Working With a Dog Training Pad

A dog training pad was designed for 2 major purposes: to protect wooden floors and carpets from damage done if a dog does his business on them and to make cleaning up the mess afterward easier - simply pick the soiled pad and dispose of it in the trash. In theory, this all sounds wonderful and easy, but in reality we still need to train the dog or puppy to do his business on the pad and not anywhere else. With grown male dogs especially this is quite a challenge - how do you teach a dog to aim, it is difficult enough with little boys!

The first step in working with dog training pads is to select the appropriate pad for your requirements. Puppy training pads come in different sizes and with different grades of absorption. It is not necessary to buy the biggest pad available with the highest possible absorption grade if you have a tiny poodle puppy. Sure it will work, but the added cost is unnecessary. The opposite is also true - a tiny thin pad is not suitable for doing dog toilet training with your fully grown Rottweiler.

The next accessory that is not required but could be helpful is a special potty training spray. This is sprayed on the dog training pad and will indicate (through smell) to your dog or puppy where you want him or her to do their business. Once you have all the equipment, place the dog training pad where you want the dog to do their business. This is normally in an area away from the dog's food, water and sleeping place.

The actual dog potty training consists of watching your dog carefully. The moment you see them starting their business somewhere else than on the dog training pad, issue a stern NO, possible combined with a firm shake by the scruff of their neck. Immediately place them on the dog training pad and let them finish their business. Praise them lavishly when done and dispose of the used pad in the trash, replacing it with a fresh one. Repeating this exercise will soon teach your dog where you want them to do their business.

Initially, when you notice that they do their business on the training pad without being told, reinforce this behaviour with praise and possible a tid bit. Also watch out for signs that they might need to go (i.e. restlessness, sniffing around or possibly indicating that they want to go out) so that you can actually be proactive and put them on the pad before they start.

Other articles on this site that might be of interest include: Dog training pad

Eddie has been involved in training various breeds for more than 20 years. For more articles on dog and puppy training, visit us at http://trainpuppyfun.com