# Training to Eliminate On A Pad



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

I'm hoping you fine folks can help because I am at a loss. Our Chuck is housebroken, but we have recently noticed metal posts on our property being bent down. It appears to be from an animal of some kind. We have also noticed while taking him out that he will growl toward the woods and immediately run for the house. This only happens during nighttime walks. We live in a wooded area that just isn't safe for nighttime walks. We have been working with Chuck on using the pads but he only seems to lie on them. He's even eaten kibble off of them. We've tried standing him up and moving him off, but it just isn't working. Any suggestions? Thanks.


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

Also is there such a thing as too long for him to hold his urine? He is being fairly adamant about going outside. The other family members are concerned he will hold it in too long and will then cave and take him outside. I have always thought they would go to the bathroom before causing any harm? I'm just wondering if taking him out rather than consistently using the pad is making this harder?


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## Rowan (May 27, 2011)

dryce said:


> I'm hoping you fine folks can help because I am at a loss. Our Chuck is housebroken, but we have recently noticed metal posts on our property being bent down. It appears to be from an animal of some kind. We have also noticed while taking him out that he will growl toward the woods and immediately run for the house. This only happens during nighttime walks. We live in a wooded area that just isn't safe for nighttime walks. We have been working with Chuck on using the pads but he only seems to lie on them. He's even eaten kibble off of them. We've tried standing him up and moving him off, but it just isn't working. Any suggestions? Thanks.


Here's what worked for me with male MPOOS: when they wee outside, dampen a paper towel with the wee. (Even better is another dog's wee.) Smear that on a piddle pad. If he goes to sniff it, encourage him and if he wees on it, praise and treat (or use a clicker). Alex picked this up really fast, although I only use the piddle pads for emergencies. Or should I say the boys only use them for emergencies. (Ie., I'm working late and my mother can't stop by to let them out, etc.) I'm not sure why, but they won't wee or mark anywhere else in the house (that I know of). 

I keep mine on a tile floor so the splatter, if any, is easy to clean up. I should buy stock in Clorox Green cleaners and Nature's Miracle as I use a lot of both. That and paper towels. 

Adult dogs can "hold it" for a long time (probably 8 hours or more), but I don't like mine to feel forced to if they have to go. I don't have a doggie door as I don't want mine in the yard unattended. Too many things can go wrong. You can also try something like this: http://petapotty.com/products.html or http://www.pottypark.com/

Good luck! Where do you live? I hate to think about what is living in your woods and bending down the fence posts. I watch way too may werewolf movies and read way too many urban fantasies. Poor Chuck!


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

We live in West Virginia. I hate to think of what could be doing it too. I would never let him hold it long enough to cause a UTI, but my family thinks an hour is too long lol. We are trying the paper towel. We had done something similar with the pad, but nothing has worked.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Could it be coyotes or worse? We have lots of coyotes here in the Chicagoland area (I live about 15 miles north of Chicago on the lakefront). Coyotes and foxes and I don't worry about the red fox, but the coyotes are bold and like small dogs. My sister does not leave her dogs in the back yard even tho it's fenced, since the coyotes are behind in the field and she has seen them staring at her little guys thru the fence. Yikes.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Hmmm, guess coyotes couldn't bend it........................ Boy, I'd be curious what was causing that.


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

liljaker said:


> Hmmm, guess coyotes couldn't bend it........................ Boy, I'd be curious what was causing that.


We are very curious. We do have security cameras installed, but have yet to catch anything. We've always been leery. My uncle was outside one afternoon and was approached by an animal we believed to be infected with rabies. My uncle was forced to shoot the dog to keep from being attacked. The policy in this area is not to test unless someone is bitten, so we were never able to confirm. The policies in this area have lead to more problems with the disease. They also do not do enough to enforce leash laws and ensure the proper treatment of animals in this area. A domestic animal isn't bending fence post, but it is still a concern. There have been a few bear reports:ahhhhh:


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

We have recently confirmed that there are two bears in the area. Our neighbor had one dog killed and another severly injured. The poor dog was blinded and the entire side of his face was damaged. He also had 32 of his chickens killed. If it hadn't been for his daughter-in-law paying the 1500 dollar vet bill, our neighbor would have been forced to put the dog down. We tried the paper towel, but he still refuses to go indoors.

