occasional accidents--does very well w/ housetraining overall) so before we left and he peed outside I dabbed the top of the pee pad on top of his pee so that it would have the scent on it and put it in his pen in hopes that he would use it to potty on.

Well.....we came home and all was well EXCEPT he tore the pee pad to shreds and peed on the bare floor, lol. His food bowls were moved around a bit. I feel badly that the poor guy didn't know where to pee. What can I do next time?? I only want to use the pee pads when we take extended day trips out of the house and can't bring him.

And Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

How about getting one of those pee pad holders so Cam can't chew the pads up?

When I adopted Lady she was outdoor trained only. When she became diabetic, I needed an alternative for those long days when I was at work. I was able to train her to use pee pads at 6 years old, believe it or not. I did it by "scenting" the pads as you did and putting them right in front of the back door where she always scratched to go out. 

I can't tell you what a godsend it has been to have her cross trained when we've had bad weather. It really came in handy after my car accident last winter. Poor thing was boarded for 3 months while I was in a nursing home and I wouldn't have been able to bring her home if she hadn't been pad trained.

She was upset that she couldn't go out to potty at first, but I went back to basic potty training with her even though she is 11 now. I treated her just like a puppy. I set up her x-pen with two pee pads inside and put her in it after meals, after a nap, before bed, any time I normally would have taken her out. Then I praised her like crazy and gave her a treat.

She caught on in about half a day!

She hasn't been able to go out yet since I am still recovering so she's using pads 24/7. The great thing is that she's had to boarded twice since when I have been hospitalized and she's goes back to going outside at the vet's immediately.

Best of both worlds IMO!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I would stick with his outdoor training and crate him when you are gone. The general rule of thumb is that a dog can be left alone their age in months plus an hour when they are baby puppies. So, 5 hours and you need someone to come take him out and pee. At 6 months, he should be mature enough to go a good 8 hours. 

Don't expect a dog to magically know what a pee pad is for - they don't. If you want him to know what the pee pad is for, you need to be there with him and make sure he will pee on it so you can reward him (I cover a 2x4 area with pads and make a pen that size so the dog cannot mess). However, if you want him housetrained quickly, I would stick with being consistent about him going outdoors. If you have to be gone all day, get a dog sitter or a neighbor to run him out for a short walk and a pee. Be sure he's been well exercised before you leave. 

Honestly, for the most part, my only use for x-pens any more is for dogs outside in the yard and the small pen with pee pads for house training. I don't leave dogs in pens with access to a pee pad all the time as puppies any more. I found I had dogs that didn't learn how to hold it. I crate the dogs and am sure they get taken out at appropriate time intervals for their age. Now even Soda can be loose in the clinic for a few hours and he won't constantly ask to go out - he can hold it.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

aww your little guy is adorable. I think he did well for the first time alone. I don't have any advise, I just wanted you to know that you have a precious baby there.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> I would stick with his outdoor training and crate him when you are gone. The general rule of thumb is that a dog can be left alone their age in months plus an hour when they are baby puppies. So, 5 hours and you need someone to come take him out and pee. At 6 months, he should be mature enough to go a good 8 hours.
> 
> Don't expect a dog to magically know what a pee pad is for - they don't. If you want him to know what the pee pad is for, you need to be there with him and make sure he will pee on it so you can reward him (I cover a 2x4 area with pads and make a pen that size so the dog cannot mess). However, if you want him housetrained quickly, I would stick with being consistent about him going outdoors. If you have to be gone all day, get a dog sitter or a neighbor to run him out for a short walk and a pee. Be sure he's been well exercised before you leave.
> 
> Honestly, for the most part, my only use for x-pens any more is for dogs outside in the yard and the small pen with pee pads for house training. I don't leave dogs in pens with access to a pee pad all the time as puppies any more. I found I had dogs that didn't learn how to hold it. I crate the dogs and am sure they get taken out at appropriate time intervals for their age. Now even Soda can be loose in the clinic for a few hours and he won't constantly ask to go out - he can hold it.[/B]



I thought I made it clear in my original post that I knew he wouldn't know what the pee pad was for--I was taking a gamble, obviously, as thanksgiving rather snuck up on us, as with many folks, and I didn't have the time to pee pad train him. I'm not blaming him whatsoever for not knowing what to do with it.

