Hi there,

I just got my puppy a week ago. According to the breeder she was paper trained. Once she got used to our apartment and saw where the pee pads and paper spots were, she got used to only peeing in one of those two spots. However, she seems to have a new favourite spot and pees in one of two doorways, and no matter what I do I find her doing it again and again. When I catch her in the act I say NO! to try and stop her, and then pick her up and put her on the paper area. But since she is such a little dog, she has already finished peeing at that point. Also, when I put her on the pad she just freezes, shakes, and looks up at me nervously. I never punish her if I didn't see her doing it, and just clean it up. I really am at a loss, because she hasn't peed on the pads in three days and I'm slowly going crazy wondering what I've done wrong to make her stop going on the paper spots.

How do I get her to start peeing on the papers again, and how do I prevent her from peeing in the one doorway she's gotten used to urinating in? I really appreciate your advice because I am completely dumbfounded and have no idea what to do!

imo puppy pads and paper training is the wrong approach,you are ,in effect teaching her to use your house as a toilet,very confusing for a young pup as you will soon be retraining her to go outside!!! also how can you tell her off for toileting in one part of the house,than not another?that why she shakes and acts nervously on the pads!
from the start you should teach her that outside is the place to toilet,taking her out reguarly every 30 mins or so,after food ect.putting pup in a crate overnight,only big enough for a bed will also help this,again no toilet area.you may need to get up during the night once or twice whilst she is tiny
pups are fine to go out in your garden before they have their jabs,

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(formally clare7577)

Ah I saw the apartment bit so further to the above, take it you cant take her outside as yet. Puppy pads to my mind are a waste of money, and as someone here said feel a bit too much like carpet. Regardless whether you see her pee or not telling her off just makes her more scared. You're best ignoring her and cleaning the mess up. Next time she pees where she shouldnt use the paper to mop up where shes done it and put the paper where you want her to do it. She should follow the scent. You have to make sure that you get rid of the scent shes left in the other place, a good bio soap powder works as does white vinigar no it dont stink the house out either.

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You could also confine her in a puppy pen so she can't get to the doorway area. There should be her bed, toys and paper/pads in the pen, and it should be placed so it contains the area you want to use for toilet training.

i suppose that if the pup directs to one of the doorways indicates that he/she is very clean and wants/attempts to go out...at that age though, is very difficult for the puppy to control bowels/bladder...so, in my opinion you should only increase the time of taking him/her out and work up the time from there....growing will take care of the rest...

some very basic rules are that the pup need the loo when it wakes up, after drinking, after a bout of play, and before/after eating...but then, observing carefully you'll be able to understand the pup's natural routines and learn how to control them and adapt to your lifestyle!
good luck
d