Some people love dog and Puppy pads, whilst other people think there are better options.

For those using pads to absorb pee, for house training and for crates, they will tell you that dog/puppy pads:

• Save you lots of time and effort cleaning up + contain odors to the pads themselves (as opposed to inside your carpet)
• Protect your house surfaces like carpets from mess (pee, poop, vomit, dirt/wet paw marks), stains and damage – saving you cleaning and replacement costs
• And are very easy to dispose of and replace
• Are excellent for those with small dogs living in inner city apartments, or those with dogs with restricted movement, or health conditions 

Those who argue against using puppy/dog pads say you are getting your dog into bad routine/habit if you train them early on in their life to rely on them.

We’ve taken a pretty neutral view, have brought you all the information about dog and puppy pads there is, and thought we’d let you make up your own mind.

Let’s check them out!

Everything You Want To Know About Dog & Puppy Pee/Training/Crate Pads

What Are Dog & Puppy Training, Pee & Crate Pads

Puppy pads are mess absorbing pads (absorb pee, poop and vomit) mainly used for puppies before they are house trained.

Crate pads are just standard pads that are used primarily in your dog’s crate – but can also be used in doggy litter trays, on dog beds and really anywhere you want to put them.

Specifically, puppy training pads are designed to absorb mess – mainly pee, poop, and to a lesser extent vomit.

They might be used by puppies who haven’t been house trained, older dogs who can’t move well or have bladder/bowel problems, dogs with health conditions, or dogs that don’t have regular access to outside environments during the day (e.g. a small dog living in an apartment).

Their main features are:

• absorbing liquids and turning them into gel
• being leak proof to prevent mess on,or stains/damage to floors
• attracting dogs via built in attractants to the pads to go potty
• neutralise inside pet mess odors

Owners might use them either:

• As a protective measure for inside floors in the event the owner can’t let the puppy outside during the day or for longer periods of time when they are at work (a better long term approach)
• To teach their puppy where to go potty inside, as an alternative to outside (inner city apartment residents)

What Are Puppy Training Pads Made Of

Pads are usually made of several layers – with quilted/cloth top layers to absorb liquids, and waterproof plastic bottom layers to protect carpets and other surfaces. For example, the Four Paws Wee Wee Pads have 5 layers composed of:

• A top layer with a quick-drying quilted surface that locks in wetness, reduces odor, and prevents tracking.
• A second surge layer that keeps liquid flowing in the right direction
• A sponge-like core layer that provides maximum absorption and turns liquid into gel upon contact.
• The fourth and fifth layers (the last two bottom layers) are the locking layer and the leak proof protective plastic lining – which keep floors safe from damage.

Types Of Puppy Training Pads – Disposable vs Washable Puppy Training Pads

The main types of puppy pads are:

• Disposable Puppy Pads (most popular)
• Washable Puppy Pads (pads you can throw in the wash and use again)
• Eco Friendly Puppy Pads

Personally, we don’t really like the options of washable puppy pads because you never know what nasties from your dog’s urine or poop could contaminate the washing machine.

Having said that, people put dog bed covers and whole dog beds in the washing machine with no real issues – so it’s not always an issue as long as you remove stains thoroughly beforehand (make this decision for yourself though and know the risks).

We prefer the standard disposable puppy pads, or eco friendly puppy pads.

Apart from the type of puppy pad, they also have different details/features like:

• Coming in different sizes in terms of length and width
• Coming with different amounts of pads in each package
• Coming in different colors like blue/white, and peach colors – just to name a few
• Coming in Standard, Odor Control, Super Absorbent, Gigantic, X-Large, Little Dogs, and Decor type pads

Eco Friendly Training Pads – What Are They, and Are They Worth It?

Most pads are made of quilt/cotton/absorbent material and plastic.

Plastic is obviously damaging when it goes to landfill and the environment.

We have outlined the dangers and damage plastic causes to the environment previously when discussing plastic and eco friendly dog poop bags.

Eco friendly training pads are made by a few different brands have a few different benefits:

Four Paws Wee-Wee Dog Housebreaking Pads (on Amazon) – top absorbent layers are made with bleach-free, dye-free tissue and fluff and the leak-proof liner is made from 50% recycled material.