He consistantly goes outside to do his business. He's doing extremely well for a 4 month old puppy whom we've only had for 1 month!

I don't have the resources to have a friend/neighbor come and take him potty--particularly on a major holiday like today







. 

Amazingly, he has never peed in his crate at night from day 1--and he's in there a good 8 hours each night. It's always amazed us. I feel badly crating him AGAIN for another several hours during the day when he's been doing so well at night. I know it's not often, but who wants to spend a good part of 24 hours in a crate that's only big enough to turn around in? I felt he needed more than that--an opportunity to move around, eat, etc.

Like Lady's mom said, I'll have to eventually pee pad train him I guess. I just don't know how often I would need him to use the pee pad, since when we go out for only an hour or two, we just crate him (at least for now while he is a puppy...)





> How about getting one of those pee pad holders so Cam can't chew the pads up?
> 
> When I adopted Lady she was outdoor trained only. When she became diabetic, I needed an alternative for those long days when I was at work. I was able to train her to use pee pads at 6 years old, believe it or not. I did it by "scenting" the pads as you did and putting them right in front of the back door where she always scratched to go out.
> 
> ...


It does sound like the best of both worlds!! 

I don't know how often we'd need Cam to be pee pad trained, though, and I wonder if he'd even remember how to do it if we did it so infrequently once he did learn. We only plan on leaving him for long intervals like on special days like today while he's still a puppy. I'm anticipating that next summer when he is 1 that he'll at least be housetrained (he's well on his way now) and can hold it longer!

And I had to say I'm so sorry to hear of your accident! I knew nothing of it, being a newbie here, and it sounds like it was so awful and traumatic for you and your family and fur babies. I'm glad you are recovering now--how are you doing?? What happened, if you don't mind me asking?


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I was hit head on by a 17 year old kid doing 70 plus in a construction zone. The front of my car was completely crushed and pushed in around me. I am told it was an absoulte miracle I survived and owe to my Saturn's (may it r.i.p. in peace!) air bag.

Amazingly, I had no head or spinal injuries, but my arms and legs were pretty crushed. I was in a nursing home for three months and came home on a walker. I made great progress with home pt and had just started walking with a cane when I got an infection in my foot.

So now I'm battling a staph infection, MSRA, the "super bug" that is resistant to antibiotics. They had to take the screws and plates that were holding my ankle together out so I am back in a wheelchair The plan was to get rid of the infection, then reconstruct my ankle. I need a fusion now since all the cartilage was destroyed by the infection, plus they need to do something to get the tibia to heal and my heel is messed up, too.

I had 6 weeks of IV therapy, but the symptoms of the infection came back in 4 days. Now they think I need to have the surgery before they can get rid of the infection, but surgery will make the infection worse......

So Lady has many days of pee pads ahead of her!

Before this, though, she would sometimes go for weeks without using them, but would always remember to use them if she needed to when I was gone. As you said, I think cross training is the best of both worlds.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> aww your little guy is adorable. I think he did well for the first time alone. I don't have any advise, I just wanted you to know that you have a precious baby there.[/B]


Awww, thank you (<<blushing on Cam's bahalf, lol>>) And your cute little girl there is quite the pretty one!!













> I was hit head on by a 17 year old kid doing 70 plus in a construction zone. The front of my car was completely crushed and pushed in around me. I am told it was an absoulte miracle I survived and owe to my Saturn's (may it r.i.p. in peace!) air bag.
> 
> Amazingly, I had no head or spinal injuries, but my arms and legs were pretty crushed. I was in a nursing home for three months and came home on a walker. I made great progress with home pt and had just started walking with a cane when I got an infection in my foot.
> 
> ...


(ack!! I just replied to this and it didn't show up...) What I was saying...what a terrible accident!!! And I'm very sorry you are having to continue to deal with the outcome of it. I will be praying for that infection to clear up. Do you have a good support system nearby you--friends, family, etc.??

OK, it's still messing up on me...two of my replies in one post...it's late and I'm tired! Good night!!


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