I know doggy pee pads have their place. I used them at different times for different circumstances. But I prefer having my dogs do their business outside.
Then my chihuahua Lucy came into my life when she was 11 months old. The lady I got her from assured me she would go potty outside or on a potty pad.
Wrong.
The first time I took her outside, Lucy acted like she had never seen grass before. She walked on it like it was hot lava.
Despite months of trying to train her, she refuses to potty outside. She will hold it in until we get back in the house and go then. Ugh!
So it was pee pads for her.
My other 2 will go pee or poo outside UNLESS it’s raining. Then they act like they will melt if they step foot outdoors. So the pee pads work well for those days too.
I have seen lots of questions about whether using pee pads for dogs is a good or bad idea. And the answer really depends on your situation and preferences.
There’s no real right or wrong answer.
Below we will go into the pros and cons of using potty pads for dogs and how to use them.
Pros of Using Puppy Training Pads
- Great for disabled pet owners.
- Good for a dog that has to spend hours by themselves while the pet parent is away at work.
- Good for times when the weather is bad such as snow, rain, or extreme heat.
- Good for the night time so the pet parent doesn’t have to get up out of bed to take the dog out.
- Works well for small dogs with small bladders.
- Great for apartment dwellers.
Cons of Using Puppy Pee Pads
- It’s an added expense.
- You have to be careful leaving the newspaper or any other papers on the floor as the dog may think it’s a potty pad for them to use.
- You have poop and pee in your house. Yes it’s on pads but it is in your house on your floor.
- May prolong potty training outside as it may confuse a dog.
- Your dog may miss the pad and get it on your floor.
- If you use the disposable pads, they aren’t environmentally friendly.
How To Train Your Dog to Use Pee Pads
- Don’t switch the areas you keep the pads in. Stay consistent and keep them in the same place all the time.
- But you can have a pad in several areas of the house. Keep them in the places your dog is in the most such as the living room or bedroom or a playpen if you use one.
- To encourage your dog to use the pad, you can use a paper towel to wipe up some pee and put it on the pad. Same if you find some poop. Just place it on the pad.
- If you notice your dog sniffing around, that may be a sign that he needs to “go”. Pick him up and put him on the pad.
- If your dog disappears to another room, she may be looking for a spot to potty. Pick her up and put her on the pad.
- If you see him use the pad, praise him.
- If you are training a young puppy, put her on the pad every hour or so at first.
- Your puppy will want to potty shortly after waking and eating so be aware and put her on the pad at those times.
- Use a word or short phrase whenever you want him to use the pad. We say “go potty”.
How to Transition to Going Potty Outdoors
- Gradually start moving the pee pad closer to the back door.
- Take some of the waste on the potty pad and put outside where you want your dog to pee or poo.
- Lead your dog to that spot whenever you think they need to potty.
- Do the same things you did to train them on the pads.
- Praise and reward them with a small treat or playtime with you after they do their business outside.
What Kind of Pads to Buy
Disposable Pads
The typical pads most people use are the disposable pads. I like using the large ones as they cover more area.
The good thing about disposables is when they are soiled, you just pick the whole thing up and throw it away.
The bad thing is it’s an ongoing expense.
One of our readers (thanks June) turned me on to this adorable fire hydrant pee pad. How cute is this:
You can get it here.
Washable Pee Pads
We use washable pee pads. I keep several sets on hand for when one is in the wash.
They aren’t cheap but they hold up much better than disposable pads. They are cute and once you buy a set or two, there’s nothing else to buy.
Grass Dog Potty
I have never used this but I have a good friend who swears by hers. Her two chihuahuas love it and use it all the time when she’s at work.
You can get them with real grass or fake grass.
I hope this helps you make a decision on which way to go. Let me know if you have any questions.
