Sleeps Well in Palace but no Poop or Pee

Q: Hello. I am new to Doctor Pup and this is my first question for the forum. Baxter (formerly known as JR) is a 9 week old Teddy Bear pup and weighs 2.9 pounds. I have had him for 4 days and he is doing very well in his Puppy Poo Pee Palace and at night sleeps about 5 hours before awakening me. He has neither pooped or peed in his palace, but likes to take care of his business in the grass outside. When he is out of his palace at play time I put him on a pee pad and he doesn't go, but when he scampers off the pad he pees on the floor. Suggestions? Thanks

A: If being trained to use pads is your long term goal you can increase your chances and minimize the time it will take by having them in their crate/pen as much as possible to create the opportunity for praise. Training a puppy to go outdoors is easier in some respects since there is a lot of room in which going potty is okay and there are things for you and your puppy to do while waiting for the right time. When pad training you have to rely on having the pad/tray within sight of the puppy most of the time since there is nothing else to occupy the puppy while he is waiting for the need to arise. I am not sure wether your goal is outdoor or indoor training, if it is outdoor you are off to a great start since he likes going out there. If you wish to have him use the pad then he first must spend as much time as possible in his palace for the first week or two to learn that it is okay to eliminate there. You then increase his available are by adding an exercise pen attached to the palace or placing the palace in a small room such as a bathroom with the palace door open for a couple weeks. Then you can give him access to larger areas of your house but still take the pad/tray with you. You can send additional questions through the forum, live chat or INSTAVET mobile app.