The Best Way to Use Puppy Pads

A puppy pad is a square pad of absorbent material treated with a scent that attracts and cues dogs to go to the bathroom. When used in conjunction with a behavioral approach and reinforcement, it is an effective tool for house-breaking puppies. Though dog trainers debate its effectiveness, for the average dog owner, a puppy pad is an invaluable potty-training resource that can help transition puppies from going to the bathroom inside to doing so out of doors.

Instructions

1




Set up separate sleeping, eating and potty areas for your puppy.

Place your puppys crate in a low-traffic area. You will need to set up a crate area, a play and eating area, and a bathroom area. If your home is small, keep the crate in a cordoned-off carpet-free area like the kitchen, and place a couple of pads as far away from the crate as your living space allows. If your puppy came from a credible breeder, in addition to being weaned and having its first set of shots, it should be crate trained. Your goal is to teach the puppy that bathroom time follows immediately after crate time.

2

Place a couple of puppy pads in the "bathroom" area. Each time you take the puppy from the crate, place it directly on the pad. Command your puppy to "go potty"--or choose another command that you want your dog to associate with going to the bathroom, like "get busy." If it makes on the pad, reinforce the behavior with praise and a dog treat. If the puppy makes on the floor, remain calm, quiet and clean up the mess. Negative reinforcement like yelling doesnt positively mold behavior and will only frighten your puppy. Each time you take the puppy from the crate, consistently perform the same sequence of steps.

3

Pay attention to your dogs behavior. Dogs usually circle or sniff with purpose when they have to make. Immediately pick up your puppy and place it on the pad. Command it to "go potty" (or "get busy" or whatever). If the puppy makes, reinforce the behavior.

4




Potty training your puppy helps it to understand boundaries.

Maintain consistency with your puppy. Puppies, like infants, adapt their own behavior to boundaries. Feed your puppy at the same time each day. Crate it on a schedule for bedtime and nap time, and reinforce bathroom times. By molding your puppys behavior, you create structure, predictability and security for your puppy. Ultimately, this discipline will lend itself to other behaviors you will need to reinforce during your puppys training.

5

Move the pad location incrementally toward the door that youll eventually use when you let your dog out for bathroom trips. The goal is to move the puppy pad outdoors. If you move the pad too quickly out the door, your puppy may not understand that it should follow. If the puppy makes on the floor after an initial move, return the pad to its initial location and begin the process again. Once your puppy succeeds at making on the pad while it is outside, remove the pad.

6

Continue your puppys bathroom schedule. If you take it to the same location in your yard, it will begin to branch out, finding new areas with new scents, where it will prefer to go to the bathroom.

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