Is a p-pad holder a waste of money?

[raybo]

I bought one that I think has a really nice 3 wall design to prevent spillage over the side. The look, size, and dimensions are just perfect for my small home. It is essentially a tray with a plastic grate-lid that clicks into place over a p-pad. It was a bit overpriced. It also prevents the puppy from biting, chewing and throwing the p-pad all over.

Some of the cons though are cleaning out smashed in poop waffle. When my pup sees me she always gets excited and starts hopping around everywhere, not minding her poop. I prevent the waffling most of the time by grabbing my pup and pulling her out of her enclosure (crate?) and then easily and quickly picking it up with a paper towel or pet waste baggy. The other negative was that the one I chose was a bit overpriced. One last thing is that MOST urine falls through the grate, but some ends up on the grate and then she steps on it and then tracks it all around.

I recently came across a simple yet genius idea of taping the p-pad to the floor. My pup is only 9 weeks old and quickly became accustomed to using the p-pad for their designed purpose. There were one or two instances were she went on the very edge of the pad and eliminated not fully onto the pad. I am thinking to buy larger pads to give her a generous amount of space; I am currently using the smallest sized pads. My concern is if the tape happens to not fully stick and my puppy bite and pulls on the bit that comes up from the floor...than the pad...

Another idea I was thinking of was to buy some long wood blocks to border 3 sides of the pad. My pup weighed at 1.5 lbs 2 weeks ago, she's a toy and I don't think she will be able to move a decent sized solid piece of wood. My concern is if I accidentally kick the blocks out of place and not realize it...allowing her to bite and pull the pad. Also when she grows bigger (she's expected to fully grow to 9 lbs)

She is an indoor dog. She is too small and young for walks I think. Any advice on indoor potty solutions will be great. Thanks.

 

[sullivanz]

@raybo With both puppies I raised the pee pads last maybe a few days before I game up cause they would just destroyed them. I had always planned on taking them outside so just started sooner than I had planned.

With that said I know you said they are a “indoor” dog but is there anything actually stopping you from taking them outside? I was taking my toy chihuahua outside to go to bathroom. He got the concept really fast.

 

[byfaithyoustandfirm]

@sullivanz Was also surprised how quickly my pup learned to go outside. Even without marking it must be instinctive to pee outside ("out of the den")

 

[raybo]

@sullivanz Well the only time she was outside was when I was taking her home from the breeder. I'm just kind of scared to start taking her outside because she is so small and tiny. She also only had her first round of shots and is yet to receive her other rounds of shots. The third thing is that I live in an inner city; lots of concrete, lots of people, and lots littered trash I won't want her to eat.

I want to start taking her on walks though I am not sure if it is a good idea just yet. My previous post is about this topic.

 

[sullivanz]

@raybo No walks in the city, till fully vaccinated. Too much risk for the small reward in my opinion.

If you do not have a yard or area that is not trafficked much you are better sticking to indoor potty training. I did out door potty training from start like that because i had a front yard area that sees no traffic besides my dogs and I so it was safe without all vaccines yet

 

[raybo]

@sullivanz Did you just lay the pee pad down on the ground by itself? Puppies are known to destroy them if they can bite a hold of them.

 

[debbieh]

@raybo I’m having a wonderful time with Doggie Lawn, it’s a real patch of grass. Disclaimer though, today is only second day with pup so I have not at all started the transition to potty outside. I live on a top floor apartment and plan to relocate the grass to my balcony in time, I also wanted real grass, in anticipation of the snow. By the time her vaccines are done, there won’t be any grass to walk on til April/May. I hardly had to do anything to get her to seek it out as her potty spot.

I did have to use the pee pheromone spray on it (came with first shipment) because she thought it was a fun place to play at first. And I’m redirecting some chewing of it. However the more she potties on it, the less she’s interacting with it as a plaything. The pen I have her in is small, the grass takes up about a third of the area. Her bed and food table up nearly the rest. Since she doesn’t wanna pee her bed, she’s using the grass.

 

[raybo]

@debbieh I did look into the Doggie Lawn, I've heard that the grass will die in due time and a new roll of lawn will have to be purchased periodically. I am still open to the idea though since I will have to keep on buying p-pads for what I'm doing. What about cleanup? Does it ever result into a terrible mess with all the individual blades of grass?

