is an integral part of every new ‘s life. Whether you choose to take the new outdoors or it indoors, the journey can be arduous and rewarding.
When we got our new , Max, home, we were living in an apartment. Going down fifteen floors every few hours in the dead of winter seemed tricky. We decided to try a for our .
Pads
A is essentially an where the can or poop. A new can find at a store or they can make it at home themselves. You essentially need a that is absorbent, it could be towels, newspapers or even turf and grass.
Towels make a great . They are eco-friendly and less expensive but can be messier to clean. If buying, you would want multiple so that you always have one handy while the soiled one is in wash.
A , while more expensive, is low-hassle and easy-to-clean. You can just wrap it and put it away in the trash or in a waste station.
Are Pads a Good Idea?
Ideally, should take place outdoors since that is where you would eventually want the to go . However, depending on your unique circumstances, you may want to use .
As mentioned, we lived in an apartment at the time our came home. If a is elderly, physically bound or living in a place where the outdoors are not easily accessible, investing in a can be a life-saver.
How Do You Train a to on a ?
A needs to be monitored carefully for any signs of it needing to do its business. Max would start sniffing the floor, whining or going around in circles. We learned to recognize these signs and rush him to his pronto.
Having regular mealtimes for him also meant that we were familiar with his schedule and would walk him to his fifteen minutes after meals.
Apart from that, we took Max to his after a nap, a drink of water, or any rigorous playtime.
If you are wondering after you walk your to them, it is nothing different from what you would do outdoors. Wait for your to start its business and issue a standard command just when it begins.
For example, if you say ‘Go potty’ every time your relieves itself, it will soon form the association between the command and its action. Keeping the on a helps it focus on the task at hand.
Once it does its business, offer your an instant reward. It can be a treats kept handy at the or it can be lots of praise and love.
Be consistent, going to the same spot at the same times, and issue the same command until your pooch figures out what you want.
Should I Use Pads at Night?
When Max came home, I was struck by the question that should I wake my up to at night?
Eventually, we decided to have a handy near Max’s sleeping area for the nights. When Max was about 3 months old, we were setting our alarm for 4hours after his last and we would rush him to his after gently waking him up.
We did have the occasional , but Max learned quickly. With every success, we added an hour to our alarm until Max was sleeping through the night.
How Often Do You Change Pads?
The frequency for changing the depends on what material you are using and the size and age of the . may not hold as much as a commercial can.
A may less, but a large may require more frequent changes of its . An can usually hold its much longer, but a may need a more often.
What Do You Put Under Pads?
Good quality disposable pads are not likely to leak, but if your is large in size or if you are using towels and newspapers, you may use a under your .
A is a non-skid, polished tray that contains the mess and can be washed off quickly. It prevents scratches and doesn’t slip away while your is doing his job.
Should I Put a in my ‘s ?
It is best to have a consistent in the house and put your ‘s there at all times.
You don’t want to put the inside their because you don’t want them to get in the habit of peeing inside there.
It is also important to use a that is appropriately sized for your . If it is too big, your may in one corner and sleep in another. If the is too small, the may feel uncomfortable and develop negative associations with the .
Max, being a Labrador, was going to change size quite a bit from 3 months of age till it grew into an . So we invested in a with a dividing panel that could be opened as the grew.
How Long Should I Use Pads?
An can hold its for six to seven hours and may not need to use a if you can take it outdoors.
Once your has mastered peeing on the , you can slowly start moving its to the outdoors.
Start by gently shifting the closer to the door and then outdoors, so that your starts associating the outdoors with potty breaks.
With Max, we identified a designated outdoors. We would take him on his there as soon as we got out and issue the same command he used to hear at his . As an , Max only used the if we were out for extended periods of time.
As a new , you are going to invest many hours in your . Whether you do this outdoors or opt for should depend on what is most convenient for you in the long run.
Treats, praise and when your does use its will help speed up the process.
At the same time, be patient and understanding. Your little is trying to learn, but may still make mistakes and have the odd .