[Zoeydec]

i just got a toy poodle just 5 days back and we are trying to poty/pee train her. We have place pads in corners of each room so that she can go there when we are on office calls. Our challenge is she is getting confused with the placement of it in every room. How do we better coach her?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Hi! Congrats on your new pup. I’m not sure I understand why you’ve chosen so many toilet places for her. I agree this would be very confusing.

This is the housetraining method I recommend to all new puppy owners: Errorless Housetraining

Consistent positive reinforcement and clear boundaries are key.

 

[twyla]

She is a baby, so far too young to be reliably house broken and since she is a toy it will take longer because she has a tiny bladder that only can hold so long.
I have had 6 toys and one mini poodle, three I got as adults and four I got as puppies, six females and one Male and have trained all to use pee pads and potty outside.
My pups never were allowed to have full freedom of the house unless I could fully watch them, I have used a combination a crating at night and a xpen during the days with only one room with their pee pads in.
I have used a variety of techniques because each dog is different. My last puppy was a 18 week old boy, I bought a special pee pad hold with a wall so he could hike his leg on it, I had to eventually tether him to me and escort him to the pee pad on a regular basis But he eventually caught on.
I will point out that it will take way longer than it will take a larger breed pup. Patience , consistency is key

 

[CieCie]

I've never trained a toy but it seems she has too many choices. We put up baby gates and used a plastic baby pen as a fence to cut our family room/kitchen in half. Even then we still had a hard time keeping our eye on Winnie. It did help that we immediately started training her to ring a bell to go out. Now she's really bossy and demanding but she hasn't had an accident in a month. Good luck!!

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hi and Welcome!

Good advice from everyone.

What you want to do is "set her up for success" (and yourselves too) by reducing her chances for making mistakes.
If she's not directly under your supervision while eating, playing, training, she needs to be kept safely out of trouble, whether eliminating in the wrong place or getting hold of something potentially dangerous, until she earns more freedom in the home.

She will be 6 months or older before her neuromuscular system is mature enough to actually recognize the need to go and to be able to hold it long enough to communicate her need to you. She may recognize the feeling of needing to go before that, but it will be longer before she can actually wait.

The exercise pen doesn't need to be very big for a toy but it's somewhere she can be safely while still in the living area with you while you're working. If you're crate training her you could combine the two with something like this but scaled to your available area.

Remember too that she'll need to be taken to the pad every hour and given the chance to go, as well as after every activity. Activities include waking up, playing, eating, drinking, training, basically after any movement or intake.

I understand the thought behind multiple pads but it's actually confusing for her. You want to give one, possibly two places and help her learn them by taking her to them. Don't just hope she'll find it in time.

If she were a human, you wouldn't expect her to know to crawl to a bathroom so you need to show her every time .

Just as a question, are the pee pads out of necessity or convenience?

An additional piece of information since you didn't say whether you have previous experience with toy poodles is to learn the signs of hypoglycemia. This can be deadly serious in a very, very short time.

Hypoglycemia Requires Quick Intervention in Toy Breeds

Toy-breed dogs are not only at risk for hypoglycemia, they can die from the low blood sugar disorder if they do not receive prompt treatment. When a dog’s blood sugar, or glucose, level drops, it can affect neurological function. Disorientation, tremors and coma may occur. Normally, hormones...

www.poodleforum.com

And many other new puppy resources here

Pandemic Puppy Primer

The pandemic has created some unique challenges for families adding a new puppy or adult dog to their home. On the one hand, we finally have the time to devote to a four legged family member; on the other hand, surging demand has led to adoption and sales scams, and social distancing...

www.poodleforum.com

 

[Vita]

My toy poodles are strictly indoor pets and have always only used potty pads. If you live in an small apartment, only one is needed, ideally in the bathroom or a corner in the kitchen. They often catch on even at 9 and 10 weeks of age, but poodles differ. My female learned on the first day at 9 weeks, my male didn't have it down pat until 3 months old.

It's easier to clean these type of floors and remove any scent in case your puppy hits the edge of the pad and there is some spillage on the floor. If you live in a house, a pad in the basement and one in the top floor bathroom will be sufficient.

Be sure to keep your bedroom doors closed or doors to any other rooms where you don't want accidents during the day or when puppy has free range of your home. This is so she won't sneak in there and use your carpet. Keep blankets and towels off your floors so these won't be confused and think it's a potty pad.

 

[Newport]

Lots of good advice here, and I love RoseNpoos pictures of x pen setups (visual learner alert!).

My only comment (for us all) is an observation about generally every first time puppy owner ever: a lack of understanding that the puppy can't just run about the home unsupervised for many months and possibly for the whole entire first year of life- or longer for some rapscallions. That it is not loving kindness to allow an untrained dog full run of your home.

It is loving and kind and good animal husbandry to train your dog using tools such as tethering, confinement, one-on-one attention- in addition to what is more traditionally thought of as dog training. Hopefully by year one or three the dog has matured and been trained into the adult dog of your dreams. Crates, x pens, leashes are not instruments of torture unless misused. Correctly used they provide structure and support training, leading to success.

Zoeydec, welcome to puppyhood! You are on a delightful learning path, and not unusual at all in not knowing some of the puppy management things. Here you are asking questions, and getting good answers. Well done! May you have many happy years with your poodle.