When a Pug Won't Use the Pee Pads

Overview

Are you trying your best to set things up for your Pug so that your puppy or dog goes to the bathroom on pee pads when you aren’t there to bring them outside? But, no matter what you do, your Pug misses the pads?

Maybe the pads are ignored altogether or maybe your Pug pees or poos right next to them instead of on them. Or perhaps your Pug rips and chews at the pads until there’s nothing left to use. These types of issues are not that uncommon.

However, the good news is that with a little tweaking, you can get your Pug right back on track.

In this section, we’ll cover why pee pads aren’t being used and exactly how to fix the problem.

How to Get a Pug to Use Pee Pads

Step #1: Have a Defined Area

If your Pug has free reign in the house or even just in a whole room, it’s a lot harder for a dog to understand that pee pads should be used. This is particularly true if your Pug is trained to go outside, and the pads are just the alternative method for when your Pug is home alone.

Not only will a defined help a dog to use the pee pads, it is also beneficial in other ways as well. For Pugs that have separation anxiety, a defined area ensures that their aids (TV with relaxing music, ‘stay busy’ toys, companion toy, treat-release toy, etc.) are all within reach.

A smaller, defined area also helps prevent chewing on non-toy items and can keep a dog safe from the various hazards that are typical in houses such as electrical cords.

What to do:

To help ensure pee pads are not missed or ignored, ideally you’ll want a puppy to have 8 to 10 square feet of room and an adult will do well with about 20 square feet. There are a couple of options to do this:

Option #1: Create a small gated-off area. Depending on the layout of your home, you may be able to create a small enough area using gates.

If you want to block off an entrance, a gate with mesh (not bars that a pup can squeeze through) like the Evenflo Position and Lock - Pressure Mount Gate can work well. And, there are larger gates to cut a room in half or in thirds.

Option #2: A canine playpen. This is a great way to give your Pug their own spot and with this type of defined area, if you use the right pee pad set up (tips coming up), you’re sure to find success.

One great choice is the IRIS 4-Panel Pet Playpen with a Door. This is 24” inch high and starts off with 8 square feet of space. The great thing about this one is that you can add on to it, to make it larger, either as your puppy grows or if you decide to give your adult more space. The additional interlocking panels makes expanding this quite easy.

Iris pens are made of a heavy-duty molded plastic which makes it very sturdy; yet, it’s portable and can be used both indoors and out. This one has a door for easy entrance and exit. And, it comes in 7 different colors, so you can choose one that matches your decor.

Another good choice is the IRIS 8-Panel Pet Playpen with a Door. This one is 34” high and has a surprising 21 square feet of space. It's pretty roomy, yet due to its circular design, it can easily fit into most living rooms or kitchens. While your Pug will have plenty of space to stretch out and play, it will still play a role in pee and poo ending up on the pee pads. This is available in 9 different colors and also has a door for easy in and out.

Step #2: Use the Right Pee Pads or Alternative Method

Now that you have a defined area for your Pug, which at the very least ensures that the pee pads will be right there, it’s time to tackle the problem of a Pug moving the pads around, chewing and ripping them up, and/or missing them which leaves a puddle or pee or pile of poo right next to the pad.

Fortunately, there’s some effective methods to resolve these issues:

Option #1: Use one large pad instead of several small ones.

It’s common to look at pee pads and buy those designed for the size of your dog. So, Pug owners may choose the small to medium size, which is typically around 22 x 23 inches. However, opting for an extra-large size will give you a much larger pad, thus a larger target for pee and poo to be deposited.

And consider opting for one that has adhesive. There are pee pads that have a sticky adhesive on one side and while this won’t stop a dog that attacks the pad and whips it around, it will help prevent the pee pad from sliding around.

For an extra-large pee pad that has optional adhesive strips, Bulldogology XL Training Pads with Sticky Tape is a great choice. These measure 24 x 35 inches.

Option #2: Use a large washable pad.

There are pros and cons to this. The pros are that these are made of an absorbent material that cannot be ripped like regular pee pads. Also, the large size means a much better chance that your Pug won’t miss the pads. In addition, these are environmentally friendly and are easy on the wallet since you do not need to be continually buying disposable pads.

The one con, really, is that you’ll need to wash these; many owners have two or three of these, rotating them out, and washing them every 1 to 2 days.

If you think you may want to choose this option, the Rocket & Rex Washable Pee Pad is a large sized 30 x 36 inches (perfect to line the inside of a canine playpen) and stands up to 300 machine washings. There’s also a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Option #3: Use a pee pad holder.

The idea of this is to provide a stable sturdy frame that holds the pee pads in place thus preventing them from being moved. So, if you use a large size, your Pug is much more apt to hit the target since it will be big and immovable.

There are a couple of trays that work rather well.

The IRIS XL Training Pet Pad Holder comes in several different sizes including a 25.20" x 37.1 tray that holds large pads. Note that you can use an even larger pee pad than the frame size.

And the Richell Paw Trax Mesh Training Tray is a top pick because it has soft (paw-friendly) grates and the pad sits under this where a puppy or dog cannot get to it.

Option #4: Use a real grass pad.

Dogs that are used to going to the bathroom outside on grass often understand inside grass patches without much training. So, this can be a great choice for Pugs that really struggle with understanding what pee pads are for.

Of course, other bonuses are that this can’t be moved around like lightweight pads can and there’s no pad to rip or chew up. You may also find that this is a great option if you have a lot of inclement weather (rain, snow, etc.).

The one con is the cost involved. These are meant to be disposable and most owners have this on a reoccurring order, with a new grass patch delivered every 1 and 1/2 weeks (3 times a month). It comes in a cardboard frame, so you simply toss the entire thing out when the new one arrives.

One of the more budget-friendly ones is the DoggieLawn Disposable Real Grass Dog Potty and it’s a nice 24.75 x 21 inch size.

Step #3: Clean Messes with an Enzyme Cleanser

If your Pug misses the pee pads, no doubt you scrub the area clean. But are you just using soap and water? If so, enzymes in the urine and stools are still there; soap does not remove them. Those enzymes send out a lingering odor; you won’t be able to detect it with your mere mortal nose, but your dog can with their incredible canine scenting abilities.

The odor sends a signal that the area is a bathroom spot, and a dog will be more prone to soil the area again.

Therefore, for any accidents, you will want to clean it up with soap and water but then you’ll also want to spray the area with a quality enzyme cleanser. One like Simple Solution's Extreme Pet Enzyme Formula works very well and it also removes stains. With this, you spray it on the area, let it stay for 5 minutes, and then blot it dry with paper towels.

Summary

The Pug is such an endearing breed that really likes to please their owners. So, hiccups like accidents or not understanding pee pad training can be overcome. It is really is just a matter of needing to set your Pug up for success.

You can do this by creating a small defined area for your Pug to be any time that your dog is home alone or cannot be closely supervised. Within that area, use large pads with an adhesive backing or held within a frame, or an alternative method such as reusable pads or a grass patch.