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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 Pee Pads?
- How To Use Properly
- Best Dog Pee Pad Winners
- Best Eco-Friendly Pee Pads
- Additional Pee Pad Reviews
- Training Tips (Video)
- Reasons To Use & Tips (Infographic)
- 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 consistently relieves themself 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.
Best Dog Pee Pads For Dogs
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
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 three cups of urine.
Each All-Absorb dog training pad has five 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
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Price & Tech Specs
- 100 Count:
$19.99 ($0.20 / Count)
- Item dimensions: 23 x 22 x 0.1 inches
AmazonBasics Pet Training Pads Review
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 a quick-drying surface.
The AmazonBasics dog training pads are made of five 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 floors safe from damage
Pros |
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Price & Tech Specs
- Puppies and Small Dogs 100 Count:
$23.49 ($0.23 / count)
- Item dimensions: 22 x 22 inches
- Medium and Large Dogs 100 Count:
$28.99 ($0.48 / Count)
- Item dimensions: 28 x 34 inches
AKC Training Pads Review
Coming in at our third pick 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, lemon scent, and a newspaper print design).
AKC dog training pads have a six-layer composition, but unlike our top two picks, AKC doesn’t tell us what those six 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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Price & Tech Specs
- 100 Count:
$22.33 ($0.22 / Count)
- Item dimensions: 22 x 22 inches
Best Eco-Friendly Pee Pads
Looking for an alternative to disposable pads? These potties are not only stylish but also better for the environment than wasteful paper pads. They may also save you money in the long run since they are reusable. These are our top picks for the eco-friendly category.
PETMAKER | Fresh Patch | Washable Pee Pad
Top Pick: PETMAKER Puppy Potty Trainer
Another indoor restroom option is the PETMAKER AstroTurf pad. This three-layer system consists of an odor-resistant, antimicrobial mat that looks like natural grass, a detachable plastic insert for drainage, and a bottom base tray to collect urine.
Once the tray is full, discard and rinse it with soap and water. If you don’t mind getting a little dirty for the sake of Mother Nature, this might be an ideal solution for you.
Since no dog has peed on this grass the first time it is used, you may need to spray a product like Potty Here to encourage them to use this spot (this product could work on top of any of the “pads” we reviewed here).
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Price & Tech Specs
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$29.95
- Item dimensions: 25 x 20 inches
Fresh Patch Disposable Dog Potty
Bring the outdoors in with a Fresh Patch. As seen on the ABC TV Show Shark Tank, the Fresh Patch claims to be the first in the business to ship real-life patches of grass to your doorstep. The hydroponically-grown grass naturally absorbs pee and odors while training dogs to keep their business strictly to the green stuff.
To set it up, remove the top, and Fresh Patch is ready to go in its shipping box. It’s also dirt-free, so your pup won’t drag mud around your home.
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Price & Tech Specs
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$29.00
- Item dimensions: 16 x 24 inches
JdPet Washable Dog Pee Pad
The JdPet washable pad looks and acts like a regular pee pad (versus grass). However, it is washable, so you can re-use it over and over again.
It has four layers of potty protection:
- Quilted polyester top for comfort
- Absorbent dense inner layer with odor control
- Breathable waterproof inner layer
- A slip-free bottom grip to prevent the pad from sliding on the floor.
Hiyapup’s pads come in a two-pack, so you’ll never be without a clean backup pad to use.
Pros |
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Price & Tech Specs
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$32.95
- Item dimensions: Multiple options
More Dog Pee Pads Reviewed
Below you’ll find an alphabetical listing of 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 three 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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Price & Tech Specs
- 75 Count:
Check Amazon for availability
- 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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Price & Tech Specs
- 100 count:
$39.99 ($0.40 / Count)
- Item dimensions: 24 x 24 inches
Potty Pad Training Tips & Video
What To Put Under Pee Pads?
We recommend having them on a hard surface like hardwood that is easy to clean if the pee pads leak. You could also put the pee pad on a small, inexpensive rug that you can wash if need be (which might help the pads from sliding around too).
How Often Do You Change Pee Pads?
It depends on the size of your dog and how frequently they pee. At a minimum, we recommend changing the pee pads once per day.
Still need help on how to pee pad train a puppy? Here are a few tips and tricks in a short video from our friends at Rover (our best pick for dog sitting website).
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 going potty, 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?