Is this a sudden change?
If not, how have you done potty training so far, including handling accidents? How long have accidents been happening?
My experience with potty pads is that many dogs start thinking that any absorbent, pad-like surface in the house is okay to potty on - rugs, bath mats, a shirt dropped on the way to the laundry, etc. I've used them on occasion for management (eg we have an emergency and have to leave the puppy longer than usual, set them up in a pen lined with pads so accidents are easier to clean up), but I don't like to encourage or reward a dog for going on them. If possible, I always encourage people to teach their dogs to potty only outside, because it tends to be much clearer to the dogs that the house isn't the place for pottying. But if this isn't possible (high rise apartment, etc.) I still prefer a potty tray that uses sod or gravel or even pellet litter - something that doesn't look or feel like anything else in the living space - so that it's super clear what's the potty area and what's not.
If not, how have you done potty training so far, including handling accidents? How long have accidents been happening?
My experience with potty pads is that many dogs start thinking that any absorbent, pad-like surface in the house is okay to potty on - rugs, bath mats, a shirt dropped on the way to the laundry, etc. I've used them on occasion for management (eg we have an emergency and have to leave the puppy longer than usual, set them up in a pen lined with pads so accidents are easier to clean up), but I don't like to encourage or reward a dog for going on them. If possible, I always encourage people to teach their dogs to potty only outside, because it tends to be much clearer to the dogs that the house isn't the place for pottying. But if this isn't possible (high rise apartment, etc.) I still prefer a potty tray that uses sod or gravel or even pellet litter - something that doesn't look or feel like anything else in the living space - so that it's super clear what's the potty area and what's not.