Simple Solution Eco Care Puppy Training Pads (on Amazon) – use 50% recycled materials reclaimed from the manufacturing process, reducing 400 tons of landfill waste annually.

The Green Pet Shop Bamboo Training Pads (on Amazon) – Fabric is made from organic and eco friendly 25% Bamboo rayon and 75% wood pulp – both of which break down easier in the environment than standard fabric used in puppy pads.

• What Does Dye Do To The Environment? – dyes can contain toxins or chemicals which pollute the environment
• What Does Bleach Do To The Environment? – bleach used in products like pads to make them look more white can toxic dioxin levels which impact living creatures and the environment
• How Does Recycling Help The Environment? – there are many benefits for recycling and manufacturing using recycled materials including re-using materials that would have gone to land fill and damaged wildlife and the environment (such as soft plastic)

Which Puppy Training Pads Are The Best

We are currently analysing the best dog and puppy pads and will provide you a breakdown here when we’re done.

When To Use Puppy Training Pads

Most commonly, puppy training pads are used:

• When the puppy is being housetrained to go potty outside, and to protect inside floors and carpets
• If the dog/puppy spends most of it’s time inside (either because the living environment means only the inside is available, or the dog has a condition) and you want to train your dog to use the pads as an alternative to outside

When To Change Or Remove Puppy Training Pads

There’s no set time, but in general, you can change pads over once they have been soiled, or once a day.

Obviously if the pads start to look or feel full, start to smell or look dirty, you can change them too.

Why Would I Use Puppy Training Pads

You don’t have to use puppy pads. Some people prefer to lay down some newspaper.

But, some people love them because of how they are able to absorb mess, and protect carpets and other surfaces + minimise cleanup.

You may not have a choice but to use puppy pads if you live in an inner city apartment, or if your dog has movement or internal health issues.

How Effective Are Puppy Training Pads

The good puppy pads with several layers are pretty effective at absorbing pee, and not letting it leak on the floor.

They are also pretty good at keeping particularly urine odor locked into the pad.

They are GREAT at minimising your cleanup – all you have to do is throw away the pad and replace it with a new one as opposed to removing, disinfecting and deodorising pee, poop or vomit on carpet, floorboards or tiles (or anywhere inside).

How To Use Puppy Training Pads

You will get a lot of different opinions on this. But, we think there’s probably two main ways to use puppy pads:

1. The most common way would be to take your dog outside in the morning before you go to work and as soon as you get home to relieve themselves and get them into the habit of going outside. While they are still a puppy, confine them to one part of the house, and place puppy pads on the floor in that area. 

2. The second way would be to simply use puppy pads as an alternative to going outside. Although this doesn’t seem like a good long term solution unless your dog has some sort of health condition or restriction of movement that prevents them from getting outside. Having a small dog in an apartment is also another time you might heavily use puppy pads

How Many Puppy Training Pads Will I Need

It depends…

• If you are training your puppy/dog to pee or poop in one spot – you’ll only need one or two large puppy pads
• If you are covering an area, like a small room, you’ll need several – enough to cover the whole floor surface

How Long Should You Use Puppy Pads?

You can use puppy pads until your dog is housetrained i.e. until they know they have to go outside to pee and poop.

Or, you might continue to use puppy pads for the life of your dog’s life if you live in an apartment.

How Do You Get A Puppy To Use Puppy Pads

Our opinion is that it’s not a good idea to get a puppy into the habit of using puppy pads to wee or poop if there is an outside area available.

It’s better to use puppy pads as a safety measure for protecting floors and to minimise your clean up, and to get your dog into the habit of going outside and eventually coming to you to let you know they want to go outside.

Actively take them outside and encourage them to explore, walk around and do their business for 5-10 minutes. If you notice them pee or poop, praise them and give them a treat.

If for some reason you need to get your puppy to use pads because an outside grassed area isn’t available e.g. living in a high rise apartment, it makes sense to get a puppy to use pads.

