What Are Puppy Pads?

Toilet training is a process, one that takes practice and is different for every pup. The whole process is trying to teach your new addition where is and isn’t the correct place to go. The end result should be a puppy who knows that they only go to the toilet outside but that also relies on you giving them enough toilet breaks for their little bladders.

Puppies can’t hold as long as an adult dog as they’re still developing, so when you get your bundle of fluff home, they should be getting a chance to go to the toilet outside every hour or two. The more often you catch it and manage to avoid accidents, the stronger their understanding will be that outside is for toileting. You should always be armed with puppy treats during these excursions into the garden to make sure you can reward the behaviour you want.

Rewarding desired behaviour means it’s more likely to reoccur because your puppy wants that pleasant experience again. Eventually, over time this behaviour becomes their default and you no longer need to reward it. Puppies need to go out often, especially after they’ve had a sleep or eaten their food, they will normally be ready to go to the toilet right after. If they have an accident, it’s important to not make a fuss and let them walk away from it. Reprimanding or punishing undesired behaviour will only diminish the bond you’re creating with your puppy. You will either scare them or they could be of the mindset that all attention is good attention so they start going to the toilet in the house when they’re bored.

Some puppies will pick up toilet training in just a few weeks while others can take a little longer depending on the individual and season. If you have a puppy that doesn’t like the rain and you’re trying to toilet train them in Winter, be ready for a slower process.

Puppy toilet training pads are square or rectangular pads made to be placed on the floor and act as an absorbent area for your pup to relieve themselves. They work similarly to a baby’s nappy with layers of absorbent material to help keep them dry until you’re able to pick them up. When used, they limit the mess and odour of your puppy going to the toilet in the house.

Puppy pads like the Rufus & Rosie Puppy Pads have a total of five layers to keep urine trapped and make the cleanup nice and easy. They control odour while also containing an attractant to encourage them to use the pads when they need to go to the toilet. They can be a real life saver in a pinch to make sure your carpets and rugs don’t get ruined in the toilet training process.

Puppy training pads can be a great help during the toilet training process but only when used correctly. Many puppy parents will choose to use a puppy play pen like the Cheeko Easy Up Play Pen Large for times when they can’t keep an eye on their pooch. The house can feel like such a big space when you’re trying to toilet train and it’s much easier to put a layer of puppy pads all throughout a playpen than it is around the whole house. This way, when they go to the toilet they are bound to go on a puppy training pad and you start to build the association. You can also put a few in a room and when you spot your pup searching for a place to go, guide them towards a pad and reward them if they go to the toilet.

They will quickly start to target the puppy pads when they need to go to the toilet so you don’t have to worry about accidents on the floor, it just adds another layer of protection when they’re in training. Initially, when they start to have more freedom in the house, you can give them options for several different emergency toilet areas. As they get better with their toilet training you can reduce this and move their pads towards where you eventually intend them to go to the toilet for the foreseeable future - outside. Having a puppy pad by the back door for the evenings or when you’re out for a few hours will ensure they’re still going towards the garden when they need the toilet.

As your puppy gets older, you can start to limit when they have their training pads down. When you’re home and you’re able to give them regular toilet breaks, you can let them outside more often. Once using the training pads becomes second nature you can start to make going outside more valuable by only rewarding them when they go in the garden. This shouldn’t undo the learning that they can use their puppy pads but it makes going outside the better option.

You can still leave their training pads down during this process or start to only use them at night or when you’re out of the house for periods. Eventually, when your puppy is fully grown and can hold in their pee for longer periods you won’t need to use them at all.

For some dogs, especially smaller breeds or if your lifestyle makes it difficult to fully toilet train because you don’t have a garden or live in a flat, then there’s no real need to stop using training pads. You can use them long term if it suits you and your pooch and they can be valuable if you travel with your pup to hotels often or if you just need to show them where they can go in different situations.

You can find everything you need for toilet training your new additions by visiting us in store or online.