Do you use puppy training pads? Are they really important or are they just a waste of money? I'm fostering a 5 week old puppy for my local humane society and I want to get her started on puppy training right away. But I don't know how to train a puppy that young. I thought puppy pads might be a good go, but they will get quite expensive.
Little dogs are like little kids. They usually have to go after a meal and on waking up. So after a meal and on waking up, take the puppy to wherever you want to teach it to do its business. After a few days, the puppy would get the idea that that place is the right place to do its business.
I have never used the training pads before. I agree with Victor, taking the puppy outside after meals and waking up is the best way to train them. At 5 weeks old, you will probably have a few accidents so I would be firm but gentle on any punishment. Just try to be consistent with your routines and the accidents will become fewer and farther inbetween. Good luck with your pup!
Well, its a really nice idea but I believe on nature and try to implement nature in all aspects of the life. But I'm not sure about the advantages of the these artificial stuff. I make my dog run, swim, gymnastic and fun with food. He is quite decent and I'm glad with him. But I'm interested in this stuff. Would you like to share more about it. regards
You can get a great deal on puppy pads on amazon rather than buying them at Petco or Petsmart. I found a box of 150 of them for $28.99 on there recently. Good luck with the potty training. It can be difficult at times but so worth it when they finally get what you want them to do.
I never used anything special to train my puppy! She was paper trained, so when indoors (like overnight etc when she was too little to hold it!) she would go on some newspapers laid on the floor which did the job. We used to put some kind of plastic underneath the newspapers just in case but when she was that little it wasn't really necessary. I agree with the poster above, they do tend to go after meals so it's worth going outside with them for a bit after eating, then if anything happens you can give lots of praise and cuddles.
When I got my last dog, I tried the pads, and they ended up being a waste of money. She wouldn't use them at all. I found that she would use newspaper, though... go figure! I do use the pads now. My other dog was injured and is not able to go out to use the bathroom right now, so she has no choice, but she is not really walking either.
I'm lucky that the puppy is catching on! She's not messing in her kennel and if I am super consistent about taking her own after play and food, she does her business outside. I do work long hours though, so I picked up a pack of the puppy training pads for her when I'm gone for the day. But she doesn't pee on them, despite the product saying it attracts animals. Instead, she tears the pads up into itty bitty little pieces! What a mess. Also, I paid a little extra for the eco-puppy pads. And let me tell you, do they ever look gross when they're destroyed! I love eco-products, but ewwwww.
I bought them but our dog never used them for going potty. I ended up using them to clean his paws when he got in the mud. As some others have mentioned, I just took him out after meals, in the morning and before bed. He did great. We probably only had 2 accidents.
I think a crate for your puppy would be more beneficial for you to purchase. Crate training really helps with training. A 5 week old puppy will be sleeping a lot and will need a place to call its own so the crate will give it security since it cannot be with its mother the full 8-12 weeks it should be. A good schedule will help with training, after meals, after the puppy wakes up, after play time, and after drinking water will be when you need to go outside to where ever you want the puppy to do its business. Being attentive to the puppies needs will save you the hassle of training pads.
I wouldn't consider puppy pads unless it's difficult for you to get your dog outside often. Like, if you live on a top floor apartment or something. I've only had to use them once, when we got a fostered dog. His foster mom lived in a dorm and he was puppy pad trained - no one told us that! They just said he was house-trained. Needless to say, when he started peeing in the house on random things that weren't the floor, we figured out he was used to pads. Now we just take him outside often. We'd prefer to not use pads at all, so we make sure to take him outside every few hours. He'll pee when he's out there, he just won't ask to go out or hold it.