How to Train a Puppy to Pee on a Reusable Pee Pad

6 Steps to Pad Training an Older Dog or a Puppy 

Potty training a puppy with pads is always challenging. Young puppies have terrible bladder control, and most owners feel like they are constantly cleaning puppy messes. House training with puppy pads is a great first step in housebreaking a new puppy or retraining an older, incontinent dog to go the bathroom inside instead of outside. 

Regular pee pads are great for housetraining but are bad for the environment. Puppy training pads have a plastic backing, artificial fragrances to lure a puppy to the spot and are made from non-recycled materials. 

Reusable puppy pee pads are suitable for potty pad training and are great for the environment too. Instead of dumping countless single-use puppy pee pads on the landfill, start pad training your dog using washable and reusable pee mats.

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Keep reading to learn how to teach a puppy to pee on washable pee pads. Use the same steps for pad training an older dog to go potty inside instead of outside. 

How to Teach Your Dog to Use Dog Pee Pads

Some owners use pee pad training as an interim step before teaching their dogs to go potty outside. But many owners decide to pad train a dog to use a designated indoor area regularly. 

Keep in mind, if you’re pad training your puppy as a temporary solution, you’ll later need to housetrain your pooch not to pee inside and gradually train them to go potty outside. 

Here are our tips for how to teach your dog to use potty pads: 

1. Choose the Best Potty Pad Option for Your Dog

Puppy house training pads have come a long way since the days of throwing a pile of newspapers on the floor and hoping it will absorb all puppy messes. There are many options for training a dog to pee on a pad, including single-use pee pads, dog litter boxes, washable pee pads, and grass pee pads.

Reusable pee pads like Alpha Pets Eco-Friendly Washable Pee Mats are by far the best potty-training solution. Not only are reusable pee pads great for the environment, but they are also great for your wallet and will help potty train your puppy faster. 

Reusable training pads are more durable and hold more liquid than disposable pee pads, which is a considerable advantage when housetraining young puppies.

Washable pee pads are a good choice for eco-conscious owners who want to keep using the mats once they have potty trained their puppies, as these are also suitable for car journeys, lining crates for comfort, protecting furniture and floors, sick or incontinent older dogs and a lot more!

2. Decide If You Need to Crate Train Your Puppy First

Sometimes it can be helpful to crate train your puppy before you start the process of potty training on a reusable pee pad. Crate training entails confining your pooch to a crate while you can’t supervise it and until the puppy learns to only eliminate in certain areas of the home, on a pee pad.

Although some people believe it’s cruel to keep dogs in crates, dogs are den animals and feel safe in the crate’s cave-like confines. If you decide to crate train your pup, don’t leave them confined to a crate for more than 6 to 8 hours for adults or 4 hours if you own a puppy. 

RELATED POST: 5 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Disposable Puppy Pads

3. Start with a Confined Space

Pee pad training for dogs starts with a small confinement area. Dogs don’t like to pee or poop where they sleep, so keeping your puppy in a smaller space can teach them bladder control.

To train a dog to use a pee pad successfully, you’ll have to crate train your pup beforehand or use a playpen. A crate-trained dog will consider a crate a safe and happy place and not view it as a form of punishment. 

To teach a dog to use a pee pad, take it out of the crate to the reusable pee pad very often. The more often you take the puppy to a washable pee pad, the better the chances are of the puppy peeing on the pad. When your puppy goes potty in the right place, dole out treats and praise. 

To praise your puppy for going potty in the right place, you must be there to provide positive reinforcement. 

Waiting for a dog to use a washable training pad can be frustrating, but that’s the only way to potty train a puppy properly. Once you’re confident that you can leave your puppy for longer and that it has mastered the basics of pee training, you can take the training to the next level.

4. Confine Your Puppy to a Larger Potty Area

Once your puppy is doing well in the crate and is successfully peeing on a washable training pad, you can upgrade to a larger area. So, instead of confining your puppy to a crate, you’ll create a smaller area within your house for your pup to explore.

Pick a spot where you want the reusable pee pads to be, and confine your dog to a small area around the training pad. Use puppy playpens or indoor dog gates to create an enclosed space.

To train a dog to use a pee pad, leave just enough space for a soft bed, a training pee pad, some toys, and a water bowl. Instinctively your dog won’t want to pee in its bed, toys, or water bowl and will be left with pee pads. 

The most important tip on how to train a dog to go potty inside on a reusable pee pad is to provide lots of treats and praise when you catch your puppy using the pee pads. Clean up messes as soon as your dog uses the training pad to keep the area clean and inviting for when your puppy needs to pee again.

