We have a Yorkee Terrier and have had her two years. We were successful in training her to the training pad within the first month of having her. Since then we've continued to use the pads due to the lack of outdoor use for her and allowing her to be free to roam the kitchen while we are not home.
The problem we've had in about the last month is that she goes to use the pad like normal, but just before using she shifts off the pad covering the floor in lieu of the pad. The pad is replaced regularly and a plastic training pad holder is used to keep the pad in place.
When we can catch her we shift her back onto the pad but we aren't always around during many of her pad uses. Any assistance would be helpful.
J--
Training Pad Regression
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Training Pad Regression
Hi JMIller,
Is there no way you could train her to go outside? Is it unsafe/impossible for some reason?
I was always taught to avoid using puppy pads in 'normal' housetraining situations, as they can confuse the pup - essentially they send the message that it is ok to go inside, which is usually the opposite of what you are trying to teach!
If she can't go to the bathroom outside, I'm wondering if something has changed with the training pads...perhaps a different brand with a new scent/negative experience on them perhaps? (eg scary noise whilst on it etc). Does she seem comfortable using them whilst you are there?
If you need her to go inside maybe you could train her to use a litter tray? That would be much harder for her to move, even if she circles/paws at it whilst getting ready to go.
Good luck! Sure others will be along with more help
Is there no way you could train her to go outside? Is it unsafe/impossible for some reason?
I was always taught to avoid using puppy pads in 'normal' housetraining situations, as they can confuse the pup - essentially they send the message that it is ok to go inside, which is usually the opposite of what you are trying to teach!
If she can't go to the bathroom outside, I'm wondering if something has changed with the training pads...perhaps a different brand with a new scent/negative experience on them perhaps? (eg scary noise whilst on it etc). Does she seem comfortable using them whilst you are there?
If you need her to go inside maybe you could train her to use a litter tray? That would be much harder for her to move, even if she circles/paws at it whilst getting ready to go.
Good luck! Sure others will be along with more help
Re: Training Pad Regression
I think if you absolutely must use an indoor toilet system for her, you need to use a proper litter tray, not training pads.
Dogs don't realllly learn 'I should not go in the house', what they learn is 'I should go on this surface that feels like *this* under my paws and smells like *this* to my nose...' and unfortunately a plastic and man-made fibre training pad impregnated with chemicals, that is soft and flat and plasticky... is incredibly similar to many typical floor coverings like vinyl, laminate, etc - and smells very similar too!
Shes very likely struggling to discern the difference between pad and floor, if her front paws are on the pad she thinks 'hey, its all good im doing this right'..
So the goal now needs to be to teach her to go in a litter tray that she CANNOT possibly step out of and accidentally pee or poop on the floor. Ideally you'll use a substrate in there that is like something she may find outdoors to deal with the scent aspect and so that should you have the opportunity later on in her life to teach her to go outdoors, thas easier to achieve.
I would think that a litter tray with a very well defined edge to it, more like a cat litter tray (around 3" deep minimum), raised up another inch or so off the floor, so you've a total of 5 or 6" from floor height to top of the tray edge (but the tray is really still only a couple of inches off the floor) and filled with peat or a mix of peat and sand, or something similar.
Thats your end goal - however if you provide that set up right now she's not going to pee in it!
Step 1/ Provide her with a high edged litter box - see if she will use that with a puppy pad in the bottom of it. If she will, great, if she won't then use a hot knife or dremel and cut away the edge at the front so its a little lower for her (sorry this means you will need to buy another probably!).
Step 2/ Get her hopping into the litter box with all sides full height if you did have to cut the first one down, or if she was fine with that, raise the box by standing it on something (ensure she cannot tip it off or over!)
Step 3/ You can now either, raise the box some more OR, start to gradually add a small handful of peat/dirt/sand to the tray every few days. For now, change out the pad each day, but only change out the dirt/sand/peat every four or five days (yes it will get a little stinkier than normal but its not the end of the world!).
