From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

My Puppy is 5-months old and she still goes on the Wee Wee pad. It works out fine, she never has an accident in the house, always goes to her spot to do her business, etc.. Now that the weather is nicer, I was planning on switching the training and teach her to go outside.

For those that did this, what age did you switch & how did you go about doing it?

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

We never used the pads, but from what I understand you do it by bringing the pads outside so that your dog can begin to associate "going" with "outside".

Good luck!!

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

Posted by imthecindyofcindyandkevin

We never used the pads, but from what I understand you do it by bringing the pads outside so that your dog can begin to associate "going" with "outside".

Good luck!!

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

We began by keeping the pad by the door, and hanging cans or bells on the door knob. The dogs would make a sound when we went over to let them out & that began to train them to make the noise intentionally. Then after a few days of that we moved the pad outside the door & the dog could see it so they would hit the bells to be let out.....etc

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

The best way to begin is by consistently bringing her out each morning when you KNOW she has to go. This sort of "forces" her to do her business outside. If she does not go, pick her up and hold her for 5-10 mins until she has to go. Bring her to the same spot each morning. You can bring the pad outside and put it on the ground, but that was not necessary for us. Over the course of the day, the trick is to anticipate when she will have to go, giving her the most opportunities to make outside. We brought Marley out every 2 hrs or so when we were home. Also, watch for signs that she needs to make and bring her outside. Obviously, give her crazy praise or a treat when she makes. Eventually she will prefer to make outside and run to the door. It took about a month and now Marley rarely makes on the pad

ETA: I'm not sure where you live, but I just read some of the other posts and it sounds like there are other methods if you live in a house. I live in an NYC apt, so we can't exactly catch her in the act and bring her outside unless we want an accident in the elevator

Message edited 4/4/2008 4:51:15 PM.

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

I'm about to do this too!! It going to be hard. My puppy is so bad on her leash.

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

Posted by KvsGrl
ETA: I'm not sure where you live, but I just read some of the other posts and it sounds like there are other methods if you live in a house. I live in an NYC apt, so we can't exactly catch her in the act and bring her outside unless we want an accident in the elevator

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

We never used wee wee pads either. We didnt want him to ever think it was ok to go in the house at all so initially we did the old grab him when he squats and bring him outside, then give a treat when he does his thing outside.
Then I found my lifesaver, Poochie Bells. We hung one on the back door and 1 on the front. Every couple of hours Id lead him to the door, ring the bells and walk him outside. With in a week or 2 he was ringin those bells on his own and never had an accident indoors again!
You can do a google search, they work!

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training

My dog is 13 Weeks old. We got her at 10 Weeks and it was still so cold out, so we Wee Wee Pad trained her. She was okay with it, but never seemed very comfortable with the pads. Well, since it has been nice out, we decided to start bringing her out. We bring her out about every 2 hours or so. We bring her out a 1/2 hour after she eats, right when she wakes up and right before we put her in her crate at night. We started writing down everytime we bring her out and if she does #2 or #1. We haven't fully taken away the wee wee pads, but she only uses them about once a day. I plan on taking them away fully at the end of the week. She makes it through the night, thank goodness!! It is tuff brining her out all the time, especially when you just woke up, but It's something that had to be done.
I hated the Wee Wee pads!! They where expensive and ugly. I also didn't like the fact that the dog was doing her business in the house. I can tell she is a lot happier now as well. Good Luck!!

Re: From Wee Wee Pad to Outside Training