Anyone use potty pads when they are not home?

[Lowriders in Ohio]

As everyone has seen, potty training Sammy has been a work in progress.  He is really doing great when we are home.  He is going to the door and sitting there to let us know he needs to go out.  He is also responsive to the command to "go potty" once he gets outside.  Overall, very good progress.

However, when we are not home, Sammy and Oscar have accidents in the house.  Sometimes, it happens when we are only gone for an hour or so.  We don't crate our boys.  Could I put down a potty pad when we are not home?  I thought I could put them in their favorite accident spots.  Would that just encourage pottying in the house?  What if I put it by the backdoor where we let them out?  We are tired of cleaning up the mess when we get home, and our poor hardwood floors cannot take any more abuse!  I would appreciate any advice.

[Madderoos Mom]

Oh yes!  I have pee pads (about 4 big ones) spread all over the house.  One problem......the girls prefer the carpet.     I saw some spray at Petco that is supposed to attract them to the pads.  Anyone have any success with the pee pee spray?

Lowrider, how about an x-pen with pee pads in them?  Then they are confined (you can make the area pretty large with an x-pen) but not crated. 

[Roberta]

Hi, do you get them to go just before you go out, that might cut down the acidents.
Yes we use them for Amy, but since I've retired there is always someone  here  most of the time. We had a doggy door in Melbourne , but she was scared to go out when we were not at home........don't ask why. Mind you Amy can hold it for about 7-8 hours as she rarely goes out in the middle of the night.
I found they are the same as incontiant pads for beds, so I used to buy a box of 25 this worked out way cheaper than the vet or pet shop.
roberta
ps Oliver has never used them and is he is bursting when we get home he runs to the door and whinges. We don't leave them out door access here when we are not arround due to snakes.

[papbouv]

I think potty pads confuse them they are going inside the house it is ok to go in the house on a potty pad it's ok to go outside too.Why bother to go outside when it is ok to go in the house. If you live in a very cold area I think if you put a potty pad in one place near the door they go out to go potty that would work. But when you put them all over the house means to them I can go potty in the house if you have the room for it you could set up a potty area in one area of the house. Exercise pen is a great idea or large crate if they are going all over in the house you need to go back to potty training 101 they are not house broken yet. How old are they?

[Teresa]

We used them inside at the condo when we weren't home. Here we have the doggy door. Occasionally, when we have days on end of rain, I will use them and Schatzi will go to them. I, too, use the generic brand of the incontent bed pads. They are much larger, maybe 30x24, and about $6 for 18 of them. You could try the spray from Petco and see if it would work. I know Patty has always used them with her boys, too. She uses the washable ones.
Teresa

[JetEd73]

I use training pads with Carmen the pup. I put them right by the doggie door, sometimes she uses the pads, sometimes she goes out the doggie door. Personally, I'd suggest going to the pet store and getting a couple of the taller baby gates and confine the boys to the kitchen when you are not home.

something like this....the nice ones with an opening door so you don't have to put them up and take them down all the time.

http://www.petco.com/product/10774/Four-Paws-Walk-Thru-Metal-Gate.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

Then go to CVS or Wal-Greens and get some of the cheap $10-$15 pet beds. Dogs sleep most of the time when you are gone. It won't be a real big change from their normal pattern so I should work out nicely. There is no reason for them to have the run of the entire house while you are gone. Put the training pads right by the door.

[peterparker]

I use the potty pads as it gets very cold here in Canada. My success with them is minimal at best. I leave a pad in the laundry room where he is locked up while we are at work. Sometimes Parker will use it, and sometimes he will pee in his bed, or if there is a pile of clothes on the floor he will pee on the clothes, and sometime on the floor. When we are home, he sometimes will run in the laundry room to use the pad.
I always take him out first thing in the morning, and when we are home every two hours. He takes care of business immediately (it's cold). He always gets treats when he gots outside, and if he goes on the pad he brings it too me to show me that he desserves a treat.
I tried the xpen with a pad in it, and he shreds the pad, and pees on the blankets.
I think what I have done is really confuse the little guy, but he just can't be taken out some days because it's 40 below.
I also think part of it is a marking territory issue. I always have "marking" issues when we have visitors.