Step 4/ When she's peeing/pooping on a decent layer of dirt sprinkled on top of the puppy pad, now you start cutting down the size of the puppy pad you put in there, so it doesn't fill the whole tray - here you can probably get away with cutting it in half, and then half again in a few days and so on until you have no puppy pad in there.
Step 5/ Tray should now be at the goal height, and you should be on dirt/peat/sand - NOW you can start cleaning the tray out a little more thoroughly - I would still keep back a small amount of the old contents each day - probably I would pick up poos and scoop obvious wet bits each day and top up with more litter, but only do a full clean out once a week. If you go crazy and clean it out sparkling clean every day you will be removing her scent and this could set her back, which we don't want.
You will NEED to be there for the first stages of this, 24/7, so introduce the change on a friday night after work and do NOT leave her alone until shes happily going in it and there are no accidents. Reward her super well every time she goes in it. If you go slow enough you should be able to do step 1 in a weekend, and I would arrange to do each new step when you have a day or so at home to supervise before shes left alone with it, as the more accidents she has on the floor, the harder it is to fix!
Dogs don't realllly learn 'I should not go in the house', what they learn is 'I should go on this surface that feels like *this* under my paws and smells like *this* to my nose...' and unfortunately a plastic and man-made fibre training pad impregnated with chemicals, that is soft and flat and plasticky... is incredibly similar to many typical floor coverings like vinyl, laminate, etc - and smells very similar too!
Shes very likely struggling to discern the difference between pad and floor, if her front paws are on the pad she thinks 'hey, its all good im doing this right'..
So the goal now needs to be to teach her to go in a litter tray that she CANNOT possibly step out of and accidentally pee or poop on the floor. Ideally you'll use a substrate in there that is like something she may find outdoors to deal with the scent aspect and so that should you have the opportunity later on in her life to teach her to go outdoors, thas easier to achieve.
I would think that a litter tray with a very well defined edge to it, more like a cat litter tray (around 3" deep minimum), raised up another inch or so off the floor, so you've a total of 5 or 6" from floor height to top of the tray edge (but the tray is really still only a couple of inches off the floor) and filled with peat or a mix of peat and sand, or something similar.
Thats your end goal - however if you provide that set up right now she's not going to pee in it!
Step 1/ Provide her with a high edged litter box - see if she will use that with a puppy pad in the bottom of it. If she will, great, if she won't then use a hot knife or dremel and cut away the edge at the front so its a little lower for her (sorry this means you will need to buy another probably!).
Step 2/ Get her hopping into the litter box with all sides full height if you did have to cut the first one down, or if she was fine with that, raise the box by standing it on something (ensure she cannot tip it off or over!)
Step 3/ You can now either, raise the box some more OR, start to gradually add a small handful of peat/dirt/sand to the tray every few days. For now, change out the pad each day, but only change out the dirt/sand/peat every four or five days (yes it will get a little stinkier than normal but its not the end of the world!).
Step 4/ When she's peeing/pooping on a decent layer of dirt sprinkled on top of the puppy pad, now you start cutting down the size of the puppy pad you put in there, so it doesn't fill the whole tray - here you can probably get away with cutting it in half, and then half again in a few days and so on until you have no puppy pad in there.
Step 5/ Tray should now be at the goal height, and you should be on dirt/peat/sand - NOW you can start cleaning the tray out a little more thoroughly - I would still keep back a small amount of the old contents each day - probably I would pick up poos and scoop obvious wet bits each day and top up with more litter, but only do a full clean out once a week. If you go crazy and clean it out sparkling clean every day you will be removing her scent and this could set her back, which we don't want.
You will NEED to be there for the first stages of this, 24/7, so introduce the change on a friday night after work and do NOT leave her alone until shes happily going in it and there are no accidents. Reward her super well every time she goes in it. If you go slow enough you should be able to do step 1 in a weekend, and I would arrange to do each new step when you have a day or so at home to supervise before shes left alone with it, as the more accidents she has on the floor, the harder it is to fix!
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Training Pad Regression
Thanks for the info emmabeth (even though it wasn't my post lol!)
Love this forum!
Love this forum!
