Indoor X-Pens

WELCOME Vidaliagrl6!

There are a lot of great Training threads about housebreaking/training/puppy pads.

Personally I dislike the use of puppy pads! But of course some love this training tool.

There are puppy pad guard protectors you can purchase to prevent your dog from destroying them [the plastic guards cover the ends of the pad] (all though sometimes it still can be unsuccessful... some dogs love paper! hehe)

I recommend CRATING your dog when you are not home; and keeping her in your site at all times while you are home.

Gradually increase the amount of "freedom" in the home. Don't allow her to have range of such an open space too soon! The puppy needs to learn what is her "den" and the smaller space you begin with the better success you will have.

Also, a puppy needs to be able to relieve themselves every TWO HOURS. If you work full-time like me; you still need to comprimise and find ways! I am getting a new puppy this summer (for example) I will be taking some vacation time for the first week. Then I am going to notify my work that I need to make TWO trips home (verses my typical one trip home on lunch).

Puppies are a lot of dedication! I always tell people before they rush out and buy a dog make sure they can give it the time and energy needed for training/proper growth.

If you can not make trips home during the day (like me) hire a dog walker for mid-day walks.

Best of Luck! (check out some other threads in the training section... you'll find a lot of info)

I use the pads when I have a litter....YES they do chew them sometimes...I duct tape mine to the floor, and spritz very lightly with Bitter Apple  My litters stay in an ex pen set up with frequent trips outside so don't actually use the pads much. Just when they wake up from a nap and I'm not right there to let them out. More for just in case.

CUTE puppy BTW....others will be along shortly with more input likely.

Thanks for the tips!  Just to be clear, I don't leave my dog unattended and I currently only work weekends so I am always home with her.  On the weekends my boyfriend comes and spends the day with her.  Since I live in an apartment complex I can't have her barking all the time.  If she is left in her crate or kept out of my site she barks and I am purchasing the pen to allow her more freedom.  She is taken out after every nap and every 20 minutes after that.  We have had some training problems with her urinating in her crate, so she is taken out more often now. 

 The puppy pads are being used only because the pen will be on the carpet and I wish to protect the carpet. 

I have heard of people using one of those blue plastic tarps under an x-pen that was on carpet. I would think you would go through alot of puppy pads the other way. I loved the x-pen set up when my dogs were puppies. There were so many times that I didn't want them crated but didn't want them wandering the house either. I tried the puppy pads at first, but they were pretty much useless. The dogs would chew them, or go half on, half off of them. My x-pen was on linoleum, so I just took the pads out. I haven't tried the tarp thing, but I thought it sounded like a good idea.

I've moved your post to Training/Housetraining/Crates/Puppies. If you look thru some other posts as suggested you can likely find some other good input. And you HAVE to post pics of that puppy for us over in Photos for Sharing!

The max that the average pup can "hold it" is one hour for every month in age, plus one.  So, your 12 week old theoretically should be able to wait for 4 hours.  BUT, you've also got those times, just after a meal, just after a huge big drink, just after waking, playing, etc, etc, etc, so that 4 hours doesn't always hold true.

What I do with a foster litter is very similar to Gina.  Only I attach the xpen to a large crate.  The crate is for sleeping and the xpen is for those "just in case" times that I'm not right there.  Of course there is no substitute for really watching and getting the pups outside to go potty.

Just in regards to the x-pen, I would like to suggest utilizing a desk chair mat (the clear ones that prevent your carpet from denting).  My rabbits live in an x-pen, and that acts as a nice solid base that protects the carpeting.  You could even tape the puppy pads to it if you wanted to.

As for the training, it sounds like you've got a handle on it.  I'll say that I'm not a fan of the puppy pads personally, but it's an individual decision.  Since you said that you're taking your pup out more because of accidents in the crate, you probably won't need the puppy pads.  The issue I really wanted to address is the barking.  Honor was HEINOUS as a puppy for barking in the crate, and I was scared to death that the apartment complex owners were going to kick us out!  But the best way to stop this is to ignore the dog completely.  It's hard to do (especially if it's at night), but they will pick up on the fact that nothing good happens if they scream.  The second Honor would stop barking, she would get praise praise praise.  You have to be really on top of it, but it's worth it.  Which actually helped in teaching her "Speak" and "Quiet".  It took Honor about a week's time to figure this out (a very loooong week), but she hasn't done it since.

Good luck!  I can't wait to see pics of your pup!
 

I love the tarp idea!! 

 I don't want to train my puppy to go on puppy pads, I just don't want her to have an accident on the carpet. 

Thanks again!