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Stop coming home to a mess on your floor. Find out how to properly use a dog training pee pad, so your dog does their business where you want them to.
Article Overview
- Why Does Your Dog Need A Pee Pad?
- How To Use Properly
- Best Dog Pee Pad Winners
- Additional Pee Pad Reviews
- How To Make Your Own Training Pad (Video)
- Dog Toilet 101
Why Does Your Dog Need A Pee Pad?
These pee pads work great for many situations:
- Housetraining young pups
- Assisting sick or aging dogs
- Using while traveling (e.g., protecting car seats)
- Offering an option for dogs who don’t have timely access to the outdoors
- Lining crates and carriers
- Drying wet paws after a walk in the rain or going out to potty on damp ground
How To Properly Use A Dog Pee Pad
Below are some tips on how to use a puppy pee pad for potty training purposes.
- Place your dog on the pee pad several times throughout the day.
- If your pet begins to go potty, say, “go potty” (or some other cue) to help them relate the command with the action.
- If your pet goes potty somewhere besides the pad, bring them back to the pee pad immediately. (Check out these pet-friendly cleaners or odor removers to clean up the mess. Find the exact spot with a UV flashlight.)
- When your dog uses the pee pad, reward them by giving them lots of attention or offering a treat. This will help them know they’re doing something right.
- Once a pee pad is soiled you should dispose of and replace it.
- After your dog is consistently relieving themselves on the pee pad, begin moving it closer to the door. This helps them associate going to the door when they need to go potty.
- Repeat step 6 until you can move the pee pad outside. Once the dog goes potty outside consistently, you have successfully potty trained them.
Pee Pad Infographic

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Best Dog Pee Pads Winners
While writing our puppy pee pads reviews, we compiled a list of what we consider to be good features for the best puppy pads.
- Leak-proof – you don’t want urine seeping onto your floors
- Tear-resistant – some dogs may be destructive, and you don’t want them destroying their pee pads
- Wetness indicator – to help you know when a pee pad has been used
- Quick drying surface – to prevent wet, urine-soaked paw prints around your home
- Odor neutralizer – to keep your home from smelling like pet feces
- Large capacity (can hold 3 cups of urine) – to ensure it can handle frequent urinators
- Built-in attractant – to help attract the dog to the area and encourage them to go potty
These items are listed in our pros and cons below for each of the dog potty pads reviews.
All-Absorb Training Pads Review
#1
Our #1 pick for indoor pee pads for dogs is All-Absorb. These dog training pads have many great features including a quick-drying surface, which prevents your dog from tracking urine throughout the house. It also has a super-absorbent core, which turns urine into a gel and can hold up to 3 cups of urine.
Each All-Absorb dog training pad is made up of 5 layers of material.
- Non-woven cloth to allow urine to flow through quickly
- Paper tissue with dog attractant and baking soda
- Super-absorbent polymer and fluff pulp to absorb the urine and turn it into a gel
- Paper tissue
- Waterproof Polyethylene (PE) film prevents leaking
Pros | Cons |
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All-Absorb Training Pads Price & Tech Specs
- 100 Count:
$19.99
- Item dimensions: 23 x 22 x 0.1 inches
AmazonBasics Pet Training Pads Review
#2
Our #2 pick for best puppy training pads are these AmazonBasics. These wee wee pads are quite similar to our #1 pick above. They have a super-absorbent core that turns liquid into gel, a leak-proof plastic liner and quick-drying surface.
The AmazonBasics dog training pads are made of 5 layers.
- Anti-streaming layer quick dries the quilted surface and locks in wetness, reduces odor and prevents tracking
- Surge layer helps absorb the liquid
- Sponge-like core absorbs and turns liquid into gel to help minimize odor
- Locking layer holds liquid in
- Protective plastic lining keeps floor safe from damage
Pros | Cons |
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AmazonBasics Pet Training Pads Price & Tech Specs
- Puppies and Small Dogs 100 Count:
$19.99
- Item dimensions: 22 x 22 inches
- Medium and Large Dogs 100 Count:
$24.99
- Item dimensions: 28 x 34 inches
AKC Training Pads Review
#3
Coming in at #3 for best dog pee pads are the AKC training pads. These pads are unique because they are available in different scents and print designs (fresh scent, lavender scent and lemon scent as well as a newspaper print design).
AKC dog training pads have a 6 layer composition, but unlike our top 2 picks, AKC doesn’t tell us what those 6 layers are. We do know that it has a quick drying gel to help absorb urine and prevent tracking and leaking.
Pros | Cons |
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AKC Training Pads Price & Tech Specs
- 100 Count:
$16.99
- Item dimensions: 22 x 22 inches
Other Dog Pee Pads Reviewed
Below you’ll find an alphabetical listing other pee pads we’ve reviewed.
Arm & Hammer Pet Training And Puppy Pads Review
Each Arm & Hammer training pad has Arm & Hammer baking soda to help eliminate odor. The top sheet is tear-resistant and can withstand digging, scratching and chewing. These training pads use Thinsorb technology, which soaks the liquid quickly and locks in odors. This prevents your dog from tracking urine off the pad.
These Arm & Hammer dog pads are made with 3 layers.
- Tear-resistant top keeps your dog from destroying the pad
- Thinsorb core draws in urine and locks in wetness and odor
- Leak-resistant liner keeps moisture in and protects your floor
Pros | Cons |
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Arm & Hammer Pet Training And Puppy Pads Price & Tech Specs
- 75 Count:
$19.99
- Item dimensions: 22.5 x 22.5 inches
Gardner Pet Super-Absorbent Dog Pee Pads Review
The Gardner Pet Super-Absorbent dog pee pads have some really cool features that others do not. This includes a special tear-resistant material and a wetness indicator to let you know when your dog has “used the facilities.”
These training pads convert liquid into gel, so your dog doesn’t walk away with wet paws. They are fast-drying and are available in standard, odor control and super absorbent versions. Overall, these have good reviews; however, other pee pads are more popular.
Pros | Cons |
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Gardner Pet Super-Absorbent Dog Pee Pads Price & Tech Specs
- 100 count:
$23.99
- Item dimensions: 22 x 22 inches
Can You Make Your Own Puppy Training Pad?
Yes, you can! If you’d like a more eco-friendly puppy training pad, watch the video below. Best of all, these are washable puppy pads, so you can save money in the long run by making a few of these and cycling through them as need be.
Learn More About Accessories For Your Dog’s Potty Needs
We also encourage you to read our Dog Toilet 101 article, which includes a dog grass pad for pottying, a puppy pad holder that automatically changes itself and other potty tips for pups. Finally, here are a few more tips for housetraining your dog.
What issue does your dog have that makes them need a pee pad?
Disclaimer: This website contains reviews, opinions and information regarding products and services manufactured or provided by third parties. We are not responsible in any way for such products and services, and nothing contained here should be construed as a guarantee of the functionality, utility, safety or reliability of any product or services reviewed or discussed. Please follow the directions provided by the manufacturer or service provider when using any product or service reviewed or discussed on this website.
Sincerely a happy puppy owner.