(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best dog training pads & trays

He has un-learned that it's nice to be clean. He needs to re-turn it, so you need to change your set up.

I always tell people to buy the tall Iris pet pen.Then get a mesh potty pad or fake grass pet potty - personal preference here, you just have to get something where they can't get to and shred the pad.

Put the crate in the back of the pen - start without bedding - and then put the potty thing right in front of it. Now we've created two clear zones - a comfy sleeping zone and a pee zone. By sleeping and peeing on both surfaces, their stupid little brain eventually is like "I can pee somewhere other than where I sleep. Huh. It's kind of nice not to sleep in my pee." They sometimes start to sleep on the potty thing, but don't worry about it, it's still part of the process. Eventually, when they seem to have the idea, try introducing a little bit of bedding back in and BE CRAZY ABOUT WASHING IT. If there is a drop of pee on the bed you can backslide. So wash wash wash so it stays clean and fresh (towels or sheets are a good/cheap way to start). Over time, you can introduce good bedding.

Remember, IGs have bladders the size of acorns, so they have to pee all the time, basically. A lot of people have success with the pen set up forever, and others can take them out enough to phase back into crates.

But right now, you need to give them the opportunity to re-learn how nice it is to be clean.

A side note, buying a dog from a good breeder who potty trains them - or at least you are 100% sure they're not raised to pee where they sleep - goes a long, long, long way in this.

He might be trying to mark the house. Does he lift his leg and pee on things or just pee straight on the floor? If you haven't been there long, there could have been someone with a dog in there before who peed everywhere and they didn't use an enzyme cleaner.


Unless you see him actually peeing inside and correct him within 30 seconds-1minute, using an upset voice isn't going to mean "potty inside = bad" its going to mean "what ever I was doing 30 seconds ago = bad". Keep him in the same room as you and keep an eye on him until you've solved the peeing problem.
When you catch him peeing, sternly say "NO" or "BAD" and take him outside right away. Praise when he goes outside.


Make sure you clean up the pee and use an enzyme cleaner so the smell goes away. You should be able to get this at any pet store. I've used Nature's Miracle and Simple Solution.

You could also get him a diaper, puppy pads, or the puppy potty patch. When my maltese was a puppy we put the puppy pads down by the door we always take him out. That got him used to going to that area if he needed to pee.

Take him out the same door everytime to go outside to potty. That way walking to that door means "I get to go outside". You could also get a jingle bell and put it by the door and have him jingle it everytime you are taking him out to potty. That trains going to the door, but if you're not in the same room as the door, you'll hear the bell.

If you can't keep an eye on him, give him something tasty and put him in his crate with it. Kongs are awesome for this, you can stuff them with peanut butter or cheese and treats. This will also enforce that the crate is a good place for him to stay when you start your new job and can't be home with him.

I hope this helped! Let me know if I can help more :)

Wee mats are a great training aid for house breaking a dog. Here is an example of what they look like: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dry-Tech-Doggie-Pads-pack/dp/B0079ZXJRK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_8.

You'll be able to pick them up at any good pet store. What you do is put the mat near the door to the backyard and in the beginning when you think your dog needs to go to the toilet (there are usually signs like moving in circles, sniffing the floor, etc) just place the dog on the mat. He'll try to walk away at first but just keep placing him on the mat. Eventually he'll go on the mat and when he does priase him like crazy like he's just won a gold medal. If there are no signs just put him on the mat 30 mins after a meal or something like that. Don't give up - put him on the mat and when he tries to walk away just keep putting him back on until he goes.

After doing this a couple of times the dog will begin to realize that weeing/pooing on the mat means getting praised. Soon, he'll do it on his own and the first time he does that just go crazy with the good boys and all that. He'll soon learn weeing/pooing on a mat is the only acceptable place to go. If he does it elsewhere (and he will at the beginning) just ignore. Only praise when he goes on the mat.

Once he goes on the mat everytime move the mat outside and gradually move the mat away - now he's weeing outside. Keep up the praisig.

I'm toilet training my pup at the moment - he picked up the mat routine in about two days and now, bar a couple of accidents, always goes on the mat by himself.

Oh and the mats absorb the wee so no mess or smell.

