How to Train Your Boxer Puppy to Pee on a Wee Wee Pad

Some pet owners who live in high-rise apartments or who aren't often home during the day like to train their dogs to go to the bathroom indoors on Wee-Wee Pads. Wee-Wee Pads are a brand of dog pad and potty training product made by Four Paws, specially made to have a scent that attracts and encourages dogs to use them. Training your boxer puppy to use the pads every time will take patience and perseverance, but it will pay off when you no longer have to clean up any messes around the house.

Instructions

    • 1

      Keep your boxer puppy in a restricted area while potty training. Use baby gates to block doorways and prevent access to areas of the house that are far away from the Wee-Wee Pads. The dog will be more likely to use the pads consistently if it can always see them.

    • 2

      Place the pad in a spot that is not near the puppy's food, water or sleeping area and that will be easy to clean if the dog misses the pad. The bathroom area should be easily visible and accessible for the dog. Cover an area of about 3 to 4 square feet with Wee-Wee Pads when you first begin training. As training progresses and your dog learns how to use the pads, you will be able to reduce the coverage area until you are using only one pad at a time.

    • 3

      Take the puppy to the bathroom area at the times when it is most likely to need to go, including when it first wakes up in the morning, after vigorous play, approximately 30 minutes after each meal and anytime it has been over 2 hours since the dog last went to the bathroom. Boxer puppies have small bladders and cannot hold their urine for much longer than 2 to 3 hours.

    • 4

      Use a command such as "do your business" every time you want the dog to eliminate on the pad. Your boxer will eventually learn the meaning of this command and will go to the pad on its own when you say it.

    • 5

      Keep an eye on the puppy at all times and watch for signs that it is about to go to the bathroom. These include sniffing, circling and a sudden interest in looking at the floor. If you see the dog beginning to display these signs, give the bathroom command and put the dog onto the Wee-Wee Pad.

    • 6

      Praise the dog enthusiastically when it goes to the bathroom on the pad and reward it with a special treat or a period of playtime. Boxers are energetic dogs that respond well to play, so if your dog begins to associate using the Wee-Wee Pads with being allowed to play it will see potty training as a positive experience and want to do it correctly.

    • 7

      Say "no," firmly, if you catch the dog going to the bathroom on the floor or furniture. Pick up the dog and take it over to the Wee-Wee Pad. Even if the dog no longer has to go to the bathroom, this action will help reinforce that the pads are the correct place to eliminate.