"He misses the pad sometimes, but I don't care"

[Katem]

I dogsat once for a 35-40lb dog that was trained to go on pads. The owners dropped her off with a plastic crate tray that I was instructed to line with the pads. Nope. Didn't happen. The dog was treated like an unhousebroken puppy while I had her. Not one accident in the week and a half the owners were gone.

I suppose it wouldn't be terrible for a tiny dog. Not what I would choose to do, but I guess I could understand why someone might use them. But for a larger dog? No way.

 

[SarahHound]

I didn't know people even did that...I thought people only used them for puppies! That's gross

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

Truffles and Pop are pee pad trained. Because sometimes on certain days my aunt's family is really busy and doesn't have time to pet them out during the middle of the day other than their morning/evening walk. Our Chi, Pop, can't hold it that long so he uses a pee pad. We put it in an unused shower booth though so after we take the pad off, if it soaked through or whatever, we just turn the water on and rinse it.

I think it could be useful if you work a 10 hour day or something and can't let your dog out in the middle. Some dogs can't hold it that long. Actually Nia can only hold it for about 8 hrs during the day too, so we have to take turns rushing home to let her go out to potty but even so, I don't like the smell of dog urine coming from inside my house so I personally would not use pee pads. I can see how someone might need it though.

Edit: Truffles and Popcorn know to potty outside as well. It's not like they only use the pads. Actually Truffles almost never uses it unless she really can't hold it which is very very rare. Popcorn seems to have a small bladder and pees a lot during the day so he uses them.

 

[Catsi]

I personally don't use them, my dogs are trained to go outside. I don't have a problem with others using them, it's the similar concept to me as a litter box. As long as they are cleaned up asap and the dogs are trained to go on it, I don't see the problem.

My dogs do go out by themselves, but last thing at night I always make them go out for a last wee walk before I lock up for the night.

 

[Saeleofu]

Tango is litterbox trained, but he only uses it when he has to be crated for long periods of time (the only crate I had available for him is one of Gavroche's old crates). Otherwise he runs out and goes with the big dogs, rain or shine, and does his stuff outside. He does have an accident on occasion, but it's pretty rare anymore.

 

[~Jessie~]

We use those disgusting, nasty pee pads

Seriously, we do.

All five of my dogs are 100% house trained. The chihuahuas go outside to poop/pee just as much as Rory does, and they're expected to poop outside.

However, the chihuahuas pee far more often than Rory. I like giving them the option to have a place to pee if they really need to. We have all wood/tile floors, and the chis pee ON the pads. They don't leak or anything. They don't smell. They're not in the way or anything. Whenever people come over, they always comment on how clean our house is "especially for having 5 dogs."

When we're not home, the chis are confined to an area with access to water and pee pads at all time. It makes me feel better giving my tiny dogs a place to relieve themselves when they need to, rather than having to hold it in.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to pee pads. Either your dog is house broken or it isn't. Whether it's peeing in a yard or on a pee pad... if your dog is having accidents IN the house, it is NOT potty trained and it's the owner's fault and NOT the pads.

Also, we never have any issues going to other peoples' houses. It's no different than being at home. Since my dogs are potty trained, they know not to pee in someone's house. My parents actually request that we bring a couple of dogs with us when we visit with them. lol.

I totally agree with this

 

[JacksonsMom]

LOL, way to bump up my old thread

 

[elegy]

I have big dogs, but I wouldn't rule out some sort of indoor-pottying training with a small dog. I'd probably be more interested in a litterbox type arrangement (it seems like less confusion over where to pee as the substrate is more different), but I can see where it's a very practical answer.

 

[PWCorgi]

We sell dog litterboxes and dog litter at my store and I've talked to a couple people who use them. They all seem really happy with the decision and most would do it again for future dogs. We also have a Cairn Terrier breeder here who sends all her puppies home litter trained.

If I ever wound up with a tiny dog, I'd probably use them, to be completely honest. I would love to have an IG someday, and I'm not going to blame it for not wanting to go outside in Minnesota winter

I figure, we let our cats sh!t inside, it's only fair to offer the same for the small dogs. I wish there was a better system for larger dogs, other than making a huge litterbox, which would be a PITA to clean and maintain. I know I HATE having to pee and not being able to find a bathroom, why would I want my dogs to have to feel the same way if I can avoid it? Plus I think it would decrease some of the urinary issues that some dogs have.