These are actually reusable crate pads. And I love them! I was having the same issue with fleece. Hair does occasionally stick to these but much less than fleece. I usually will give them a good shake before I put them in the wash and it gets rid of most hay and fur. I use cut up potty pads in the high traffic corners mostly for ease of cleaning as s’mores like to go wee in certain spots. I will post the amazon link below. :)

EZwhelp 27.5" x 29.5" (Value 2-Pack) Machine Washable, Reusable Pee Pad/Quilted, Fast Absorbing Dog Whelping Pad/Waterproof Puppy Training Pad/Housebreaking Absorption Pads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LYA66RG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wVczCbDXAWXEX

Try the puppy pad thing, just clean up after him next time he goes and put a training pad down. He might have 4-5 spots or more, put em everywhere. My boy eventually boiled it down to two spots, and I just treat it like I would changing his diaper, except without the mess. We tape the pads in place, since cats tend to hit the walls as much as the floor., and he does try to ‘bury’ his mess, so the tape keeps him from moving it. He’s a very strong cat, but two strips of duct or gaffers tape can foil him, one up top on the wall and one on the bottom edge on the carpet. The pad does an amazing job of keeping his paws cleaner than if he’d used the litter boxes. I’ve got 12 years of this under my belt, so if you want any possible unique tips I might have left, just ask. Hard to tell when one is duplicating troubleshooting

Mine seems to have the same chewing abilities as yours. It's impressive and soooo expensive! I have tried antlers before and she went thru it in about 30 minutes, so never again. Himalayan dog chews were a joke.

Luckily she likes food quite a bit and is happy with frozen kongs or similar, and doesn't chew on them. Thank god. But I also give her real bones like these and let her chew on them for 12-20 ish minutes to help clean her teeth a few times a week.

I know some people won't give dogs bones but she just destroys everything else so quickly, and I think as long as you aren't letting dogs chew on them for hours at a time and replace them when needed they're okay.

She also only gets her food in treat dispensing toys (or in training) since she eats SO fast.

My partner and I have a 5 month old Vizsla and we struggled with the same transition. Once he completed his vaccinations, he went from peeing in a tiled outdoor space on a second floor to having to pee outside on a leash. We have no yard.

First, let me say it was hard, and we like you had regret, but you’ll get there. There were four major things we did.

1. He learned to pee on a turf potty pad. We started the transition by taking the potty pad outside and having him pee on the pad on our concrete.
   
   
2. When we were home we took him out constantly. Probably every 90 minutes.
   
   
3. We gave him tons of treats and praise when he did pee on the pad outside and then eventually on grass. 5 to 10 treats and a very happy “yes, good boy, go potty!”
   
   
4. From day 1 when he learned to potty on the potty turf pad we used the command “go potty” and gave treats, so when we transitioned outside we’d use the command.
   
   It’s possible our fake turf pad helped him transition to grass, here’s an example if you want to consider it. PawHut 24" x 20" Portable Potty Training Dog Toilet Fake Grass for Dogs and Small Animals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A1FQ0D4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lcrYDbR0ZYTHJ
   
   We live in a very urban area so I spent sometimes up to 20 minutes on the sidewalk with only a small patch of grass or dirt around a tree, begging him to go potty. People would walk by and give me words of encouragement, especially seasoned dog owners. Happy to pass it on!

Here's my setup for my 12 weeks old golden pup.

I put this waterproof tarp from amazon underneath the pen. It helps prevent the pen sliding on the hardwood floor too.

I bought this artificial grass on amazon. I have a backyard wood deck so the pee on this grass drains through the gaps. However I do hose down the grass every week and hang dry it.

My pup was was 8 weeks when I got her. I bought a big insulated cooling grocery bag from Costco. Kinda like this but cheaper lol. It's big and cheap, way better than a baby carrier imo.

The neuter with for sure help, my boy was marking EVERYWHERE before I got him fixed, it was a nightmare. I couldn't leave anything on the floor at all and then he just started peeing on my couch instead.

There are a lot of different kinds of piddle pads, they even make some that look like a stand with grass on top that the piddle drains down through and into a compartment for easy emptying. But something like this https://www.amazon.ca/AmazonBasics-Carbon-Training-Puppy-Regular/dp/B071S81VYX/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=puppy+pee+pads&qid=1562987446&s=gateway&sprefix=puppy+p&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
Unfortunately they can get a little expensive. I think some dollar stores may carry them for cheaper, though.

You can get some cheap potty pads that are made for indoor dogs. You can find them at a general pet store. Just potty train your puppy like normal, but move him to wherever specific location you put the pad. I'd recommend just using one and keeping it in the same spot, it helps them to get the idea to do their business in one specific location every time. Makes for cleaning up dog poo in the yard a lot easier.