[Brekkesmom]

It rained yesterday for at least 6 hours straight and was still raining when we went to bed.  I put pee pads down so there will be an "on-purpose" in a better spot than an accident.  Mine had several accidents yesterday, and I think it was the rain and general stubbornness.

One thing I do that might help - if there is an accident, I put a central part of the potty pad into it, and then put it where I want results, so they realize "oh, Mom wants that to go here"!

[Dianne]

Yes, thank goodness!

Ken and I are gone all day at work and our home's lay-out will not support an always available doggy door.  Therefore, we use potty pads!

First, the 3 kids are restricted to the family room which has a tile floor and is where we spend most of our at home and evening time.  They have full use of their doggy beds and the sofa so they are quite happy here. We also keep a fresh water bowl here at all times.

There are several specific areas where we locate the potty pads.  These are somewhat out of the way and private and seems to suit the kids as well.  Some days there is nothing to clean-up...other days, they have all been well-used.

Access to the rest of the house is blocked by a large, free-standing wooden dog fence with a gate that I purchased on sale (and with free shipping) from Orvis last Christmas.  This has worked great.

This has also helped potty training.  I am currently on medical leave so I am home through the end of the year.  The kids have not had an accident nor used the pads since I have been home and I think it has to do with a "well-trained" human and access to the outdoors.

Good luck!

Dianne

[doxielady5569128]

The only thing that got Porky to quit pottying in the house (besides a strict potty schedule) was by keeping him in his crate when we were gone.  If we were gone longer than an hour, he got put in the kitchen.  The space was small enough he didn't want to potty there and mess it up.    He has been accident free for 3 years!!   I agree that potty pads can be confusing making the dog think its okay to potty in the house.    Plus Porky knows that even if he doesn't want to go out in the rain, cold, snow, wind, whatever....his mean mommy will take him out on a leash and wait until he goes.    I hope you find something that works for all of you!

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

I think potty pads confuse them too, but I don't know of a good alternative? I thought of using potty pads at one time, I work at home so am with Hallie all the time but for the few times I have to leave her longer than a couple of hours it would be nice to not have to have someone come let her out. But she is 110% reliable and never has accidents in the house (or anyone elses house) and we go to different houses and buildings all the time I didn't want her to confuse something she came across in another house with where her pee pads would be. I couldn't even get her to poop in our small outdoor potty house because she didn't think it was OK to potty in there even though it was on grass (thus the big poopatorium which there is no question it's OK). I did a few years ago teach her to pee on the cement because if we were at a dog show or shopping, etc and all there was was the parking lot I wanted her to be able to pee, it took a lot of convincing but she now will pee on command on concrete only down side is if it's raining she will pee on the concrete outside at home (concrete before you get to the lawn part of the yard) which is no longer a problem since I carry her out to the poopatorium, but it shows how easily they can get confused on what is OK and what isn't. So I abandoned the pee pad idea.

But our situation is different than yours, potty pads may be your only answer. I would use potty pads before I would a doggie door, I would never trust a dog outside without being home to watch them, dogs get stolen out of their yards (a few years ago we had 5 dogs at different homes in town stolen from their yards in broad daylight) and if the dog barks and bothers neighbors the fear of someone throwing poison over the fence, etc. Have you thought about the indoor potties that have grass? I think it might be hard to keep it alive though. How about a doggie litter box, I got one for Hallie when I first got her but she wouldn't use it again I think because she didn't think it was OK since it was in the house but being in a "container" it might be a little more clear that it is ok to go in there, but not out here...I had also thought of partitioning off a little area and putting the litter box in there to make it even more clear this is the only spot it's OK to potty in.

Let us know what you end up doing Ill be interested to hear.

[Frankys_mom]

We have successfully used potty pads for years!  I work 10-12 hours days, and there are times when my husband cannot get home in the afternoon to let them out, so the pads work perfectly.  Our kids do not get free run of the house while we are away.... they have access to the kitchen, foyer, laundry room and bathroom.  The pads are only put down when we are gone and they never pee in the house unless the pads are down.  In our case, its just not fair to ask them to "hold it" for such a long time, but they really do try.  Franky is one who will sometimes pee on the pad even if I'm just gone 1/2 hour, but he never misses the pad, so its easy to clean up.

Most pads are already scented to attract them to the spot and not confuse them that its OK to go on anything, anywhere.

Good Luck!
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