Pee pad help!

[11madmic]

I have a 12 week old pup and for various reasons I decided to train on a pee pad. (Piddle Place Pet Toilet | Dog Turf | Puppy Potty | Official Website) that is the one i got. and at first my little Obi used it and a few times after. id say at first the success rate was 50% of the time he went was on the pad. but now im lucky if its 10 or even 5% he just goes next to it. i cleaned it and everything. i am trying to do the praise and reward technique and "redirect him" but if he wont go on the pad at all i cant reward what he doesnt achieve. also i watch him like a hawk, as soon as he starts circling and smelling i take him on our balcony to use the pad. and as soon as he starts "going" i immediately lift him up and place him on the pad and he wont even finish on the pad instead he waits few minutes and continues his business somewhere else. at this point i am not really sure what to do. any suggestions?

[Nina_W]

take him to the pad on a schedule (or at the first signs of sniffing/looking for a place to go), and keep him in the pad, calmly, until he does business. Helps a lot if it's in a corner.

Then, if after ten minutes, there's no business, put him in a crate or on lead near you, wait fifteen minutes, and try again.

Once you get business, you can reward.

Typical times that they need to go is after waking up, after playing, after eating.

You must not let him walk free and unsupervised until this is reliable, because it makes the whole process that much slower.

You also have to clean up everywhere else your pup has done business very, very thoroughly.

[11madmic]

i tried this today. 30 min on pee pad and no suceess then half hour in cage a repeated 3 more times and still nothing and then as soon as i gave up hope. and as we were walking from the balcony inside, he pees but NOT on the pee pad. so frustrating. im at a loss. :/

[Nina_W]

i tried this today. 30 min on pee pad and no suceess then half hour in cage a repeated 3 more times and still nothing and then as soon as i gave up hope. and as we were walking from the balcony inside, he pees but NOT on the pee pad. so frustrating. im at a loss. :/

I'm so sorry, it really is frustrating! But you must not give up hope. They can be trained! Do you have a crate?
You will get there! Really, I promise!

Set yourself a time limit, say ten minutes by the pee pad, then into the crate (or even, on your lap, where you can really, really be sure they won't pee) then wait a bit (a few minutes) then try again.

If they start peeing, you can often interrupt them by picking them up. Go straight to the pee pad and wait (for 10 minutes, or however long you decided, then try again).

Be calm, be boring. It helps if you pick a word like 'do your business' or 'pee-pee' to encourage them with, eventually they learn what the word means.

It may also help if you make the pee pad smell right - place some poop on it for a bit, or rub some pee on it with the rag you're using to clean up messes.

Most of them do give some sort of signal that they're about to go. Mine sniffs, but some circle. With pugs, the sign is often very subtle, which makes it harder for us - but it is there, if you watch them closely.

Does anyone else perhaps have other things to try?

[po3try]

is he peeing the same place every time? move the pee pad there? *


*not in the least helpful i'm very sorry.

[AmyR]

I bought a spray which encourages them to wee (doesn't work for number 2s!) in a certain spot. It worked like magic, bought from a local per store. Then taught him a word to associate with going to the loo and went from there.
I actually used it the other day coz I was majorly late for work and little Mr was faffing about (lateness was 100% my own fault). He watched me spray it then looked at me as if to say "seriously? I'm 2 now, I know what you want me to do. I'm just not ready to have a wee yet, hold on" :)

[11madmic]

not the same spot, its just like he goes wherever he has that urge, but he can hold it in for hours even all night. i put him to his crate at 10pm and then let him out at 6 and i wake up to let him out in the middle of the night but he just looks at me and continues to sleep so i stopped waking up, i check his crate and no pee or poo which is nice. i removed all the rugs in the home (we have hardwood floors) so he would be discouraged on going but didnt help although it will save the rugs and is way easier to clean thoroughly. i think ill have to get something that will entice him to use that pad. and im considering getting those disposable pee pads to at least get him used to relieving himself somewhere specific. i hope just one day it just clicks for him. i have about 11 months for him to get completely trained (14 months old at that point) or im not sure what ill be doing (moving to an apartment). its like he does this on purpose really. i taught him some commands in minutes like sit. but when it comes to this i just cant get him to go AT ALL on where he should. ill keep everyone updated and will always appreciate more advice. but i think its going to be a long time till this cute dumby will be trained :P

[11madmic]

update: i dont know how it happened but today we are 4-2 with the pad!! i cant believe my eyes to be honest. i finally got him to go once and gave him his favorite treat not even a second after he finished. also i put a toilette paper with his urine on it on the pad, gave him a spot to smell and when he didnt use the pad i put him in his cage for 30 min and as soon as he got out, he used the pad. miracles can happen! and so fast too :P just got to keep it up!

[Zxzm83]

update: i dont know how it happened but today we are 4-2 with the pad!! i cant believe my eyes to be honest. i finally got him to go once and gave him his favorite treat not even a second after he finished. also i put a toilette paper with his urine on it on the pad, gave him a spot to smell and when he didnt use the pad i put him in his cage for 30 min and as soon as he got out, he used the pad. miracles can happen! and so fast too :P just got to keep it up!

Sounds awesome. The rush you get when your dog picks up something that you've been trying to train is phenomenal.

[Nina_W]

update: i dont know how it happened but today we are 4-2 with the pad!! i cant believe my eyes to be honest. i finally got him to go once and gave him his favorite treat not even a second after he finished. also i put a toilette paper with his urine on it on the pad, gave him a spot to smell and when he didnt use the pad i put him in his cage for 30 min and as soon as he got out, he used the pad. miracles can happen! and so fast too :P just got to keep it up!

I am so glad! Yay!

There will be bad days again, but progress is awesome!