Shih Tzu puppy won't potty train on pee pads. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 18 days old | 8 lbs
I'm having a tough time getting my shih tzu potty trained ive tried sprays and other things and he won't pee on the puppy pads what else can I try?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 10th, 2018
I would recommend crate training Bear. I would keep Bear in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on him. When he comes out of the crate I would then walk him or put him on the pee pad (depending on where you want him to go). If he goes then I would play with him and once you have to turn your back he goes back in the crate. If he does not go to the bathroom when you take him out of the crate I would put him back in for 20 minutes and try again. Remember he is only 3 1/2 months old so he will still have accidents. If you catch him going to the bathroom tell him no and take him and put him where you want him to go and praise him for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to him. Bear should only be crated for 3 hours right now at a time. How ever many months he is plus 1 is the number of hours you can leave him in at a time. A crate should be big enough for him to stand up, sit down and turn around. If you do not want to use a crate do the same idea with the bathroom. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on December 27th, 2017
Crate training is a great training option for puppies. I would keep Chase in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on him. When he comes out of the crate I would then walk him or put him on the pee pad (depending on where you want him to go). If he goes then I would play with him and once you have to turn your back he goes back in the crate. If he does not go to the bathroom when you take him out of the crate I would put him back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch him going to the bathroom tell him no and take him and put him where you want him to go and praise him for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to him. A crate should be big enough for him to stand up, sit down and turn around. If you do not want to use a crate do the same idea with the bathroom. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. The other part of training is walking Chase on a leash when going to the bathroom. Puppies can easily be distracted so by walking with him on a leash it tends to help. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on January 14th, 2018
I would recommend crate training Rackoon. Even though he is so young you can start training him. I typically recommend to be strict about the training starting at 8 weeks. I would keep Rackoon in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on him. When he comes out of the crate I would then walk him. If he goes then I would play with him and once you have to turn your back he goes back in the crate. If he does not go to the bathroom when you take him out of the crate I would put him back in for 20 minutes and try again. Remember he is only 1 1/2 months old so he will still have accidents. If you catch him going to the bathroom tell him no and take him and put him where you want him to go and praise him for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to him. A crate should be big enough for him to stand up, sit down and turn around. If you do not want to use a crate do the same idea with the bathroom. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
My 3 month old puppy is consistently doing his business outside when we take him but still pees inside, and also hates being alone and bites non-stop. He sleeps in his crate beside my bed and doesn’t do anything for up to 6 hours even though his bla
Hi, we have coco for about a week, in the morning she understand where to use the bathroom, but after a few hours she doesn't do it in the same place.. what can I do...thanks for your help.
PLEASE HELP! I have bought my puppy a toilet tray for indoor use as hes not allowed outside yet (unfinished vaccinations) but he is having accidents everywhere in the house. His crate is in a different room, as i don't want to teach him to pee in his
My dog is currently house training and he manages to have no accidents for one week but unfortunately after that week he starts to having this accidents again? What can I do I am starting to get upset? What can I do to let him know that I don't like
Not anything Health wise but I was referred to this app for tips from pet experts. Any idea on how to train my puppy to use the training pads ? He uses it one time and then continues to use it on the floor and else where. When he uses it on the pupp
What are some effective potty training techniques for my Shih Tzu? Usually he smells for his scent before he poops, but lately he has been pooping all over the house. I use wee wee pads and walk him, but he just uses the bathroom whenever he wants. I
i have male chihuahua x maltese 10 week old puppy and i’m having major troubles with teaching him to not pee and poop inside... he will not obey me and it’s really hard for me to supervise him 24/7... it brings my anxiety up and i go into distress mo
My shiba puppy has gone on her puppy pad several times on her own volition. However, she also decides to go in another area of the (carpeted) room, too. When we say “No” and then move her to her training pad, she stops peeing. To complicate things, s
We are getting a 6 week old male shih tzu. Is it ok to plane his potty pad and bed in his playpen? He will be kept in his playpen when we are not home and he will sleep in it over night. When we are home do we keep his potty pad in the play pen so he
How do I start potty training my puppy? I bought the diapers but he goes everywhere else except the diaper.
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
