(Podcast) #PetParentsAsk Ep. 6: How to Stop My Puppy From Biting on the Pee Pad?

 "How to Stop My Puppy From Biting on the Pee Pad?" Any tips on how to get my puppy to not bite the pee pad when she's in the crate /playpen with it? She's making good progress with crate training. That's a very good question. I, see this a lot where, either a crate or playpen will be the area where the puppy is, and they, have right there their pee pads as well.

As far as a crate goes, unless it's a really large crate and a very small dog, I don't typically recommend putting a pee pad inside a crate, mainly because, of this scenario where your puppy can either use it as a bed or use it as a toy, it's a little bit more difficult to manage because there's not as much room.

And so the association of the Pee Pad being strictly for peeing on it, is a little bit more blurred and not as clear to your puppy in that. In that amount of space. So what I recommend instead is sticking to the playpen. To, have it, have the pee pad in it, and if your puppy is chewing it, whether you've decided to use a crate or playpen, it could be that they're either bored, they want to do some activities, so meaning when your puppy's being placed in the playpen or in their crate, It's likely not the right time for them to be in the crate, so what I'd recommend instead is doing activities so that your puppy's going to go in the crate or playpen to rest. If you're using the playpen, you can still have the pee pad in there, but once your puppy's going into their playpen to rest, they're more likely to not.

Feel the need to bite or to chew on the pee pad and rather just use it when they feel the need to go, when they feel the need to relieve themselves. If you are doing enrichment activities, if you're doing, socialization, physical activities, or mental activities, and you're finding that your puppy is still chewing on the pee pad, then that will let me know that your puppy is looking for something to nibble, chew on as a means to just sort of soothe potentially even teeth and gnaw on something, so I would make sure of that. Just as much as the pee pad is in the playpen. I would also play some options that come out only when it's time for my puppy to rest. So for example, a Kong, stuffed and frozen with something inside of it. A chew toy, a ball, something that my puppy can gnaw, and again, that I bring out when I know it's time for them to use it inside their playpen. That way it's not just always sitting there and potentially becoming boring. And, that could also be why your puppy is choosing to, if there are already options available there for your pup. If they're still choosing to chew and bite on the p pep, potentially that gets them something meaning If they bite it, maybe they get a reaction from you. Which could also indicate that they're feeling bored. But usually, if you are providing enrichment outlets, then the chewing on the pee pad, the biting, it could just be, Hey, I just want something to nibble on. So, have the pee pad there ready and the playpen, but also have some options for a puppy to.

Chew like a Kong and bring it up when you know that it's time for a puppy to chew on something. That way they'll choose the Kong over the pee pad.