How to Potty Train a Dog to Go on an Indoor Pad

• 1). Determine which kind of pads you will need. Not all pads are created equal. Do a little research online and ask friends which pads they have used and whether or not they liked the results. What you are essentially putting on your floor is a big diaper and they are made of the exact same material. Anyone with a child can attest, some diapers work great and some just don't. Also, pads come in many different sizes. Get a pack that is appropriate for the size of dog you have (and the size of mess it makes).
  
  
• 2). Put the pads in the right places. You must put the pads in areas that make sense for the dog to go to the bathroom in. Don't put a pad right next to its food bowl. This is not an area that the dog will want to go, even if you train it to go there. Put one in an area near your bathroom and maybe another near the place where the dog sleeps. And, yes, you definitely must put down more than one. Even if you live in a modestly sized apartment, the pads fill up quicker than you think, especially if you are gone for an extended period of time.
  
  
• 3). Use potty training spray. For the first two weeks of potty training, use a spray. This can be found at virtually every pet store and it is very easy to use. Put down the pads where you want your dog to go and spray a small amount in the center of each pad. A little goes a long way. The scent from this spray tells the dog that this is where it is appropriate to go to the bathroom. This only should be used for the first two weeks.
  
  
• 4). Use positive reinforcement. After the first couple of weeks using the spray, start using positive reinforcement to keep the dog from using the pads instead. Every time your dog uses the pad to go to the bathroom, give it a big, happy cheer. Pet the dog and say what a good job, then immediately give a small treat. A tiny bit of peanut butter on the end of a spoon is a great idea that is also more cost effective than going through boxes of dog treats for this repetitive exercise in training. Do this for at least a month. It may get old after a while, but you will find that once you do this, you will have a dog that is trained to go to the bathroom where it should for the rest of its life.