Pads vs. outside

Archived Message

Pads vs. outside
by Julia
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Hi - I'm an "almost-Maltese-Mommy", and I'm going back and forth on the question of potty training. I definitely plan to crate train her, but I am undecided whether to have her go outside, or on wee wee pads. I definitely see the benefit of the pads, since she won't have to go out when the weather's bad, etc., but all the "doggie experts" I've spoken with (including a professional trainer) have said definitely not to use the pads. They say that the pup will never completely understand the difference between the pad, and say, the carpet, a throw rug, a pile of laundry, etc., and that she'll never be completely trustworthy in the house. They also tell me that she'll never develop bladder control if she always has access to the pads. I'll be travelling a lot with the puppy (there are a lot of airplane trips in her future), so I need her to be well-trained. Any thoughts? I've checked the archives, and can't seem to find an answer to this dilemma. Thanks a lot!

DISCUSSION:

This is a question that many people who are not accustomed to the idea of pads seem to think people who use them are nuts. Well, I had a Yorkie for years and yes he was trained to go outdoors. I've never had a dog that was not housebroken. However, we live in the Pacific Northwest now and rain is a constant thing - oh the rain isn't so bad, it's the mud! So I paper trained Phoebe and yes we had many many incidents where she got confused about throw rugs vs pads, I just got rid of all the throw rugs and keep a pad in one end of the house and a pad at the other end. She is now seventeed months old and I can leave her with full un of the house with no problem. Traveling was wonderful with the pads, we didn't have to worry about her potty routine because she was quite happy to have her pads in the hotel rooms, visiting friends and relatives I just take along a pad. It did take a bit of convincing on her first long driving trip that she really could pee outdoors! Even in our yard she always seems to question me if it's alright. Her bladder control is actually very good - now, but yes as puppy she peed a lot! Confining your pups free space will definitely help with that. Phoebe has a pen, then graduated to different sections of the house step by step and it has worked out very well.

My best advice would be to train your dog on a pad, with your traveling and such it would be so simple - yet she can still potty outdoors when you are out there. It does require dilligence and patience, but I cannot figure how I could manage without these pads!
Leslie R

Hi,I don't know about all dogs but my 8 month old Nikita is potty trained to the pads and has been since we got her. She was 10 wks and it took about 3 days for her to know to use the wee wee pad. My sister and I just got back from a trip to fl. that we drove and took 3 maltese with us, 2- 8 month olds and one a little over a year.The trip one way was 11 1/2 hours we never had an accident and Nikita is the only one that used the pad the others weighted till we stopped and there mom begged them to go or they probably would have waited till we got to Fl. Of course Nikita is niked named rolly polly and had to out drink and eat everybody so she used the pad twice, but on that long a trip i think it is great(I had to go more than that). We also crate the babies at night so this reinforces them to hold it. I wouldn't have it any other way. I gradualy moved the pad from just outside of her crate to the laundry room, leaving it in the same location for several days then moving it about a foot. This prosses took about 3 to 4 weeks and i didn't start till she recognized what the wee wee pad was for. Guess i got side tracked, we were at a motel and several other houses and not 1 accident occured the whole trip. We are so proud of our babies!! We also visited a MO mom when we were there,Great to meet some of the MO family. Good luck Jean,Nikita and Balthazar
Jean

I have only owned 5 dogs (two right now, Penny and Spunky) so I can't say I'm an expert. However, that's over about 30 years of my life, or more than 267 years in combined total dog years. If you are getting a young maltese puppy, or an older one that the breeder has already started on papers, I would recommend training it to use newspapers or pads. I would also recommend a shallow tray, like the Puppyjohn or the bottom of a kennel like my Spunky uses. Spunky is my maltese that I got when he was a young puppy. (9 weeks, probably too young but it worked out.) My other dogs have been older and larger and all but one were shelter or previously-owned animals. Spunky is the only one I really paper trained but it has worked wonderfully so far. He is 2-1/2 and has not had an "accident" for two years, since around the time he was neutered. His last couple "accidents" seemed to be deliberate trips to my female dog's bedding to mark it. He did not do that on his own bedding. So off to the vet! His bladder control is just fine now. He often will hold it while I am at work and not use the papers or pads until I get home. Sometimes he uses them immediately, sometimes he waits to get outside for our walk. (When I am out I still gate him in the kitchen, where his papers are, but more because of other behavior like harassing Miss Penny who loves him but is old and has health problems.) Even when he had a digestive upset he always made it to the papers. The tray has really helped though I did not have it at the beginning. Spunky used newspapers for a long time because he discovered early the pads were lots of fun to shake and rip up. Newspaper is not so absorbent and the urine sometimes goes off the edge of the paper. I used a sheet of plastic under the papers for a while but the tray is better. It also helped define the proper area so that he had ALL of his feet on the papers. (At one early point he seemed to think just having his snout over the papers was enough.) Now I think he could use the large size pads alone if I did much traveling with him. But I bought an extra tray which I may take and leave at my relatives'. I am sorry that I did not paper train Penny 14 years ago, but I had easy access to a yard then, and she was naturally very clean, so I did not see the need. (Also we thought she was older and I was not sure whether it would work.) Now that Penny and I are both older and creakier it is not so much fun to have to go out when it is dark and cold or raining, but in fact she has to go out more often. Forcing a dog to hold its urine for a very long time can lead to bladder problems, which can then make it impossible for it to hold it a long time. The late Miss Susie Dog had bladder and kidney problems durng the last couple years of her life, although it was not what was fatal. I was able to get her to use pads but it was a struggle involving multiple gates, pads right in the middle of the hallway, etc. Should have done it years before! I have belatedly tried to get Miss Penny interested in the pads, and she may have used them once or twice, but she generally seems to think they are nice little blankies. Sorry this is so long but unfortunately this subject is one of the most important in a dog owner's life (not to mention your landlord's if you rent!)
Margy S

