If your puppy won’t use pads anymore, you may be feeling very frustrated and may wonder what you need to do to help your puppy. Let’s face it: we all dream of a puppy that aims always for the right spot, peeing perfectly right in the middle of the pad and with no messy accidents at the edges. However, puppies are a far cry from perfection. They need lots of feedback and help in the potty training process. Many puppies actually try to at least pee on pads, while others may pee closely and some others quite farther. If your puppy used to pee on the pads, but now your puppy won’t use pads anymore, you will need to evaluate what may have happened.
Puppy Won’t Use Pads Anymore
“Help, my puppy was progressing quite well in peeing on the pads, but now my puppy won’t use pads anymore and uses them only now and then, what happened? ”
This is a good question, what happened? There may be several dynamics at play. For instance, maybe your puppy was peeing a bit outside of the pad, and as he was urinating, a trickle of warm urine on the tile reached his foot and this felt uncomfortable and now he wants to avoid this unpleasant sensation. He therefore prefers going on some better absorbable surface like the carpet or rug.
Or maybe, one day he aimed a bit wrong and you got upset about it and now your puppy started fearing your reaction when he eliminates and therefore tries to do it out of your sight.
Puppies are very sensitive creatures, and any sign of you getting frustrated or angry may potentially cause a fear response. If your puppy now eliminates under furniture or acts very submissive (ears back, crouched body) when you catch him in the act, your puppy may likely have started association your presence with punishment and therefore is trying to eliminate where you can’t see him. Puppies don’t act out of shame or guilt and they do not act out of spite when they have accidents. They, more often than not, act out of fear.
If you never scolded or got upset with your puppy, there may be chances something incidental may have happened while he was using the pad. Maybe a sudden noise startled him, maybe he felt some pain or maybe he saw something scary while using it, like a shadow or plane from a window.
If your puppy is having accidents in areas other than the pad, there are chances your puppy will continue eliminate in these same areas more and more if you don’t clean up his messes correctly using the right products. To a puppy, any residual scent of previously soiled areas tells him “This is your potty area.” Therefore he’ll eliminate in the same areas more and more.
A Challenging Situation
Training puppies to eliminate on pads can be quite a challenge. It is hard enough for a puppy to eliminate outside in the yard, yet imagine how challenging it is to have him go on the middle of a 17×24 inch squarish piece of fast-absorbing material.
Pads are not the best way to potty train puppies, especially those who will need to sooner than later use the yard anyhow. If your puppy’s future potty place will be the yard, then he should get used to using the yard in the first place. This helps avoid unnecessary frustration to dog owners and unnecessary confusion to the puppy.
Pads should ideally be used when there is ultimately no alternative as in the case of dog owners who work most of the day and for long hours and there is nobody who can take the puppy out every few hours.
For owners who are home most of the day or work a few hours part-time, a better solution may be using a crate when not home actively supervising, and keeping the puppy in a small area room near a door for when the owners can actively supervise. This way, dog owners can quickly escort the puppy out as soon as the puppy shows any pre-potty cues (sniffing, circling, whining at the door).
Fixing the Situation
If you really must use pee pads for your puppy, and your puppy won’t use pads anymore, you need to help set your puppy for success. You can accomplish this in four ways: cleaning up puppy accidents correctly, stopping to scold the puppy for having accidents, praising the puppy for using the pad and making it extra easy to use it. Let’s take a look at these factors.
Cleaning up puppy accidents correctly is important. Avoid ammonia-based cleaning products; ammonia is what’s found in urine and therefore your puppy will smell “bathroom” everywhere you use it. Use instead enzyme-based products like Nature’s Miracle or other products known for “eating odors” away so that no traces are left behind rather than just covering smells.
Products that just cover smells, smell good to dog owners, but a sensitive dog’s nose can track residues of previous accidents. If you think you may have missed some spots, use a blacklight and the soiled areas should glow so that you can clean them properly.
As mentioned, scolding your puppy will not do any good. It just creates setbacks such as a puppy who won’t pee on pads anymore or anywhere in the owner’s sight. So if your puppy has an accident, hide your frustration. Count up to 10 if you feel your patience is at its limit and then just go clean up the mess.
If you catch your puppy in the act, gently try to escort your puppy quickly to the door or pee pad if you can, and when he finishes up, make sure you praise him lavishly and reward (you should always keep a treat in your pocket or treat pouch when potty training for instances like this!).
Every time your puppy successfully uses the pee pad or goes potty outside, you need to be nearby and fast in praising and giving him a treat. Make sure though that your praise starts when you are sure your puppy is done. Ideally, not a second before not a second later. If you praise too early, your puppy may not finish up and he may do it later in a spot that he’s not supposed to. If you are too late, your puppy may think you are praising him for doing other things like sniffing the yard or walking away.
Finally, set your puppy for success. Place the pads in an enclosed area so it’s easy-peasy for your puppy to make a good choice. It is difficult for a puppy at times to make it on time to the pad when he has to go, especially in a large room. He may also get distracted along the way.
Instead, create an enclosure with his bed, toys and food on side and the pad on the opposite. His instinct should help him make a good choice to eliminate on the pad since most dogs dislike to potty near their food and sleeping area. A good example of this setting is the “puppy apartment.” If you want more space, you can use an exercise pen. Then, as your puppy uses the pee pad more reliably, you can remove the enclosure and keep the pee pad in the same spot.