Pee pee pads are an excellent tool for potty training, but unless you have a tiny dog, you’ll have transition to full time outside pottying at some point. The question is how to do that successfully. After all, the last thing you want to do is do all the hard work of potty training, only to have it all undone when you try to get rid of the pee pee pads. So let’s take a look at transitioning from pads and how to used them in the first place to make that transition easier.
How to Use Pee Pee Pads
Pads should never be used to train your dog to go potty indoors. The idea for these pads is that they are an outside alternative. This is an important distinction. It can be easy to just rely on the fact that your puppy knows to go on that pad. But the real point of the pad is for emergencies. In most instances, your pup should not ever be going potty on a pad.
Rather, you should take your puppy out every hour and after meals, encouraging him to go potty outside in the grass or designated area. In the perfect world, your pup will rarely go potty on his pee pee pads.
Weaning Your Pup Off of Pee Pee Pads
When people talk about weaning their dog off of pads, they often talk about it as though they’ll be slowly getting their dog off of a hardcore drug. The truth is that it’s a lot easier than you think. In fact, your dog will generally wean himself off of his pads. All you really have to do is keep taking him out every hour and after eating. Continue to encourage him to go potty outside and reward him profusely when he does.
As he grows, so will his ability to hold his bladder. Over time, he’ll require less and less frequent trips to go potty outside. Eventually, the pee pee pad will be nothing more than a floor ornament that you are finally able to pick up one last time.
Pee Pee Pads Are Easy Insurance
Pee pee pads are easy insurance against accidents in the house, and when used correctly, they rarely require any special effort to get them out of the house. As long as you use these pad as a way to avoid accidents in case of emergency – like overnight – and keep your dogs on a regular potty schedule, you’ll be fine. In fact, your dog may not even need them. Some dogs just rock at potty training.