I want to know the same thing. I wanted to do both pads/paper and outside when I get my puppy, but I've heard the same thing you have about not using the pads. There will be occasional times when no one will be home for 8 hours/day, too long to crate a pup, at my house. Are there any prof trainers out there that can help?
Trena

I have had the convenience of training my maltese on a wee wee pad for so many reasons. I'm not home during the day so I feel that she has to have access to the bathroom whenever she needs it. I travel a lot with my baby either in the car or by plane. When we are in the car, I have a wee pad in the back floor, again for access. I do not have to worry pulling over the side of the road so she can pee. We've traveled as long as 5 hours straight driving. No problem. When we go by plane, before be board - I go to a disabled stall lay down a pad on the floor, pour her out of the sherpa bag and goes on and do her business on command. The same procedure happens when we disembark. We've stayed in hotels with her - when we leave her, there is a pad for her access and boy the convenience is just there. Good luck with your choice.
rc

Well, your "doggie experts" and "a professional trainer" don't know much about the marvelous Maltese and how exceptionally bright they are. I have a male(who will be two years old next month) who uses the wee-wee pads and will go outdoors. Yes, he is "double-trained." You can have the best of both worlds. (It is all in how you train.) My Maltese has never been confused about where or when to go potty and has never had an accident once he was fully trained. Train to use the wee-wee pads first before training to go outdoors. The wee-wee pads are the best! You'll love them.
April B

So happy to hear from April that her male maltese is trained pad and ooutside sucessfully. I am hoping I will be sucessful with Boris. Goood to know that with a male maltese this is possible.
vita

Hi Julia, I have three girls and they all use the pads. I do have a problem with my youngest though. She will also potty on any rug, blanket, and even on my furniture. I think she thinks that anything that is soft like her pad is acceptable. I had to go back to basics and crate train her again and so far she is going on the pad only. I would definately reccommend the pads. For us they have worked out wonderfully. Good Luck:))
Angel

Julia, Chloe is paper trained and she has no problem holding her bladder for long periods of time. She actually holds it much longer than my other little girl who is trained to go outside. Whatever you do expect your little boy to be very smart about the whole thing and surprise you with how quickly he picks up the routine. Good luck and have fun!
Robin MC

Wow - thank you, everyone, for your helpful responses! I knew I would get great advice from this terrific site! Well, I have decided to go for the pads and see what happens. I'll pick up the area rugs for a while, just to make sure she doesn't get confused. Then, after she's totally trained to the pads (and when the weather's warm!), I'll let her know that it's OK to go outside, too. I'm sure you'll hear from me again when I actually get the little sweetie - until then, wish me luck! Thanks, Julia
Julia

Lilly is 3 mos--we have been using pads and taking her outside. I am not one of those who could get up a few times during the night so at night I put her in a puppy pen with her crate open and a pad. She has been perfect with the pad at night (though aim sometimes a little off) and will go outside during the day but still has accidnets during the day. Even though the pads are available durng the day. Any suggestions ?? or maybe she is still young and I should expect accidents for awahile. Karen M and Lilly
Karen M

Hi! I was about to give up on the housetraining thing... TuffPuppy seemed to have a mind of her own and peed and pooped in her bed. I didn't feel well this last weekend and put her in my bedroom with the door closed with me and she seemed like she was in tune to the fact that Mommy couldn't take care of her like normal and she went poop and pee on her wee wee pads like she knew Mommy didn't feel well enough to keep up with cleaning. These animals (Maltese) are very intelligent little creatures. They do learn and with my little TuffPuppy, though I spent an ungodly sum for her, has paid me megatons already with her love and kisses.
Karen

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