ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Wendy Puppolo

I need some advice about my dog's bathroom habits. First let me just say that I recently found this web site and I LOVE IT!! I own an 18 month old beautiful Maltese and she has made me happier than I ever could have imagined. And she's such a good dog!

But, she has one small problem. She is fully paper trained, and for the most part, it works out really well for me. However, she has a habit of walking off the paper while she's going. She never goes on the carpet - alway on the linoleum, but about 50% of the time, she misses the paper entirely. When she's doing #2, she almost always walks a yard or so away from the paper!

How can I stop this? I thought of buying something like a really large litterbox or tray, but I didn't know if this would help. Any ideas? It's getting pretty frustrating. Thanks in advance! Wendy

DISCUSSION:

Wendy--all of my Maltese are paper-trained and I have had the same problem thru the years. I have just come to the conclusion that good intentions count--in other words, they intend to go on the papers, start out there, but sometimes step off to finish. They know they are supposed to go on the paper, they start out there, they just don't realize it when they move off. ( My rule of thumb is any feet on the the paper counts--and I just pick it up quickly. Use a deodorizer on the spot to eliminate scent.) If you come up with a magic solution please post all of us who papertrain.(:)
-LInda (Snow Angel)

Wendy, Lucy goes outside, not on papers, but she does the very same thing when she "does #2." She will often finish up many feet from where she started. Also often changes her mind about a particular spot part way through doing her thing and will move up sometimes as much as 25 or 30 ft. to finish up. I know this doesn't help solve your problem, but perhaps your paper issue is the same--your kiddo just likes to roam around until it is "just the right place."
-cathy brown

It may help to use a "puppy john", this is a plastic tray about a inch deep. It is large enough to hold a full size sheet of newspaper opened up. It has a lip on it about an inch wide.
-Carole - Fantasyland

Don't know if this will help, but Shayna takes a good minute or more to search out the place she wants to leave her business. It is so funny to watch sometimes she starts before she finally decides where she is gooding to finish. It is usually all together, but its a close call. KoKo she sometimes stops on a dime and leaves her business and jumps away. I never paper trained either one so I can't say what they would do, but Shayna, I'd guess she'd miss the paper 9 out of 10 times.
-Shelley

The puppy john is a good idea and I do have one--however I find that my kids don't or rather won't use wee wee pads placed on the puppy john. Apparently they don't like the feel of the tray underneath.
-Linda (Snow Angel)

Touquet is paper-trained. He used to have what my husband and I referred to as "paws-on" experiences -- that is, front paws on the paper only. He figured that since his front paws were on the paper, and his head was over the paper, he was doing the right thing. We solved the problem by giving him his own closet with his papers inside. We then put up a 5 inch cardboard "wall" in front. In order to use his paper, he must jump over the wall into the closet. Now he just hops in and out, but we never have an accident. P.S. The bottom of the closet is lined with a thick plastic sheet.
-Barbara

Mine moves off the paper, too. He is more likely to move off if the pad is too dirty for him. He does not want to soil his feet! He likes a clean pad. If I see him off the pad, I move him back on and praise him if he stays on.
-Apri Blackmon

I have had that same problem. Placing the pad on and industrial cookie sheet solved it for me. Now the little ones have to get on the pan which has a one inch lip all round. Cherie
-Cherie Eno

I have a 14 week old male Maltese, Munchkin, who we brought home when he was 10 weeks old. For a variety of reasons, we decided to train him as an inside dog -- using the outdoors for play and exercise only. My Puppy John arrived when he was about 12 weeks old & using the papers realiably. At first I was hesitant to use it, thinking it might just be different enough to throw him off & create a setback. Well, I was wrong. I lined it with newspapers & put it in his "bathroom area" he sniffed a bit, stepped over the rim & did his business. I find that the Puppy John has helped his "aim" tremendously. Even though it's only 1 inch high, the act of stepping over it seems to remind him that this is where he should be & he sniffs around to find just the right spot, but wlll not step out of the Puppy John until he is finished. I have since switched from newspapers to human "wee wee" pads & these work wonderfully with the Puppy John as well.
-Carole Warrick