# Crate vs. Pads



## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Hi everyone! I'm a proud owner of a new Vizsla pup named Jasper. He is about 9 weeks old now, and is a very loving, friendly, and smart puppy! He has no apprehension about going in and out of the crate (though my lap trumps everything), and he has had very few accidents since the first few days home. The accidents he does have are definitely my fault for not getting him outside quickly enough while playing.

I stayed home a week with him to slowly introduce him to being alone for a few hours at a time. Once I started work back up again, he was no longer crying or acting upset when I had to leave for work or when I got home. I make sure to go home during the lunch hour to take him outside and play. While home alone, he has his crate which has a divider set to the appropriate size. He also has access to the kitchen, where pee pads are placed nearly everywhere, and he can play with his toys and drink water and entertain himself. He knows he's allowed to go potty on the pads, since he's done it before and I have enthusiastically praised and treated him for using them.

However, when left alone in the morning and afternoon, he inevitably pees in his crate instead, despite having access to a larger area with pee pads. I even left a soiled pad down, sort of as a reminder that, "Hey, this is where I go potty." I know some dogs will go in the crate if they can't leave it, because they have no other option. He, however, does have the option of getting out of the crate, and still pees in it instead. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Or does anyone have any advice on what to do? Any help would be appreciated!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

He's still very young, and you've accomplished a lot on a very short time period. 
My guess is that he is still a little bit uncertain. He knows that going to the bathroom in the house isn't right, and he knows that when he's with you it's okay to go to the bathroom in the house, but on a pee pad. At 9 weeks old he may not be as aware of the pad as you might think.
I don't think he has yet put together that it's okay for him to go to the bathroom in the house, on pee pad, but without you present.
I think in a week or so he'll make the connection and you'll start to see more consistent behavior.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I will be honest here and hope not to offend you. *Dogs go outside!* To train one to go on a pad is a crutch you really don't want them to use. Stop the enabling now before it is too late. He should be crated when you can not watch him. Maybe, when he is 5 months or older you can leave him un-crated for short periods when he proves he will behave.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Another vote for taking your dog outside to do his business.

On that note, those potty pads that you won't use if you train him to go outside are good for soaking up any future accidents.


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## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

I agree. We trained Holley to go outside and not on pads. It is confusing to a puppy to allow them to go inside in certain areas in my opinion. We trained Holley to just go outside and she picked up quickly and all has been well with it.


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## Macaroni (Jan 19, 2011)

We got Mac at under 8 weeks and he's now 3 1/2 months. We only trained him to go outside and w/in less than 10 days he hasn't gone inside the house since. Like you, we work and come home at lunch to walk/washroom him. When were're not there he's in his crate and not allowed out of it. He still does have the occasional accident in his crate (once a week at most) but if we restrict his water consumption in the morning and at lunch he is more than capable of hold it for the 4+ hrs we're not home. You figure if they can do it at night they can do it during the day. They're fine in the crate provided they get all they're exercise and attention when you are home. Accidents will continue to happen form time to time in the crate until there 6 + months and can hold there bladder better but cleaning the crate is better than having ongoign issues in the house. I agree w/ everyone else that you shouldn't make exceptions for peeing in the house. While they are smart, they are still dogs and can't always rationalize.

Best of Luck


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## Jasper (Mar 18, 2011)

I concur with the posts advising to toilet Jasper outside. It stops him becoming too confused.

I too have a Jasper, although much to everyones dismay, she is a girl. She is named after Jasper in Canada, I didn't really think it was a boys name until every one comments when they ask what her name is.

All the best, enjoy .... best dogs in the world!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Copper is in his crate from 8am to 3-4pm 5 days a week with no accidents since he was 4 months old. He eats and drinks (sometimes if he is hungry) at 7am and goes out before crating.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the advice! I meant to come back and post sooner, but had computer issues. Literally a day after my original post, I decided to abolish the pads, since I could come home within his bladder control time frame. It was mostly in hopes that in the future I wouldn't have to keep coming home mid-day until he got to the age that he could hold it all day long. But as many of you stated, I knew that it was confusing him and we just got rid of them completely. Since then there have been no problems whatsoever. Soon after we even got to the point where he can tell me when he needs to go potty, so no accidents while we're playing, either! 

I had just never seen a dog being okay with pottying in his crate, especially when he did have access to other areas to eliminate. I think it was because there was a blanket down to soak up the moisture. Ah, well. Right now he is gleefully "killing" his new pheasant toy. Thanks, everyone!


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## jasperbartle (Apr 4, 2011)

I also have a Jasper, there was I thinking that I was being original!! and we are having wee wee issues. He is being crate trained in the kitchen. I think that my issue is that the back door is pretty much always open so he doesn't need to give me an indication that he needs to go out, he just goes out, most of the time!! Occassionally he will just pee in front of me right by the open back door!! I clean the floor constantly with puppy floor cleaner. I did try puppy pads but he just ripped them to pieces so gave up on them almost immediately. If I take him outside and say 'toilet' he will always go but he doesn't seem to realise yet that he has to either go outside or let me know and yet he never goes in his crate, even all the way through the night or whilst i'm at work. Why is this? Jasper is 14 weeks old.


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