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Puppy Pad Training
Puppy pad training consists of training your puppy to relieve himself on strategically placed pads or newspapers.
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You can buy specially treated, scented puppy pads which are impregnated with a scent that attracts the puppy and encourages him to eliminate on it. Alternatively many people rely on newspapers which are relatively cheap and readily available.
The argument against puppy pad training is that you are teaching your puppy that it’s okay to eliminate indoors and so will need to retrain him to go outside at a later date.
Of course it’s not always practical or possible to always be home to take your puppy outside at regular intervals, so puppy pad training can be a useful starting place.
Here’s how to go about it: |
1. Decide where you want your puppy to make his toilet. It might be anywhere in the house, but you want to make sure it’s somewhere easily accessible, where you and the puppy spend time naturally.
2. Show the papers or pads to your puppy by picking him up and placing him on them.
3. Keep a close eye on your puppy, and when you see him circling and sniffing, looking for a place to pee, take him to the pad and place him on it. Wait until he goes. If he wanders off, pick him up again and take him back. You may need to repeat this several times before puppy understands what is required of him.
4. When he uses his pad or paper, praise lavishly.
It’s most important not to get impatient or lose your temper when attempting puppy pad training. Shouting at him will only confuse and frighten the puppy - he doesn’t know he’s doing anything wrong and won’t understand. Shouting at him might even scare him into peeing, which will totally undermine what you’re trying to train him to do.
5. When your puppy is used to using the pads inside, move them gradually closer to the door. 6. Puppy pad training can move outdoors when your indoor pad is as close to the door as you can get it and your puppy is still using it reliably.
Place another pad outside the door and encourage your puppy to use that one. |
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Eventually you can do away with the puppy pad inside the house, and once your puppy has thoroughly learned to go outside to the toilet you can get rid of the outside ones too.
Puppy pad training has its uses and can work well in conjunction with crate training, although because you’re introducing another step between crate training and outside training, housetraining may take longer.
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