I take him with me to home school a friend's daughter. They also have a poodle. He had an accident the other day and she allowed him to smell the paper towel I used for cleanup and placed him on the pad. The next time he needed to go, he returned to the pad. Unfortunately, he won't do it for us. I believe he realizes that my family will eventually take him out, so he holds it. I was out today and they told me they only attempted the pad for thirty minutes before taking him outside. I've told them repeatedly that we cannot continue to do that if we want him to use the pad, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. I am pretty sure the problem here is us, but I'm not sure what to do. They seem to think he is just going to do this on his own here and I know that won't happen. It is becoming very frustrating.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

Here's an idea that may make things easier for Chuck *and* your family! : ) Take the pad outside with Chuck (or have them do that, I suppose). Keep him on leash and take him to a spot where he's comfortable going, preferably as close to the house as possible. Place the pad near him (try putting a little wee on it like you've been doing). He may choose to pee there, and if not, when he chooses to pee on the grass, lead him onto the pad while he's going. Always take him to the same spot, and place the pad in the same spot. He'll probably start to target it. He may feel more comfortable being outdoors. He's just trying to follow the rules after all! : ) Once he's regularly peeing on the pad outdoors, start placing it a little closer to the house, a few inches at a time. It may take a few days or a few weeks, but eventually you'll be just outside the door! The next phase may take the longest, and be more difficult, but start having him go on the pad while you hold the door open, then on the pad in the doorway, then just inside with the door open, until you've got him comfortably going indoors. Keep him on leash for this whole process, until he's going indoors with the door closed. Give him off-leash play only just after he's weed. Bingo! It may take some time, but at least your family will never feel like they're forcing him to do something, or that he's uncomfortable. They can always move at his pace. : )

Also, give him treats when he uses the pad just like housetraining a puppy. He'll come to love using it. : ) And keep a pee-tainted pad indoors at all times, too, probably by the door he usually goes out of to pee. Chances are good he'll decide to use it on his own after enough "practice" outdoors before you've even completed the whole process above! : )


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I seem to have been overruled on this matter. I attempted to reinforce the pad after he had an accident this evening. I cleaned it up allowed him to smell and placed him on the pad. The next thing I know they want to take him outside. I told them that he may find it confusing if we reinforced both, but they took him out anyway. They seem to believe that since he isn't instantaneously taking to the pad, that it isn't working. I keep telling them that nothing works that way with dogs. They have also started leaving food out while I'm at work. I normally take it up after 20 minutes. He has stopped finishing his kibble in the morning and evenings. It has genuinely become frustrating. They seem to have the "I've been around dogs my whole life and I know better" mentality.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Sorry you are having trouble with Chuck and your family and bears. Poodles are so smart that Chuck could figure out both pad and outside. Do what you can.....bears are scarier than accidents or mixed messages.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

We have bears where we live, four were trapped across the street from us over several months. We do not have a fenced yard. When we take Lexi out at night it is on a leash and we stay close to the house where the security lights come on. I would not want to run into anything that bends fence posts! Good luck with Chuck!


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## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We are keeping a pad down at night, but I've found that he is a stubborn little guy lol. He continues to lay on the pads and just overall refuses to go on them. If we put them outside, he will move off of them onto the grass or just stand there if we put him back on the pad. I would love to say my patience won out but it is cold here right now and he seems to be able to win the staring contest at the moment. I took him back to the vet due to his ongoing itching problem. They've put him on a course of prednisone twice a day and thankfully it has stopped the itching for the moment. On the bad side of things, he is drinking a lot more and if we aren't careful he has an accident. He will go for the carpet or vinyl instead of the pad even if it is right in front of him.

The rescue mentioned that he was crate trained when we got him. I never thought much about it, since we never intended to use a crate. I did purchase one in case of emergency when we absolutely could not be with him. The other two adults in the house are retired so they babysit while I'm at work. Despite their stubbornness on the pad issue, I love them dearly and Chuck enjoys spending time with them as well. They've taken to him a great deal since he arrived a little over a month ago.

Anyhow, back to the question. I'm not too familiar with crate training. Is there typically an area within the crate for them to use the restroom? I've seen it set up both ways. Sometimes it is used as a den where they hang out and sometimes a small litter box or pad is used in a portion of the cage.

Would we be able to place a pad inside and leave the door open for him to come and go? I have a suspicion he'd probably end up laying on it. I definitely don't want to confine him. I'm just trying everything to keep him indoors at night. The vet said it can be very difficult to retrain once they are trained to go outdoors. Thanks for all the advice.


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