Quote Originally Posted by Wenisrubber
Do any of you or have you used piddle pads? Spanky is a Chihuahua.

I am so embarassed. I feel like all of my knowledge regarding dogs flew out the window when Spanky came into our lives.

We got Spanky, and knew we were gonna move, but had to do it sooner and faster than thought. So, we found this place which is a quadplex but there's no yard so we had to train her to use the piddle pads. We ended up picking this place because the landlady was the only person so open to the fact that we had two cats and one dog.

Now, therein lies the problem. Spanky is almost seven months old and she is very smart.

We have a kitchen which is where she has two piddle pads. Now, if we're not watching her every waking move during the daytime, she sometimes won't make the effort to go across the house to use the pads (and it is hardly a lengthy trek, like she would have you believe). Troy wishes she would pick it up soon. So here's my plan: I figured I've been inconsistent so what I am going to do is keep her in the kitchen with the gate up at all times so she has no excuse not to use the piddle pad. Of course her food, water, bed, blanket, and some toys will be in there. Take her out for a few minutes when I notice she has pottied and then put her back in there. She seems to be highly motivated by being taken out of the kitchen and will do good for a couple of days and then stop trying. I might just switch to regular newspaper, too, because that seems to yield MUCH better results with her.

So what do you think? What do you think would be the most effective way of training her to use the piddle pad? Any and all suggestions are welcomed and will be tried and appreciated.
I am concerned she has a mild or beginning of a urinary infection. That needs to be ruled out first.
Piddle pads usually back fire as it teaches the dog to go in the house. My step son uses them for his little min pin as they live in a penthouse type in a huge city. However- at my suggestion, they placed it in a cat litter box. Number one, it contains the odor, and number to, the place to go becomes more of an object ( the box) than 'where" ( the house..)