5. Gradually Increase the Potty Area

You can gradually expand the potty area when your puppy learns how to use a reusable pee pad in an enclosed space. You can also slowly remove some of puppy pads, leaving just one, or adding more if the puppy has accidents outside of it. After some time, you’ll have a potty-trained puppy who intuitively chooses to go on the mats an nowhere else. 

At this stage, you’ll be able to leave your puppy home alone without worrying whether it’s going to use a washable pee pad or pee on the carpet. 

6. Be Consistent

Don’t underestimate consistency when thinking about how to train a dog to use a potty pad. Creating a schedule and sticking to it will prevent potty accidents and ensure you’re giving your puppy plenty of chances to go pee on the washable training mat.

Here are a few tips to help you stay consistent throughout potty training:

• Know when your pup needs to pee. Most puppies and adult dogs need to eliminate when they wake up in the morning, after eating, after napping, and after playing. To pee pad train a puppy, take it to a reusable pee pad every time after it wakes up, eats, or plays. 
• Take your pup to the washable pee pad whenever you suspect it wants to go. Don’t let the puppy play or run around if it doesn’t pee. Instead, put the puppy in the crate for 10 to 15 minutes and take it to the pee pad again. Repeat this until your puppy uses the pee pad.
• Take the puppy to the washable pee pad whenever they haven’t used it for an hour or two. 
• Choose a suitable place for the pee pad, and don’t move it around the house while your puppy is still learning how to use the pad. If you confuse the puppy during training, it will have more accidents around the house and will need more time to learn.
• Stick to a regular feeding schedule. If you control when and what your puppy eats, you can predict when it will need to go to the bathroom. 

FAQ About Using Pee Pads

Do washable pee pads work?

Yes, washable pee pads can be a great tool for dealing with your pet’s bathroom needs. They are designed to absorb and hold urine, making it easy to clean up messes without having to replace the pad every time. Washable pee pads are also more environmentally friendly than disposable ones since they can be reused multiple times before needing replacement.

Additionally, these pads are usually more cost-effective since they can last for years instead of weeks. There are many different types of washable pee pads available, making it easy to find one that fits your pet’s size and lifestyle. With proper care and maintenance, these pads can be a great way to keep your home clean and odor free!

Do you change a puppy pad every time they pee on it?

No, you do not need to change a puppy pad every time your pet pees on it. Since washable pee pads are designed to be absorbent and reusable, they can usually handle multiple uses before needing replacement.

Of course, you should wash the pad thoroughly after each use according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

But depending on the size of your pads and the size of your puppy, you may need to change the pad more frequently if your puppy is having significant accidents.

If you notice that your pup’s pee is saturating the pad and not being absorbed, then it’s probably time to replace the old pad. This is why we recommend either buying a pack of at least 2-4 pads, or buying ones that are slightly larger than the disposable ones.

Are washable pee pads better than disposable ones?

Yes, reusable pee pads are generally much better than disposable ones.

The disposable pee pads are like the paper straws used in restaurants. They are not really effective, and they often degrade before you even finished your drink!

In contrast, washable pee pads are designed to absorb and hold a lot more liquid, and they are usually made of higher quality materials than their disposable counterparts making them reusable multiple times before needing replacement.

Where is the best place for a dog pee pad?

The best place for a dog pee pad is in an area that your pet has easy access to. Some common places include near their bed, in the hallway or living room where they spend much of their time, and near the door if you take them out regularly.

Ideally, you will want to place the pee pad on a hard floor (like laminate flooring or tiles) to make it easier to clean in case they miss the pad. Most quilted mats come with anti-slip dots on the back to make them stay in place, ensuring it doesn’t get moved around while your pet is using them.

Final Words on How to Teach a Puppy to Pee on a Pad

How to train a puppy to pee on a pad is a question most new dog owners ask. Training a puppy to use reusable pee pads takes time and effort, but it’s possible. Use our tips on how to get your dog to pee on the pad, and you’ll soon have a fully potty-trained dog.

Remember that accidents are bound to happen. When you come across a puddle on the floor, take your dog to the pad instead of punishing it. Use an enzymatic pet cleaner to eliminate puppy messes and odor. 

Read more puppy training tips:

• How to Stop a Dog From Peeing in the House
• How To Stop My Dog From Biting When Excited
• 100 Tricks To Teach Your Dog or Puppy
• New Puppy Shopping List – What Do I Need to Buy for a New Puppy
• How to Dispose of Dog Waste – The Eco-friendly Way

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