Puppy Pads: An Indispensable Accessory for Any Dog Owner

Look at the little smile of your adorable goofball. What do you see? A small bundle of joy that’s afraid of his own shadow? One of evolution’s most efficient hunters? Man’s best friend? Well, in reality, your small friend is all of these things and then some. But before he can become a companion that will stay in your company for years to come, your dog will first be a small and vulnerable pup. And just like all pups, no matter the species, he will likely make the occasional mistake and have his own share of potty accidents.

The process of potty training your dog is more than just about keeping your home clean (although that’s the gist of it). It can be an essential part of your dog’s development and represent a way to build long-lasting habits with a positive impact on his behavioural development. Your pup, during the first few months of life, will be physically unable to properly control his bladder muscles. So, why exactly should you get mad at him for an involuntary action that’s related to his biology?

Puppies don’t connect scolding with past actions, and in the early stages of their development, they are not used to potty routines or daily walks. So, it’s pretty much inevitable. Do you want to explore the pet ownership process together with your pup? Then, you will need to be patient, expect the occasional soaked rug, and invest in training pads.

What Are the Practical Benefits of Training Pads?

Obviously, the most pressing and visible benefit of puppy pads is the protection they can bring to your floors and carpeting. I don’t know about you, but even though I love my dog to death, the last thing I want is for my living room flooring to transform into an Olympic swimming pool.

Puppy training pads are cheap and accessible accessories that can prevent the staining of your floors, reduce the overall cleanup time after your pup goes potty, and can also be a way to accelerate his overall training and reduce the number of accidents inside the house. Will puppy pads have a 100% success rate? No. As every dog owner knows, you can place fifty puppy pads all around your home and somehow, occasionally, your fluffball will still do his business inside your favourite shoes. It’s just the way these things work.

With that being said, training pads can be a way to minimise apartment mess when you are not around; they can be a useful tool for senior dogs who start to lose control of their bodily functions, and they are also a great accessory to have if you are travelling with your pup and you want to avoid making a mess in unknown living spaces.

How Long Should You Use Them?

Now, that’s actually quite a debated topic. House training a puppy takes around four to six months, depending on the breed and the personality of the dog involved. Personally, I owned a dog that got fully trained in just three months, while now I’m the owner of a Maltese with maybe two functioning brain cells that’s still not 100% potty trained at six months old.

It depends, and because of this, even though puppy pads are not an accessory to use long-term, they should still be present in your household for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies. For instance:

*Training pads can be worth keeping around for those instances in which you need to carry your pup to the vet, and you don’t want him to make a mess in his carrier. My pup, for instance, is terrified of our local vet, and he has accidents pretty much every time he goes for a checkup

*Training pads can also be used as liners for water bowls, and can also be a good addition to playpens, even though the puppy is house trained.

*They can also be a good accessory for when you are trying to groom your pup. Personally, I don’t like cleaning up after trimming my pup’s nails, hair, or draining his anal glands, so training pads, at least for me, are a good way to keep mess at a minimum.

What Puppy Pads to Choose?

The good news when it comes to training pads, at least in our country, is that your options are more than flexible. What should you go for?

Disposable Pads

*Disposable training pads are convenient, cheap, available in pretty much any local pet store, and highly absorbent.

*They are great for most puppy owners, as they are one-use-only and highly portable. That said, they create waste and for some pups, they are a toy. In fact, one of my best friends was unable to buy disposable pads for his French bulldog puppy, as anything he bought would get shredded.

Reusable Pads

*These types of training pads are durable, difficult to shred, and can be reused, so in the long run they are a good financial investment

*As a con, however, these pads require washing and drying, so they are a bit messier than disposable pads.

Artificial Grass Pads

*These types of training pads resemble the texture and look of natural grass, and are useful for accelerating the transition from indoor to outdoor potty training.

*They are, however, a bit more expensive than normal reusable pads.

In the end, whether the pad is a good purchase or not will depend on your living situation and subjective preferences. Personally, I was always a fan of disposable pads, as they are relatively cheap, widely available, and my pup quickly got used to them. That said, my girlfriend prefers reusable pads because they are more cost-effective long-term.

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to training pads. In the end, the only thing that matters is to choose something, since these pads are the only realistic way to protect your flooring and build a routine for your young pup.