How to train an older dog to use a pee pad Reddit

Hi! I tried posting this in r/dogtraining but didn't get any response. Maybe some dog lovers in this community will have some helpful input :)

TL;DR: Seeking advice on how to train my older dog to start using pee pads.

I have a 13 year old miniature poodle. She has several health issues, but overall a great quality of life for her age - thank goodness for quality vet care & medications! Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, she has been having potty accidents in her sleep and the vet wants her to start taking incontinence medication. My spouse and I discussed the idea of starting to train her to use pee pads so she can relieve herself more frequently and independently. Right now, she gets a walk in the morning, an early afternoon potty break, a late afternoon walk, and a night time potty break. We live on the top floor of an apartment, so she doesn't have access to a back yard/ doggie door.

Also, while my husband works from home now, we think it would be good for her to know how to use the pads in case he has to return to office, which would impact her midday potty break.

We've been training for about 4 days now. We put a pad in the bathroom and every time we get her harness & leash on to go out for her potty break/walk, we go to the bathroom first and let her sniff the pad and give her praise for acknowledging the pad. We also try giving the 'go potty' command. When she goes outside, we still say the 'go potty' phrase as soon as she squats. So basically, we are trying to build the pee pad into her potty routine.

I read a few online articles to help guide this process, but I have a few questions:

How long should I spend at the pad each time? Right now, we spend about a minute there, just letting her sniff and trying to use a high pitched/affirming voice to show that it's a safe space. I've also tried giving treats to reinforce her standing on the pad.

What should I do if she tries to sit or lay down on the pad? Should I allow it or redirect her to get off? I'm concerned that she wants to lay on it, because it's not supposed to be her bed area. But I also want it to be a safe space, so I'm not sure how to respond when she tries to sit/lay down on the pad.

Will it be too confusing for her to keep both routines? We want to continue taking her out on her routine walks, we just want her to be comfortable using the pad on her own, especially if she has to pee in the middle of the night or if we are not home.

Do you have any other suggestions/ guidance for us as we patiently navigate this process?

I'm also not sure if this matters, but it might be helpful info to add. Her personality in general is very passive. She unfortunately does not let us know when she has to relieve herself. My last dog used to paw at the door when he needed to go out. This one will literally wait until her bladder is so full that she soils herself instead of letting us know some that she needs to go out. So we can't really take her to the pad when she let's us know she has to go....since she doesn't do that lol.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions or feedback!

Pooky is a 12-year-old female Boston. She's severely arthritic and almost completely blind, and recently she's been suffering bouts of incontinence. Since she can't get outside in time anymore I bought her a turf puppy pad system, but I can't seem to get her to understand she has to pee on it.

She managed to pee on the turf 1 single time (she immediately got a treat and praise for it), but she hasn't done it since. I've had her on leash continuously for the last 2 weeks, and every couple hours I lead her to the turf, which I placed outside in her usual pee spot. She just sits on it and stares at me. I keep standing her back up and giving her the "make pee!" command, which she normally understands, but for some reason she has no idea what I want. When I allow her to leave the turf, she walks 3 steps over and pees on the ground right beside it.

I've tried 2 different attractants and they made no difference. I've also tried the regular non-turf pads, and she ignores those too.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My 13-year-old Daschund mix is house trained but I will be at work for 12+ hours. Any advice on how to train her to use the puppy pad? Or other products?

Hello, my 9 year old gal has started urinating in the house, always in the same spot. I took her to the vet and she checked out fine. I try to get her out three times a day but sometimes she refuses depending on the weather or her mood. Stairs are also becoming difficult for her so I think it's time to go this route.

So, based on what I'm reading I'm supposed to rub her urine on a pee pad and encourage her to go, and when she does, give her all the praise and treats. They also mention to place the pad in a part of the house that's a bit secluded to give her privacy. That place does not exist and she always pees in the walkway between the living room and dining room. Would I just place a pee pad there since it seems to be her preferred spot?

For anyone who's had to do this can you tell me how it went, how'd you do it, and how long did it take? Thanks so much for any help.

Noodle has been with me and my family since he was 1. We adopted him from a pet event. He was already well trained when we got him and would only urinate or defecate outside when we walk him, or he'll hold it for as long as he can.

Well I've been in a graduate program for the past year and I had to leave him. Recently, my brother just started college also and left the nest. So Noodle is at home with my parents, and I've been hearing that he's very sad. I'm currently in a nursing program that requires us to be in clinicals for 12 hours a day, 3 days a week. Starting in Jan, I won't have school anymore and will only be working in the externship. Depending on the nurse's schedule, I could be working nights or days.

I'm planning to bring him down to where I live in January. He'll be staying with me in my apartment, mostly in my room since I have a roommate. Since it's a big move for him, I have some questions for you guys:

Is it a good idea to move him? My parents are at home and are feeding/walking him. But he's not close to them and doesn't really play with them.

How can I train him to wait approx 12-13 hours until I can walk him again? Planning to use pee pads but not sure how to start. I'll be home for 3 weeks in December, should I start then?

I'm conflicted whether this is a good idea for him. Personally, I'd love it if he was around. Any advices or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

edit: After hearing everyone's advice, I think I will consider leaving him home at my parents. I want to move him here because I miss him a lot, and also because I know he's really sad without us. My parents are home but they're not exactly best pals with him so I feel bad for his well-being. They're also gone most of the time for work and family functions. But yea, thank you everyone. If I do end up getting a job down here, then I'll move him down. If not, I'll leave him with my parents.

my dog is between 3-4 years old. fortunately, he was already outside potty trained when i adopted him. i was living at home when i first got him and then also doing classes and work from home once covid hit so taking him outside frequently was never an issue.

however, starting in august i will be moving out into an apartment near my college campus and i am taking him with me. the only thing i worry about is leaving him alone for about 6-8 hours while i am on campus. i want to teach him how to use pee pads so he doesn’t feel like he has to hold it for that long while i’m gone, but i don’t know where to start!

any tips would be amazing! i know taking him out is the best option but i don’t want him to be uncomfortable or get uti’s from holding it ):

i’m a nurse that works 12 hour night shifts and i come home home during my breaks to let my dog out to potty. she’s 6 years old and only potties outside (i adopted her a few months ago and she was already trained).

the issue is that there may be instances when i can’t come home on time (patient unstable, admitting new patient, etc) and my dog notoriously holds her pee until someone lets her outside. she uses a grass potty on my apartment balcony and i’ve tried bringing it inside to see if she’d use it, but she refuses. i started using “go potty” every time she potties outside so that i could teach her to go on command indoors, but she still refuses to go indoors. i’m wondering if anyone has successfully trained their outside potty trained dog to use a pee pad/grass pad indoors for emergencies

edit: thanks everyone for the replies! it seems like the general consensus is that training her to go inside might cause some regression/unwanted indoor pottying. i don’t have family nearby, otherwise that would’ve been my ideal option to drop her off while i’m gone. i wasn’t keen on having a stranger stop by my apartment/figuring out a safe way to let them in, but i bit the bullet and used wag for the first time for a drop in and had a pleasant experience.