For a cost-effective way to do this, blacksanglain has a great idea! However depending on the size of your dog, the amount he pees, and how often you clean, pee will start to soak into the grass mat (causing it to smell permanently) and possibly pool enough to soak a paw. If you can find some way to raise the mat up an inch or so do that would help a lot, otherwise I would highly recommend getting a potty patch that collects into a small drawer that you can just pull out and empty each day without moving the grass and base. You still have to clean those often, of course, but I LOVE having a little pull out drawer rather than having to carefully carry a tray of pee. Sometimes it spills. :( Spills won't be a problem with the tub idea, but again, if your dog pees a lot even emptying it out a few times a day the grass mat will start to smell.

Here is a base like I mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Drawer-Toilet-Training-Indoor-Outdoor/dp/B0161WWTQS/ref=sr_1_18?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1482694675&sr=1-18&keywords=potty+patch

If you go with the tub idea and need grass or go with the commercial base and need a replacement (you will within a few months), go to Home Depot and buy a yard or so from a roll of their outside fake grass and cut it to size. Much much cheaper than buying a commercial patch. We just did this and it doesn't seem to drain quite as well, but for the price we can replace it every day and still pay less. We will probably replace every few weeks or so.

We’ve got one of these. I replaced the middle layer with Dri Dek as it holds up to salt water better, tied a line through the layers and toss the whole thing over to soak periodically.
It works great for our little one, though sometimes she gets all four paws on but leaves her arse over the deck, hahaha. Our big guy thinks it’s an abomination, but will still use it when absolutely necessary (he’s a touch private about his business).
https://www.amazon.com/Training-Indoor-Trainer-Outdoor-Restroom/dp/B0771VTC3H

My wife and I found a great solution for squirters:
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Training-Puppy-Pads-Extra-Large/dp/B016C6EJ4S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523106853&sr=8-3&keywords=dog+pads+extra+large

These are very absorbent. Although, my kids asked why we had dog pads since we don't have any pets. We deflected the question :)

In this picture it looks like a bit of turf and a photography backdrop stand.

Depending on how big you are planning on making it, it should be a fairly easy thing to throw together. And as far as using PVC that would probably depend on the size you are planning/how willing you are to throw it together yourself.

• Grass 'Rug'
  
• Backdrop stand
  
  Then just grab a couple large binder clips and you should be good to go.

In all seriousness though you should invest in the hartz dog pads. They do such a good job at absorbing the urine and we can't smell anything either.

Hartz Home Protection Lavender Scent Odor Eliminating Gel Dog Pads - 100 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PG91SR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_c2BHAbC0ETJ09

We by the XL version because it fits the best in the space we have available.

Extra-Large 36" x 28" Puppy Traning Pads for Large Breeds, Pack of 100 by Best Pet Supplies https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VSHS1XZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y1uyDbR0MBHP5

Ferret nation dimentions are 25” by 36” so this should be big enough plus some wiggle room. I also secure mine down with duct tape otherwise they try to dig under them

Definitely try the vet to rule out UTI, but in terms of pee pads they have holder things for them that we used after our dogs ate the first couple pee pads we put down (they luckily also pooped them out...)
Richell Paw Trax Mesh Training Tray, Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MGTQS9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oruVBbE0NQF01
We got that one on Amazon and used it (just hosed off the holder part daily) to stop the pee pad eating issue.
We also only gave them water in their crates so we could tell how much each dog was consuming (we got two at one time and one would drink all the water if they shared).
They seem to have grown out of /been trained out of the issue at this point, but it took a while and a lot of effort and cleanup to get there.

This artificial grass worked really well for my dog: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH9ZLGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used it as the first step toward litterbox training, so I cut the grass to fit and put it inside a litterbox with litter as the absorbent layer in between.

Vet's Best Floor Protection Dog and Puppy Pad Holder, Fits Regular and Large Pads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ETS9GB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zELKAbCN3ZBVA

i have this (among other things) for tug of war https://www.amazon.com/Julius-K9-185LE-30-Leather-Handles-Training/dp/B0063E6W86/ it's holding up pretty good so far and my dog likes the leather to bite into.

One tip I read was to put the patch of artificial turf outside where the dog already readily pees, and have her pee on it there. Then start moving the patch so she knows she's targeting that patch and she gets used to peeing on it.

This is the turf we use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH9ZLGC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edit to add we also took a similar tactic to /u/bojancho and placed treats on the far side of the turf so she'd be motivated to walk on it.

Here's what I used: https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Zen-Garden-Synthetic-Drainage/dp/B00PH9ZLGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468613634&sr=8-1&keywords=Synthetic+grass

And here's a more detailed sample: https://imgur.com/a/kzjQt

Costed about $45 and took me about an hour to cut it to fit. Doesn't interfere with the pedals if you cut it right, I have full travel on all pedals. I cut it into 2 sections (wish I had made 3) so if they get dirty I can just shake em out like floor mats and wash them with soap m water.