# Transitioning from pee pads to outdoors



## Lucy419 (Jun 10, 2013)

Hi all! I apologize I am always posting questions for you. Hopefully one day I can be the one who can provide the answers! 

Anyway, Lucy is now 11 weeks old. She's been going on pee pads indoors for the last 3 weeks. She's been about 90% accurate with peeing and 50% with pooping. Part if the issue is I have carpeting and she is just so tempted to go on the carpet, and I haven't had a chance to get it steam cleaned. The other part is she is SO sneaky, unpredictable, and fast with her poops. She doesn't like the pads for it, even when she has a fresh one that she hasn't peed on.

Now that she's had her shots I'd like her to go outside most of the time (and still use the pads for overnight potty runs, when I have to leave her for work, etc.). The pads are just so expensive I cant keep buying a whole new pack every week!
Lucy is SO distracted outside. She wants to eat the ants, look at the neighbors, eat the grass, etc. I put the pee pad out there, and keep her on it saying "Go potty" (thats her phrase) but she doesn't go. We will even go for a walk, and she will go to the bathroom once we are back in the house.

I am just hoping that her accuracy with house training may be better if she can go outside. I may get some bells for the door, so I can train her to tell me if she needs to go.

Thoughts on the transition of indoor to outdoor, but still keeping the pads out for certain times of the day?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Piece of cake lol . http://ezinearticles.com/?Transitioning-From-Indoor-to-Outdoor-Potty-Training&id=4622092


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Lucy419 -- Your post made me laugh -- of course eating ants and looking at the neighbors is terribly exciting to a little puppy who has not yet been outdoors much. I didn't read the article posted by Dave, but I have to say, DON'T WORRY. My dog is a year and 2 months old now, but when he was your puppy's age, and for several months after that, I was in despair and thinking that he would _never_ get the potty training thing. Like you I trained him to potty pads first, since there were several weeks before I would let him go in the grass. I do not have a private yard, so he has to use the grass that may have been travelled by other dogs. In any case... the thing is, my understanding is that most dogs prefer to go potty outside, so I'm sure she will get the hang of it before long and will take to it rapidly. You are lucky that she's already familiar with the indoor potty system, because then you can use that late at night or in bad weather, which is what I do. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I've been there, not so long ago, and as everyone assured me, it really does get much easier!


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

We're starting that process, too. We have the most success taking her outside first thing in the morning when we know she has to go and won't be able to hold it, even if she's distracted. She'd still rather go in her litter box, but mornings seem like the easiest time to start.

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## Lucy419 (Jun 10, 2013)

davetgabby said:


> Piece of cake lol . http://ezinearticles.com/?Transitioning-From-Indoor-to-Outdoor-Potty-Training&id=4622092


Wow. Great article! Very helpful, thanks!


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## Lucy419 (Jun 10, 2013)

RoutineAvocado said:


> We're starting that process, too. We have the most success taking her outside first thing in the morning when we know she has to go and won't be able to hold it, even if she's distracted. She'd still rather go in her litter box, but mornings seem like the easiest time to start.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I agree with you there! Mornings are pretty good. Does Zelda try to drag you back inside when she really has to go like Lucy does? LOL. It is starting out as pretty tough. We had 1 successful potty trip yesterday. However, she prefers indoors (my little diva!) and is confused about going outside. Even worse, is I am taking her to work with me for the next few weeks, and I cannot take her outside very much due to my office location. So, she has to use her pads during the day. We will take it day by day, and we celebrate small victories!


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

She hasn't tried to drag us back inside yet, but we're usually out in the neighborhood somewhere. But if she races to the front door when we get home and begs to go inside, I know what's up! Otherwise, she'd rather stay in the yard and sniff the garden. She always pees outside for our dog walker so I need to find out his secret.

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