“Use a pee pad,” the breeder said. “Puppies take to pee pads quickly,” your vet said. And while everyone you know swears by the pads, what most forget to tell you is that sometimes puppies will chew on, shred and proudly drag the used pad around the room. That leaves you with a trail of urine and shredded pad to clean up. That’s no fun. The good news is, you can stop the chewing and shredding and get your puppy back on track with just a few training tips.

The directions on your dog’s potty training pads may be simple and effective, yet some dogs require a little more attention to training on a pad. Making sure you master some of the basics from the very beginning, and knowing which longer term mistakes to avoid, will help you and your four legged friend head down a more successful path to potty or pad training.