How to Train Puppies on Wee Wee Pads

©DiSabato

Awwww....look how cute that little puppy is! Puppies can melt your heart and bring joy into a household, but they can just as easily test your patience and ruin the carpets. Training your puppy on wee wee pads is a great way to condition proper behavior patterns, and save a fortune in carpet cleaner and paper towel expenses.

Instructions

1. Place wee wee pads in an area of the house you prefer. Be consistent where you set the pads. This will help reinforce the notion of where the proper place to pee/defecate is for the puppy. The pup will need to relieve itself quite often (after playing, eating/drinking, sleeping), so placing the pads in an area easily visible to you and the pup is helpful.

2. Be diligent and attentive to your puppy's behavior, especially when you notice sniffing, circling or pacing. That is, get acquainted with your puppy's "pee dance." Once you spot the particular behavior pattern, verbally (without yelling) let the pup know this is inappropriate by saying "no" or using another tonal message of your choice. Pick up the puppy, and place it on the wee wee pads.

3. Give the pup a pat on the head or other sign of brief physical affection. If the puppy tries to leave the wee wee pad surface, pick it up and again put it on the pad. Continue doing so until the puppy pees/defecates on the pad.

4. Praise the animal and offer a small treat when the pup uses the pad. Keep the portions of your treats small. This will save you money and condition the puppy's eating habits. If the treat is too large, the animal will not only need to use the wee wee pads again sooner but will also become accustomed to the larger size of the treat.

5. Begin moving the pads closer toward the door, then eventually outside the door, and continue reinforcing the behavior. The goal should be to train the puppy to pee/defecate outside. After a while (difficult to say how long based on differences in personality and intelligence levels of puppies), the little pup will begin marching itself in the direction of the door toward the wee wee pads without your coaxing.

Tips & Warnings

• Patience and consistency is the key to properly house training your puppy. Conditioning yourself to the proper behavior pattern as a puppy trainer is quite a challenging and time-consuming undertaking. The wee wee pad surface is treated with a special chemical that will aid in attracting the puppy to the pad. However, this should not be considered a substitute for your required efforts as trainer. The scented pad can serve as a helpful cue for both pup and trainer, wherein once the pup starts moving in the direction of the wee wee pad, you can take it as a signal to closely watch and be prepared to quickly place the little poop-machine on the pad if necessary.

• Reprimanding your puppy for peeing/defecating in a place that is "off-limits" must be done immediately and without physical abuse. If you catch your puppy doing so, immediately pick it up and place it on the wee wee pad. If you do not catch your puppy in the act and find the remnants of its misbehavior after the fact, scolding your puppy will be ineffective and misunderstood by the animal.

Resources

• PetEducation.com: House Training
• Petco: Purchase Wee Wee Pads