Which is better crate training or pee pads?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a puppy and i need to know which is better to crate train or on the pads. And also if you have any websites or tips that can help me.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Pee pads are useless - they essentially go against the whole point of potty training (which is to get the dog to go outside.) By letting your dog go in even ONE spot in the home, you are teaching them that it is okay to go in the home period.

Crate training on the other hand, teaches them how to hold their potty until you bring them outside. To a dog, their crate is their den. They don't like to soil their dens. So as long as YOU stick to letting them out when they NEED to go (every hour they are month - IE 4 months have to go every four hours or so) they will not mess in their crates.

Another good thing to do is put your dog on a schedule. Feed at the same time every day and keep their water where you can see if they have a drink. If you know when they eat/drink you'll know roughly when they have to go (which can be right after OR up to a half an hour after this.) They'll also need to go out after naps, playing, right when they wake up, and right before they go to bed.

Answer 2

Crate training by far, a dog will not want to soil its living quarters. I've heard of people using the pee pads and then the dog becomes accustomed to peeing where ever due to the pads.

Answer 3

Crate training for sure -- they don't want to go potty in there, since they think of it as their own little "den" and don't want to go where they sleep.  Pee pads can teach dogs to pee on the floor -- then you have a problem when you're trying to teach them to hold it until they're outside in the grass!  

It's difficult at first though, don't give up -- we have two perfectly trained 4 year old dogs now that were both crate trained and they whined and scratched and barked the first several times we put them in their crates...now we just say "bedtime!" and they go running in!  they love to sleep in them too, even though we don't force them to, we just leave the doors open and they go in by themselves when they're tired!  

just remember -- NO blankets or anything like that when they're training and keep them in a crate just small enough for them to lie down, nothing larger, or they'll pee in one corner and sleep in the other -- or pee in the blankets and crumple them up in the corner.  When they become house broken/crate trained, then you can get them a larger crate and put some blankets in there to make them more comfortable if you want to.  We did with both of our dogs and have had NO "potty accidents" in over 3 years from either of them! :-)

Answer 4

I prefer pee pads. a crate is closed in and does not give the dogs room to choose where to go. As soon as you see him use the pad though, take the puppy out side and tell him/her to go potty. You should do this as ofter as you can, even if they do not use the pad.

Answer 5

Crate train-pee pads don't work! Might as well lay down newspaper!  As soon as u notice ur pup pacing or looking for a spot, so "outside" and take them out.  If u catch them in the middle of them doing their business, clap ur hands and say "no!"  then say "outside" in a firm voice and take them out.  Also, after feeding, let them out.  Usually when they eat it kinda pushes whatever's already inside, down....

Have scheduled feeding and take ur pup out every half hour.  Reward them when you come inside with a treat. Only give them treats on special occasions, so it bcomes a big deal to them

Answer 6

My dog tryed to eat the pee pads, they can be a choke hazard for a bored puppy left alone, I say a crate for sure.  My labrador loves his crate :)

Answer 7

As some one who has tried both I strongly reccomend crate training. Pee pads make no sence, unless you want to train your dog to go to the washroom in a particular place in the house (elderly and live in an apartment for an example). Chances are however that you want your pup to do his buisness outside, so it makes far more sence to never let him have the chance to regard your persian rug as a toilet.

There is lots of good info out there on crate training.  But basically if you cant watch puppy he should be in the crate. When he is out and he is spinning in circles, whining and acting frantic pick him up and carry him out side. Picking him up helps because if you try to call him out he may have an accident along the way. Make a huge fuss and give him treat when he does eliminate outside.  Always take him out every couple hours, in the morning, the evening, after play, and meals.  

Answer 8

I never used either method. I simply took my dogs outside at regular intervals for their pee breaks and after a while they became accustomed to these regular breaks and began going to the door to let me know that they needed to go on their own. I've never had any accidents from any of them either. Easy. No crate or pee pads required. Just a little of your time. It's called training.

Answer 9

The pee pads will just encourage your puppy to just go anywhere in the house, when it wants, which is not what YOU want.

You need to spend a few days at home with her so that you can teach her to go outside when she needs to relieve herself.  And get a dog door so that she can get herself outside.  Punishing her for a mess, when you get home, long after it happened is of absolutely no use whatsoever.

I do not like the idea of crate training, meaning that a dog will not soil where it sleeps, this only encourages the poor animal to hold on for far too long, which is unhealthy.

Get a small dog, rather than a big dog, they are smarter, and therfore easier to train.

Answer 10

hi,

Some people worry that crate confinement is cruel, but if you do it right, your dog won't see it that way at all. His crate can be a cozy den where he retreats from household chaos or just relaxes. And once he's housetrained, your dog will have the run of the house as well as a nice little den of his own--just leave the door open for him.

here's more info:

http://tinyurl.com/6louu3

hope this helps.

Answer 11

Crate training in the beggining worked for my dog she has never peed in the house. I would try the crate! Good Luck with your dog!

Answer 12

Crate training is more lasting, and I know lots of experienced dog people hate weewee pads.

However, it is sometimes necessary to leave your pup for longer than 2 hours, and very young pups cannot hold it for long, so I have always found weewee pads to be useful for very young dogs.   I would never put them in the crate with the pup as they can be shredded and ingested, but if you are leaving the dog in a small room, weewee pads are useful if the dog uses them.  Reality sometimes requires compromise.

Problem is when you don't regularly take the dog out on walks and make a big fuss to praise when he gets it right out there.

I did have one dog so weewee pad trained that I ended up moving the pad further and further - to the door, out the door, down the sidewalk, and eventually on the walk down the street because she was so SURE that weewee pads was the place to go.   She was a determined little thing and it took a year for her to finally decide "o.k., I'm supposed to go in the grass outside" - the neighbors must have thought I was insane.  She's perfectly potty trained now, but took patience.

Whatever works for you - just bear in mind that you do need to get the dog out - a lot - and have patience, don't rely on the weewee pads unless you mean to have the dog go on them forever.