I do use an attractant spray. It is the Sophresh brand. I assume it is for at least, for the most part, the same product. When I do a fresh spray she sniffs it then licks. Idk how much it works or at least for my dog. I'm glad she likes using the pads and at such a young age too. Tho I am not sure if she entirely gets the potty training thing yet because she like using any mat or pad to do her business. She eliminated on my bathroom mat and she peed so many times in her puppy play tunnel (I did away with it after she pottied in there).

I also use dog litter under the grate that holds the p-pad. So, it is a combination of pad + dog litter + attractant spray. It worked when I had her faux fur donut bed in the pen. Recently though, I changed out her donut bed because she has to step up and hop up over so high and to get over the wall of that donut bed (shes tiny). I changed out that bed with a flat crate cushion because I'm worried that she may have hip issues. I'm going to the vet soon so don't worry. The thing is she doesn't view this water proof cushion as a bed and keep peeing on it. Last night she moved her blanket and all her toys to the potty area of the pen and pottied on the cushion. Going to return the water proof crate cushion once this other bed arrive that has a fluffy feel and is more like a bed and also doesn't have walls that she has to work hard to get over.

edit: spelling and grammar

 

[debbieh]

@raybo Yes, it is a subscription item as it dies, so that is definitely a factor. Compared to the amount of pee pads I was buying my senior dog, it wasn't a big enough difference to deter me. But it is a little more expensive than pee pads would be. I'm hoping the benefit of knowing real grass will outweigh the difficulties transitioning from pee pads to outside. My previous dachshund I slacked on potty training, and her pads/inside were always her first go-to. Trying to change that this time around!

My pen has a plastic tray on the bottom, so any grass is contained in that. It hasn't been a lot though, it's all stuck together in one piece of sod pretty well.

Some of what I've read has said that pee pads and carpet feel the same to a dog, or similar enough. Which is why it can be a difficult potty training method. I definitely saw that in my previous dog, we went through a lot of carpet cleaner. I have the sort-of excuse that I was a kid when I got her, but it was my job to raise her, so it's my fault for not instilling her to go outside soon enough.

I dont know anything firsthand about litter training, though maybe trying JUST litter would help stop your pup peeing on her bed and rugs? The texture under her feet would be more different.

 

[raybo]

@debbieh Well good thing I have a laminate floor. Easy to clean and doesn't confuse the pup.

I keep the litter under the grate so my pup doesn't eat it. I read in the product reviews that people's puppies were eating the litter and I imagine maybe that may call for a vet visit. The litter absorbs pee and helps the pee-pad last longer because there is more stuff than just the pad underneath the grate acting as an absorbent. I change out the pad + litter in the holder about every two weeks. I have a bunch of pads out on the floor when I have her out of her pen to play. Those pads out on the floor I do go through pretty fast. I trash them if she does potty on them or if too much pee happens on them over time. Sometimes she bites and pulls the pads, but I stop her if she does and she's only out on the floor when I'm supervising her.

In the product description there is natural pheromone attractant so maybe that further helps her in knowing that that is the spot. The litter also helps with odor control.

edit: spelling

 

[audreyl1969]

@raybo Putting bitter apple spray on the pad, before the puppy interacts with it, makes it more likely that she will never try biting the pad, and it will never become a "toy" in her mind. I like to use an exercise pen, and tuck the edges of the pad under pen walls, that way the puppy can't miss the pad. Very similar to your wood block idea.

 

[2ndlight]

@raybo I am really happy with the pet awesome tray. I estimate it’s a 7 minute job 2 times per day to change it out (on average). That’s a whole lot less than cleaning my rugs and really makes life better since I don’t have to potty train in the winter. It’s been amazing; she is 15 months and hasn’t had an accident in 2 weeks.

 

[lostfollower]

@raybo I have something called a Porch Potty on my balcony in my apartment. I got it before my 10 week old puppy arrived and he caught on right away. I elected to use artificial grass rather than real sod as it’s less expensive and lasts longer. And doesn’t smell! I reorder a new pad every couple of months when the old one gets messy.

I live in the city and this was a real life saver before he was completely vaccinated. I’ve hung a bell near the door to the patio, which he now uses to tell me he needs to go out.

He’s 7 months old now and hasn’t had an accident in the house in over a month. Not sure I could have potty trained him outside as well as this has worked. It’s slightly more expensive than pee pads but so worth it. When he gets up at 6am and it’s 10 degrees outside here, I just open the door and he whizzes away!