# Indoor training an outdoor trained dog?



## lindsay (May 18, 2008)

Since Puck will be drinking/peeing a lot more now due to the steriods I want to indoor train him for while I am at work... but still take him for walks and stuff. 


What tips do you guys have? My kitchen and bathroom are attached so I can put his bedding in the kitchen and his food and keep some pee pads in the bathroom. . . and block of the living room and bedroom while I am away.


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## lawgirl (Jul 22, 2009)

Hey, I have the same problem now, in that my dog used to go on pee pads very well but then indicated a CLEAR preference to go outside-only when I took him to visit another house with a backyard for a few weeks. Now, back in NYC, he still holds his pee/poo for up to 12 hours without using the pee pad, despite some serious attempts to train him to go on them again (including using housebreaking spray, taking him to the pee pad by leash, leaving and coming back in intervals, etc.).

The good new is, once he was outdoor-only, he was 100% trained, not a single accident for one month now, even overnight when I sleep in. I think he sees my whole apartment as his den, and I no longer find "secret treasures" tucked in a corner. My bottle of Nature's Miracle sits forlornly in the closet, unused.

For retraining to go indoors, JMM gave me advice to treat him just like a new puppy--confinement, off to pee pad for 2 minutes, if he doesn't urinate/defecate then back to crate/x-pen for 20 minutes. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until he finally can't hold it and goes on the pee pads. When he finally goes, LOTS of praise, treats, make a big deal out of how good he is. After potty, allow 30 minutes of freedom, then back to x-pen until his next potty break. Allow freedom in the house very slowly.

Since I tried this and he still held it (for 12 hours!), I decided to buy a faux grass potty--the Pup Head Portable Grass Potty--and train him on that. He loves going on grass. Pee pads feel too much like blankets/carpets for him, and are useless now. I'll let you know if Pup Head works.


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