To train a puppy to use puppy pads you can:

• Pay attention to how often your puppy is peeing and pooping
• Pay attention to when (what times of the day your puppy is peeing and pooping). First thing in the morning and towards the end of the day are common times. 
• Acknowledge that feeding your dog means it will come out the other end at some point in the near future
• When you suspect your puppy is ready to go potty, put them on a leash and take them over to an area with puppy pads on the floor. Wait for them to pee or poop. When you see them go potty, praise them and give them a treat.

A good tip if you do work away for 8, 10, 12, 14 hour periods during the day, and you are confining your dog/s to one part of the house – make sure you have their bed or a crate in the same room. 

Dogs are naturally quite clean and have a den mentality. Most dogs (most, not all) instinctually won’t pee or poop directly where they know they have to lay down or sleep.

Also, three do nots of puppy pad training are:

• don’t shout at your dog (stay calm)
• don’t hit your dog
• Don’t rub their face in the mess

How Long Can Puppies And Dogs Hold Their Pee and Poop?

Young puppies and dogs don’t get a decent control of their bladder and bowels until around 6-12 months of age.

They might become house trained before then i.e. let your know when they want to go outside, but it doesn’t change the fact they have little control over how long they can hold for.

The best way to think about how long your puppy or dog can hold for is to think about this general rule:

• For every month of age, a puppy can hold their wee or poop for 1 hour, up to a maximum of around 12 hours. So, if your puppy is only 8 weeks/2 months, they can probably only hold for up to 2 hours.

How To Clean Up Puppy Poop and Urine/Pee

We’ve written a few guides about cleaning up pet stains, and de-odorising a room or house. You can check them out here:

• How To Clean Up Dog Pee, Poop & Vomit
• How To Clean Up Dog Diarrhea, and Wet/Runny Poop Inside
• How To Get Rid Of Dog Odors and Smells

Are Puppy Training Pads Safe/Are Puppy Training Pads Toxic

Puppy pads shouldn’t be toxic for your dog. Inspect the product materials list carefully to check this for yourself though.

However, chemicals like bleach, dye, and plastic and non organic materials used in pads can be toxic for the environment.

Are Puppy Training Pads A Good Idea, & Are They Worth It

Puppy pads are a good idea for most people in the short term to protect their house surfaces from stains and to minimise clean up.

In the long term, they are a good idea for people who don’t have an outside area readily available, or for people with dogs that have movement problems, or health problems.

Where To Place Puppy Training Pads

There are several places you can place puppy pads including:

• Your floor – such as a carpet, floorboards, tiles etc.
• In a pet pad holder
• A dog crate floor
• In a doggy litter tray (in place of or under tray litter)

Should I Use Puppy Pads To Train My Puppy

Reasons why you would use puppy training pads:

• If you are at work for a good part of the day
• If you are leaving your puppy at home alone
• If you don’t want to install a pet door
• If you are worried about your floor being stained or damaged
• If it’s very hot or very cold outside and you want your puppy staying inside the house until they get a bit bigger and better able to deal with the outside environment
• If you have a sick dog who can’t move outside regularly
• If you have a senior dog who has trouble moving regularly
• If you live in an inner city apartment and for whatever reason your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to regularly get outside in the morning or during the day

Reasons why you would not use puppy pads are:

• If you are ok just using newspaper – although note that newspaper isn’t exactly waterproof or absorbent so if you have carpets this is a problem
• Disposable pads contribute landfill – not exactly environmentally friendly
• If you don’t want your dog to get into the habit of using puppy pads

Using Puppy Pads While At Work

This is very common.

Isolating your puppy to one room, or one section of the house and placing puppy pads on the areas you dont wan’t to get damaged or the areas your puppy spends the most time are ways you can protect the floor and minimise clean up.

What Are Alternatives Or Other Options To Puppy Pads?

• Take your puppy outside in the morning before you go to work, and when you get home to encourage them to potty outside
• Isolate your puppy to one area of the house with their bed, crate, toys, food and water
• House train your puppy to come to you when it wants to go outside
• Leave the back door open when you are home if you feel comfortable
• Dog door – although make sure you’re ok with the security aspect of it from a home intruder perspective, and make sure your backyard is completely safe for your puppy to be roaming around in
• Leave your dog outside during the day undercover, and with a warm/cool dog house/kennel (make sure the weather isn’t too hot or too cold)
• Fake grass
• Puppy Diapers

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