Are Puppy Pads Good or Bad to Train your Puppy?

Q: Puppy pads good or bad?
Are puppy pads a good idea to train your puppy, or are they bad? Do puppy pads work?

Puppy lying on a puppy pad
Photo Credit: reader of the pack/Flickr CC

Answers and Views:

Answer by Loui
It depends how old the puppy is, I have 2 chihuahuas and my youngest who is 6 months is ok with going outside but my older chi doesn't go on anything but his pee pads. If the puppy is young enough all you need is to be patient and give loads of praise.

Answer by RV
It will be more difficult to train him if you are using the pads. When using pads you are basically telling him it is okay to pee inside. Now you have to train him to go outside and NOT inside.

Answer by Sparks
Take your puppy out once every hour and when you aren't home, put him in a crate with a pee pad…my chi now lets us know when she wants/needs to go outside!

Answer by malialeilani
Puppy pads can work fine. Start with the puppy pads near the door (a glass or screen door is preferable) then when he's good at using the pad near the door, move it to the other side of the door but make sure he sees it – this is why a see-through door is good.

He should scratch or bark to get your attention that he wants to use the pad. As soon as you notice any commotion over at the door, open it and let him out. Once your pup has mastered that, you can work on relocating the mat to a designated pee area in your yard and when he goes to pee, move the mat away and make sure your pup sniffs where he's peed and he gets nothing but positive attention for peeing outdoors.

If he has an accident, don't scold, but move him to the mat. your dog may pick up on this very quickly, or he may not, but he will figure it out if you are patient and consistent. Just make sure to take him outside a lot so he has the opportunity to go to the bathroom, and it helps if there are other dogs that have marked the area as well.


View potty training pads on Amazon

Answer by Flopridagirl10
The puppy pads have a grass smell in them so they should pick it up pretty fast. If they don't get it put the pad outside until they regularly go outside and then take it away when they're comfortable with it.

Answer by bubbles
It takes time but gradually start moving the pads closer to outside and when u eventually get him outside start taking the pad away the puppy should then learn to go outside.

Answer by Kristin
Don't use any puppy pads. After your puppy eats, take it outside and wait for it to go, also use commands to encourage it, like "go potty" "come on" "hurry" "let's go" or something like that.

Answer by AngelSmudge
Puppy pads are bad because it may be more difficult to housebreak your dog. You want the puppy to know to go outside and want it to tell you when it has to. Start taking him outside every few hours and eventually he will know he has to go outside rather than in the house, it is kind of like starting over from when they don't know to go outside, but it may be more difficult to prevent him from going in the house.

Answer by Emily F
Put the pads outside in the same spot every time and once he learns to go there, take the pads away. He should still go in the same spot.

Answer by MJG
Yes, puppy pads work fine. It is the most effective way to potty train your puppy.

Answer by K9Rescuer
It depends on the dog and your schedule.

But, personally, I avoid them. It can confuse a dog into thinking eliminating in the house is always a possibility (as opposed to training for going outside). I've known some dogs that refused to go outside because they were so used to using a puppy pad inside the home. Plus, they're expensive.

If you are having a problem with urinating/defecating in the home, I suggest crate training instead (dogs by nature do not like to eliminate in their "dens" which is what a crate becomes to them).

Answer by Alex R
I think the only things that work are crate training and puppy pads.
You'll have to place puppy pads close to the door & say "go" every time he goes potty on the pads & praise & reward after be consistent & patient, if you catch him doing it anywhere else, put him on the pad & after he finishes pet & praise again. NEVER scold unless you catch him in the act.

It all depends on the dog, some won't know the difference between the carpet & the pads & it'll be difficult to completely housebreak as they just won't see the point of going outside when they can go inside on the pad! And some dogs just hate the crate... Dunno, it's up to the dog!

Answer by Lindy
Pads are good so once they get older they will slowly go outside plus just so they make stains on your carpet.

Answer by ThatGirlxx
To me, bad. my family had a dog when I was 11 and we trained him without them and it was a lot quicker than with puppy pads. We would just walk him a lot and every time he did something outside we would give him a treat. it only took about 2 months until he finally stopped peeing in the house. on the other hand, my aunt got a dog and used puppy pads and it took her about a YEAR to get her to stop peeing in the house!

Answer by Lorraine
Forget the puppy pads. You need to train your dogs to go outside and not indoors.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!

TO COMMENT ON AMP mobile pages, please switch to Non-AMP mobile version (link in the footer).