How to Potty Train Your Puppy Using Pee Pee Pads

Puppies who will grow up to be service dogs can benefit from house training on absorbent pads.

House training a puppy to use wee wee pads or pee pads is no more difficult than training your puppy to eliminate outside. There are several reasons why you might decide to train your puppy on absorbent pads instead of eliminating outside. It's appropriate in a variety of situations. Very small dogs, companion dogs to the disabled, dogs living on houseboats and dogs who travel a lot with their families are all dogs that can benefit from learning to eliminate on pads instead of outdoors.

Things You'll Need

• Potty Pads
• Baby Gate or Small Closed off Room

Instructions

1. 

   Puppies living on houseboats or who travel a lot may need to learn to eliminate on pee pee pads.

   Choose the area that you want to use. The location should be out of the way so as not to interfere with daily activities. An area in a laundry room or near the garage may work. Any area where you might place a litter box would be a good area for a pee pee pad. A guest bathroom may work well.

2. 

   It is beneficial for very small dogs to learn to use pee pee pads so they don't have to walk in high grasses or get their feet wet.

   Place the pee pee pads down on the area you have chosen. If your dog is crate-trained, bring him out of the crate after meals, after naps and after play or training time.

3. Carry your puppy to the pee pee pads. It is important that you do not allow your dog to walk to the pee pee pads by himself because you don't want him to eliminate between the crate and the pee pee pads.

4. Gently put your dog on the pee pee pads and give a command such as "hurry" or "go potty." If your puppy attempts to step off the pee pee pads, gently put him back on and repeat the command.

5. Watch your dog. When he eliminates on the pee pee pads, praise him profusely. Give him lots of praise to show him that he has done a good thing. Do not praise before or during the act, or you will interrupt him. Wait until he has completed the act, then praise him and give a small treat.

Tips & Warnings

• Until your dog is reliably house trained, it's a good idea to put a leash on him and attach the other end of the leash to you. This way, when you see him sniffing and circling -- a prelude to eliminating, you can swiftly carry him to the pee pee pads.

• Some pee pee pad brands are seeded with a scent that will draw your dog to it.

• When your dog urinates on the pee pee pads, do not lift up the pad right away. Leave the urine there to remind him that this is where he needs to go. Once he is reliably using the pee pee pads on a regular basis, you can pick up the pads as he uses them. It's ok to remove solid waste as it is "deposited" for sanitary purposes.

References

• Eukanuba: Housebreaking Your Puppy
• Humane Society of the United States: House Training Puppies

Resources

• U Go Dog: Litter System