My girls go outside most of the time. I do use disposable pee pads too though. They are both “delicate creatures who might melt” if they have to go and it’s raining (or snowing) outside. I also keep pee pads on the floor in case they have to potty at night; I don’t always wake up and I’m not a big fan of going outside at 2 am. I have a spot on the dining room floor where the vinyl has worn through to the concrete underneath and they invariably choose that spot to go potty, so that’s one place where I always keep a pee pad. Some of the ones I’ve bought have sticky corners so you can secure the pads to the floor; that works fine on a vinyl floor but not so much on carpeting. I also keep a pee pad where the living room and hall come together; that seems to be another “favorite” spot. I keep a throw rug underneath the pee pad so if they hit the edge it lands on the throw rug and not the carpeting. I don’t mind cleaning up a pee pad … unless one of the girls caught the edge of the pad on the vinyl floor. Then it spreads out all underneath the pad and I have to wash the floor underneath and around the pee pad. Fortunately that doesn’t happen too often, and I have a steam mop to clean the floor with. I would like to mention that a man named Bill Klein has patented a special pee pad for male dogs. When you open it, a little fire hydrant pops up in the middle giving male dogs something to “aim” at. Seems like that would work pretty good for male dogs! I’ve tried several different sizes of the pee pads, and the medium sized ones seem to work the best for us and are more cost efficient than the larger ones. I hate the waste they create, but since I have to go to a laundromat to do my washing, washable ones just aren’t right for us at this time. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my drain fixed soon and will be able to use my washing machine again. But that’s another story! For now, disposable pee pads work for us along with going outside.
LOL. I’ll have to find that fire hydrant thing. That sounds fun.
Your girls sound like my dogs in thinking they will melt.
Pads are great, but only if you use a tray. I use a Richell Paw Trax Mesh Training Tray with a 24×24 pad.
Thanks for sharing that Paul.
Here’s what the fire hydrant pee pads look like.
OMG that is so cute!
I added it to the post.
I have a boy who is not great about asking to out. My girl is better. We use washable pads because I got tired of filling the landfill. Mine are also in the dining room and hall primarily. I also have a 14 year old cat that uses them when she doesn’t want to jump into the litter box. (Which has to be tall enough to keep a Chi from having a snack.) Life is a zoo!
LOL. yes it’s definitely like a zoo here too.
That’s funny that your cat uses them too. I’ve never heard of that. Maybe she thinks she’s one of the dogs. LOL.
I haven’t caught her at it, but I have a sneaking suspicion my cat uses them occasionally too! She has 2 litter boxes, but I know she eats from the dogs bowl and drinks from their water dish too, so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to discover she uses their pee pads! Better on the pee pad than on the carpeting! Fortunately I don’t have to worry about the dogs snacking in the cat box.
You are lucky they don’t eat the cat poop. Most dogs seem to think it’s a delicacy.
I am disabled and walking Mia outside is difficult.
I use large pads (Amazon) and she goes on it. Trick is that she has been trained that I leave it one spot so she behaves since 8 Weeks, she is 6 years old.
I’ve used those before too. They are reasonably priced and work pretty well.
Thanks for sharing the tip on keeping it in the same place.
We have 5 long hair chihuahuas. The 2 boys always use the potty outside. The 3 girls are too “delicate” for grass, rain, snow, sunshine…. ??. We use disposable pee pads for them. Funny thing; we have a litter box trained house rabbit. She will occasionally use the pee pads to do her business as well.
Aww, the bunny thinks that’s where her siblings go potty she should go there too. Cute!
Molly has ruined the carpets. I will try the pads. As to cost, well, her medications are expensive. May as well use the pads for as long as she lives. Thank goodness I adore her. Even her poppies look like tootsie rolls. So cute. And thank goodness for doggie medical insurance.
LOL about the “tootsie rolls”.
My three go both outside and in do to my work schedule. I bought a large kennel and took the top off so when the boys lift their legs it doesn’t get on the floor.
I’m confused. How does taking off the top keep the pee off the floor?
My girl is litter trained like a cat. She was very easy to train and I feel blessed to have such a smart and adorable chihuahua. She will go outside but when weather doesn’t cooperate or when it’s late for potty she uses the litter. It costs a wee bit but not overly expensive.
You are lucky Debbie! I tried one of those real grass lawn squares that you get in a tray but my dogs would just sleep in it.LOL