The chances are that if you’re reading this post, you’re trying to decide whether dog pee pads will be a good potty solution for your dog, new puppy pal and/or your lifestyle. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what dog pads are, how they work and who they work best for. Hopefully, this will help you to figure out if pee pads can not only work for you, but make your life easier while keeping your 4-legged friend clean and comfortable.
What are Dog Pee Pads?
Pee pads or potty pads are soft and plush disposable mats that your dog can do his business on indoors without making a mess of your home. Good pads will be able to absorb at least four cups of liquid per pad, with the very best dog pee pads being able to absorb a whopping eight cups of fluid per pad. Not only is a super absorbent dog pad critical, but a leak-proof dog pad will also help protect your floors.
How Do Dogs Know to Use Them?
Pee pads are made with specific scent markers usually containing ammonia scent that draws on your dog’s natural instinct, but these can be very bad for the health of your pup. WizSmart worked with a bona fide (gotta love dog puns!) scent specialist to craft a unique fragrance formula that will naturally attract your canine to do his business on the pad while being perfectly safe to your pup’s and your family’s health.
Made from Recycled and Responsible Materials
You can find many dog pads that utilize recycled or more eco-friendly materials, which may be important if you are concerned about the disposable nature of pee pads. It’s important that when considering this option, that you also consider the impact on absorbency. WizSmart dog pads specifically use a unique blend of materials—a mix of virgin fibers and material from unused, reclaimed baby-diapers that achieves superior absorption and fast drying. And the Eucapet in our blend is made from eucalyptus trees grown by companies committed to Certified Responsible Forestry, and it provides a more sustainable fiber in our blend.
Who Benefits from Using Dog Pads?
There are many reasons that pee pads could work for you, but some of the most common reasons for utilizing pee pads as part of your potty training, or daily potty time routine are:
- Puppies: If you’re the proud owner of a new pup, and you’re currently working on puppy potty training, pads are an incredible tool, especially if you are crate training a puppy.
- Elderly Dogs: Older dogs are so adorable with their greying muzzles, and wise eyes, but they don’t move quite so surely as they used to, and their bladder control can be iffy at times. They don’t mean to have accidents, he knows that he shouldn’t pee in the house, but sometimes he just can’t make it all the way out into the yard or catch your attention to let him out quickly enough. In these cases, it’s useful to train an older dog to use pee pads to make sure he stays as clean and comfortable as possible.
- Surgery or Sickness Recovery: If your dog is recovering from medical treatment, he may not be allowed outdoors or to exert himself more than necessary to aid in recovery. Many vets recommend using pee pads during this time to avoid overexertion, and no matter whether you have a pup or an adult dog, this can easily be trained during recovery.
- Apartment Dogs: Finding the right apartment dog for your lifestyle is possible, but the biggest hassle is going potty as you may not have access to a convenient outside space. If you happen to have a balcony or utility room, why not set up a designated “go zone” so that you don’t always have to rely on a trip to the park when time, weather or convenience is not on your side.
- Dogs with Mobility Issues: Seeing your dog struggle to get around really tugs on the heartstrings, you want to do everything you can to make his life more comfortable. And as luck would have it, there are some incredible life hacks for making your dog’s mobility issues less of an issue, one of which is using pee pads to ease the effort needed to head outdoors when nature calls.
- Owners with Mobility Issues: If it’s you, rather than your pet, with mobility issues, getting up to let him out can be uncomfortable at best, and painful at worst. Instead of getting up countless times to let your dog do his business, why not turn that into one trip to clean up per day? Many owners with mobility issues think that they can teach their dog to “hold it” for longer periods, and while you may be able to leave your dog longer in between needing to go out, it can cause UTIs and kidney infections.
- Harsh Climates: Some of you are lucky enough to live in a magical winter wonderland, but what it provides in gorgeous scenery, it lacks in temperature. And for small dog breeds or very short haired breeds, going outdoors for nighttime pee breaks is unbearable in the coldest months of the year. Pee pads can be used outdoors on a covered porch, an excellent solution for avoiding snow or rainy paws, and for pads with adhesive tabs, you can make sure the pads don’t move away from the intended position.
Final Thoughts
There are so many times that using pee pads is the best solution, they’re just such a handy tool, and my goodness are they incredibly easy to clean up. I don’t know about you, but I always assumed that indoor potty training your dog would involve tons of clean up, a smelly home, and the need to get a shower immediately, but boy oh boy was I wrong - just unstick a corner, roll it up, and throw it away. Easier than pie!
Ready to give pee pads a try? Try a free sample of WizSmart dog pads and see the difference the right pad can make!