 

[sparks19]

My mom uses pee pads for her shih tzu pug mix now. It's getting harder for her to control her bladder and she has a lot of accidents. She's getting old and has had a lot of problems with bladder stones (two previous surgeries) and she's also becoming a lot more anxious and paranoid in her old age and when she gets stressed she pees small amounts often instead of one big pee. it's like she can't pee if she's stressed so she trickles.

the pee pads give her a place she can go if she can't get outside fast enough. they definitely serve a purpose.

if I thought they would work for belle I would keep one around just in case. Belle has this bad habit of getting up at night if she has to pee and just peeing on the carpet. Why? Id ont' know. she's trained to go outside. any other time she goes. but if there is a day that it's rainy ... she refuses to go and then she has to go in the middle of the night. She won't wake us up... she'll just GO. it's irritating but it's the way she has always been.

 

[Shakou]

Well, Charlotte has a form of anxiety to where she'll pee if we leave her alone or she's in an unfamiliar house. In an ideal world, I'd like her to always go to the bathroom outside, but it's just not something she can control. In the beginning, we were setting down pee pads for her, but she wasn't always using them. So we bought her something called Piddle Pants, and they work GREAT.

 

[Saeleofu]

I have big dogs, but I wouldn't rule out some sort of indoor-pottying training with a small dog. I'd probably be more interested in a litterbox type arrangement (it seems like less confusion over where to pee as the substrate is more different), but I can see where it's a very practical answer.

A litterbox is SUPER conveniet, especially if you use flushable litter. Tango took to it right away - just plopped a turd from outside in the box and he was like "OH okay!"

 

[Saeleofu]

Also when I was dogsitting I was more concerned about eagles, hawks and owls than anything so he pretty much just used the litterbox then.

 

[PitBullLove]

I hate it and I cannot STAND it.

I once handled a lady's three dogs that were between 1-3 years old. We stayed in hotels for dog shows. They would NOT GO OUTSIDE. Put the pads down, they would **** and **** and I would smell it all night and sometimes it would get on the carpet or tile. I don't understand how people can deal with it the dog's whole entire life. If you want to use it for training at first like newspaper fine although I never have and never will use the method, but for adult dogs to be using PUPPY POTTY PADS in the house their whole life is beyond me.

I quit handling dogs for her because of it as a matter of fact.

 

[Locke]

My grandma's small dog uses pee pads and he is about 80% reliable. I wouldn't mind if the pad was in her bathroom or something, but she keeps the pad in her kitchen because that's where he was always going pee...it is seriously gross.

If I ever have a small dog and I'm out of the house for longer than they can reasonably hold it, I'll hire a dog walker.

 

[Dekka]

For all those that are seriously grossed out.... if you were building a house would you make a (nice) outside bathroom, like a stand alone thing, for people?

I have to say with raw fed dogs the smell of people excrement is FAR worse. A small dog turd vs a human one in the bathroom, I would take the small dog turd any day. Esp if its raw fed.

I agree I don't see how its not a big deal for cats to go in litter but OMG horrible if a dog does. My parent's toy dog went on paper (this is before potty pads) and you couldn't smell it unless it was fresh. The dog was 100% reliable and my parents house was super clean and never had an unpleasant odour.

 

[~Jessie~]

For all those that are seriously grossed out.... if you were building a house would you make a (nice) outside bathroom, like a stand alone thing, for people?

I have to say with raw fed dogs the smell of people excrement is FAR worse. A small dog turd vs a human one in the bathroom, I would take the small dog turd any day. Esp if its raw fed.

I agree I don't see how its not a big deal for cats to go in litter but OMG horrible if a dog does. My parent's toy dog went on paper (this is before potty pads) and you couldn't smell it unless it was fresh. The dog was 100% reliable and my parents house was super clean and never had an unpleasant odour.

I couldn't agree more.

We had cats growing up and honestly, cat feces/urine is WAY worse than dog IMO. Most cats are larger than my chihuahuas as well.

I don't understand why credit isn't given to dogs when it comes to being reliably trained with pee pads- it's not rocket science. It's no different than any other TRAINED behavior. Dogs can be trained as service animals to assist people, they can be titled out the wazoo in agility, they can help people on a daily basis with stock work- but apparently the task of peeing on a pad is just too difficult for them to comprehend

Like I said earlier, they're either potty trained or NOT. Whether it's outside or on pee pads- if the dog pees/poops on the floor, then they are NOT potty trained.

Mine have the ability to both, and I'll never have to worry about the chihuahuas being uncomfortable for the sake of saying I don't use pee pads.