# She Used The Puppy Pad!



## Athena (Oct 14, 2012)

I know, I know, I know. All dogs do it and they should do it if they are being trained properly.  Buuuuut, I have to brag anyway!  My little Athena! She used her puppy pad properly doing both and made sure she stayed "out" of it! I cleaned it up, and here's to hoping she keeps it up. I'm sorry, but I am SO proud! :apple:


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Is there a reason that she is using a puppy pad and not going outside??


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

llombardo said:


> Is there a reason that she is using a puppy pad and not going outside??


WHile it's great she used the pad for easy cleanup, just be aware that instead of housebreaking your dog, you have now started teaching her it's a wonderful thing to poo/pee in the house (whoohoo, good dog).

And then you will suddenly STOP wanting her to do something that was rewarded and praised (pee pad use) and start only going outside. So you are teaching your clever puppy an in between housebreaking step that you will have to unteach (soon too).

Most of us choose to just teach our pups what we want, them to go to the bathroom outdoors. Period. ANy indoor elimination isn't my goal. 

So I save $$$ and don't buy peepads. Save time by teaching housebreaking from the start with using the outdoors. And end up with a puppy that isn't confused when the rules suddenly change (what, I thought it was ok to go indoors?).

You crate training? Perfect way to teach your pup and help with accidents and cleanup. Click this --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...hat-crate-training-why-put-my-puppy-cage.html

:laugh:


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Why? Last month, I adopted a puppy from a high kill shelter. He is a mix - hound and a lot of other stuff. No GSD. I didn't expect him to be so smart - especially after my shepherd, but he is. He never has accidents in his crate and as long as I am on top of it, he has no accidents in the house. If a hound can do this, surely a shepherd puppy can. 

I find pads disgusting. Pee and poop belong outside. Please rethink your method. You will be happier in the long run.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

I agree with the above. I used to use puppy pads. It was very difficult to ween Zeeva off of them; she just didn't get it especially with regard to #2. She had numerous accidents after we stopped using puppy pads. Finally, I had to tether her to me when she wasn't crated and watch her like a hawk in case she got into that crouching poopy position. Even this took a month to teach her why she was tethered to me and lifted mid poop to be taken outside :c It was messy. It was stinky. Frustrating. I know they seem like a good way to keep carpets/floors clean but crating is a better option. 

Remember the most important times a pup needs to go to the bathroom is after a nap, after a meal, after excited play...

I also ended up training her at night also, by taking her out every hour, for a few days, then every couple of hours for a few days, every three hours for the next few days and so on. Believe me it's worth it even though you miss out on sleep. 

I hope this helps...


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

This isn't something I would be bragging about. Your dog pottied in the house. Great. Unless you want your dog to feel free to potty in the house for the rest of her life, stop this right now or it's going to be a bear of a job to teach her otherwise.


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## Suka (Apr 9, 2004)

That's going to be some big stinky poops and pees for in the house when she's a full grown German Shepherd!


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## mocamacho92 (Mar 18, 2012)

I've used pee pads on all of my dogs. I found it easier to teach them to go on the pad first and then shift to outside and it has worked perfectly with every dog I have. It's an easy shift from the pad to the grass outside. So, congrats Athena on your pup using the pee pad!!! Everyone has their own methods that work for them.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

I have a shih-tzu foster dog right now. I actually rescued and adopted her out 2 1/2 years ago, she was housebroken then...well new owner was using puppy pads and now she thinks it's okay to go in the house when there isn't a pee pad around (I'm not putting them down). It's very frustrating!


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## Athena (Oct 14, 2012)

I guess I should have clarified for everyone. She's fully 100% housebroken. My goal was to train her to use a puppy pad while in her crate for when I have to go on overnight trips and our neighbor is taking care of her (again, overnight, not long term) and so far it's working perfectly. No accident in the house, and while in her crate, she uses the puppy pad. I'm not that retarded...loll


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Athena said:


> I guess I should have clarified for everyone. She's fully 100% housebroken. My goal was to train her to use a puppy pad while in her crate for when I have to go on overnight trips and our neighbor is taking care of her (again, overnight, not long term) and so far it's working perfectly. No accident in the house, and while in her crate, she uses the puppy pad. I'm not that retarded...loll


Just saying, if you had her 100% housebroken, and the entire point of crate training is to teach them to hold it and NOT go in the crate.... to me you have backtracked and untrained all the great housetraining.

To you, you've trained her to go on the pad. But for the pup, they may be learning going to the bathroom in the crate/house is just fantastic!

When I have to go on overnight trips, I just have my friends take my crate trained dog into their home while I am gone! The reason I train my dogs in the first place. So my friends will take my dogs when I have to leave, and I will take their when they are out of town.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

You want to train her to go in her crate?

Dogs are born with the instinct not to soil where they lie.
That is why crate training is done, to take advantage of this built-in thing. 

The caretaker should let the dog out to do her business outside.
Crates are for holding it, not for toileting.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> Just saying, if you had her 100% housebroken, and the entire point of crate training is to teach them to hold it and NOT go in the crate.... to me you have backtracked and untrained all the great housetraining.
> 
> To you, you've trained her to go on the pad. But for the pup, they may be learning going to the bathroom in the crate/house is just fantastic!
> 
> When I have to go on overnight trips, I just have my friends take my crate trained dog into their home while I am gone! The reason I train my dogs in the first place. So my friends will take my dogs when I have to leave, and I will take their when they are out of town.


And it really isn't fair to a pup to be crated for such a long time. How is that beneficial to her muscle tone and her mentalwell being?


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## Athena (Oct 14, 2012)

Well, I'm sorry the method hasn't worked for some of you. For me, it has. She used the puppy pad in her crate, and doesn't have any issues in the house. Maybe I just got lucky! It's a large crate, so she has more than enough room to lie without being in her stuff. And my caretaker does let her out, however to make it easier on him if she has any accidents/he runs late, he can clean it easily. When we go for longer periods, we have a different method. To each their own.


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