Teaching a dog appropriate behavior can be a difficult task, especially when potty training him. And that's where dog training pads come in handy.
For people that live in high rises or other places where taking their puppy outside for training can be problematic, dog training pads may be the perfect solution to their problems. Dog training pads are also good for those times when you just can't make it home it time and your dog has no place else to go.
Dog training pads let you train your puppy inside by giving him a specific place to go inside the apartment. This is much better than the old way of using newspaper. To help with the training, you can also buy chemicals that you sprinkle on dog training pads to help your dog recognize that the pad is the spot to urinate or do their business.
Some training pads have already been treated with a chemical that stimulates the bladder of the puppy. This stimulation triggers your puppy to want to pee. The benefit of the training pad over newspaper that many people use is that it trains your dog to want to keep coming back to the same place to pee.
Puppy Pads Are Good For Owners As Well
Puppy pads are also good for owners, especially new owners of dogs. They help to control the germs and bacteria that occur when your puppy has to go. With newspaper, it's easy for unsanitary conditions to thrive. Puppy pads will reduce the amount of bacteria that otherwise would easily be spread around the home or evaporates into the air.
Puppy Pads Resources
Dog training pads will typically come in packs of 10, 20, or 40 pads. They will come in different sizes as well. So, if you have a large dog that you're potty training, make sure that you are getting pee-wee or small pads. For an example of inexpensive training pads take a look at www.cheappuppypads.com.
Another good alternative to newspaper is a system such as wizdog.com. This consists of a plastic pan and fitted grates. According to the manufacturers, "waste dispenses through the grate onto newspaper or a pee pad, separated from your dog's paws - No more wet paw tracks throughout your house! Solid waste stays on top of the grate, so you never have to touch it. Just flip the grate, and it's gone.". Other manufacturers have similar products.
Different brands of puppy pads have different sets of advantages. For example, some have a plastic lining or other type of lining that fits under pad. This is great because it prevents urine from seeping through and damaging your floors or carpeting.
4 Signs That Your Puppy Needs to Go
Just like a child, a very young puppy's body hasn't yet matured enough to be able to control his elimination processes. But there are typical times that the average puppy feels compelled to "go". So, to minimize "accidents", you'll have to watch for these signs:
1) When he first wakes up in the morning
2) Approximately 15 minutes or so after a meal
3) After a bout of medium to strenuous exercise
4) Whining of scratching at the door
Initially, the most important thing required to properly potty train your puppy is consistency. Immediately after eating or drinking, he should immediately be taken to the proper place to do his business. Don't let him play first or do other things until he does what he is supposed to. Only then should you give him the freedom to do other things.
If he doesn't have to go after a certain amount of time, take him back to a place where you can watch him carefully. And at the slightest sign that he is ready to go, take him back to the potty pad and repeat the process. And, don't forget to give them plenty of praise when they go in the right place. Gradually, he will learn what he is supposed to do.
Problems With Using Dog Training Pads
There are drawbacks to using dog training pads. If your puppy learns to eliminate on these pads, he may become confused when eventually taken outside to do his business, which will require a bit more re-training to teach him to eliminate outside instead of inside. Therefore, for as little confusion as possible, wean him from the dog training pads as soon as you're able to.
So even though dog training pads are a good alternative to newspaper and the like, unless there's a good reason for training your dog indoors, you should avoid the pads and instead train him to go outside.
Watch Your Temper. No Yelling
In the course of training your puppy, there will be puppy accidents. In the beginning, puppies are learning. They don't know where it's appropriate to go. That's why they have to be trained.
Just accept the fact that accidents are part of the training and you'll be ok. There are plenty of products on the market for cleaning up after an accident. Simply get one with enzyme action. Eventually, the mistakes will dissipate and your puppy will be trained.
And never use punishment for house training. It doesn't work. More often then not, it will simply encourage him to "go" when you're not around. If you catch him in the act, just say "no" firmly, so he knows not to do it. But don't yell, shout, or get angry. It's counter productive. It can even make him more likely to pee nervously.
Porch Potty - An Alternative To Puppy Pads
As previously mentioned, you want to be careful about having your puppy get too used to peeing on puppy pads. One good alternative is to use a porch potty. Most of these porch potties come with artificial grass. The artificial grass on these types of potties helps to get the puppy used to urinating in an outdoor atmosphere and on grass.
So, when you finally make the transition to taking your dog on walks to the park, its much easier for him to adjust and understand what he is supposed to do.
Some of the top end porch potties come with their own built in drainage features. This helps to eliminate most of the clean up that you have to perform on cheap porch potties or puppy pads.
What About Dog Diapers?
Some puppy owners think about putting their puppies into doggie diapers, especially if the puppy is prone to urinate when excited. However, dog diapers are really meant for older dogs or dogs who have incontinence problems. If used with a young puppy who is not yet house trained, diapers may actually slow down his house training development.
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