Why you shouldn’t train your pup to use a pee pad even if it’s convenient

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By Chaitra Krishnamurthy

6 November 2024

Pet parents often cherish everything about puppyhood, except potty training. If you are considering using pee pads to train your pooch, a dog psychologist recommends against it.

Puppyhood can be overwhelming. In fact, research shows that people experience “puppy blues” when they first bring home a dog – an emotion similar to baby blues. So, let potty training not be one of the reasons to stop you from enjoying the experience.

Portrait puppy dog sitting on a pee training pad,Gerona,Girona,Spain — Credit: Sandra Marisol Del Mendoza / 500px | Getty Images

Dog psychology and behavior expert, Steve Del Savio, thinks training your puppy on a pee pad isn’t a great idea for different reasons.

Firstly, it isn’t natural for dogs to urinate or defecate inside their homes. “That’s not something instinctual a dog would do unless they were forced to do so,” he says.

Training your pup to go outside to pee and poop encourages them to be in their natural state. Although Steve understands the plight of pet parents living in apartments who can’t let their dogs out to go to the bathroom, he recommends getting them out as much as possible.

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Furthermore, having your dog pee and poop inside the house is unhygienic and gross. It can cause health issues in humans if the place used by your pup to urinate or defecate isn’t cleaned regularly.

@packleaderdogs
I get asked frequently about my thoughts on people using wee wee pads for their dogs indoors. First, let me say that I am not against them and understand why people may use this option for their dog to relieve themselves. That being said, personally, I don’t train any of my dogs to go on wee wee pads because I think relieving themselves outdoors is much more natural to them than relieving themselves in the same area they eat, live and sleep. I do have clients who prefer their dog to wee wee pad trained, so I will teach how to do it, but I do explain that its not the most ideal option for a dog. If they understand the potential side effects, I will move forward with explaining how to co dition dog to wee wee pads. It’s basically setting up a pen that is the size of about 4 large wee wee pads in a square. Lay the wee wee pads to cover the floor. Over time, you will notice the pads they are using most and ones they aren’t really using. You will then remove one of the pads they are not using. Over time, you’ll remove the 2nd pad, then the 3rd, and finally be left with 1 pad. From there, you can slowly start moving the wee pad to progress to the final destination spot for the pad, ideally near the front door (or whatever door you take them out). It’s a process to teach and a process to unteach because once you have a dog who urinates or deficates indoors, it’s not the easiest habit to break. What are your thoughts on wee wee pad training?
♬ original sound – Pack Leader Dogs

How to potty train your pup

It’s great if you’re training your pup to go outside to pee and poop, but the method may not be as effective if you don’t use the right technique.

As Steve notes, pet parents encourage their pups to poop as soon they take them out. They may say things like “go potty, go poo, go ahead”, which the dog wouldn’t understand.

He instead recommends saying “go potty” when your pup is pooping, which helps it register the command. The dog psychologist says you shouldn’t teach any commands to your pup when it’s under two months old.

Training them when they are ready to go out is most effective. He also recommends rewarding your pup with a treat once it’s finished pooping to reinforce the positive behavior.

This helps to create the association between going to the bathroom and hearing the verbal command, thus encouraging your pup to go out to poop.

Steve Del Savio is a dog psychology and behavior expert with over 15 years of experience. He is the Owner & Founder of Pack Leader Dogs, who has turned his passion for animals and their behavior into a flourishing career in dog training.”