The whole idea behind using either a dog pee pad or a layer of newspapers is to train your puppy to potty in a designated area that is also protected by some sort of disposable pad—either newsprint or a puppy pee pad. Puppies will relieve themselves in the same spot whether there is protection there are or not, simply because the urine odor remains. The pad or paper is just for the owner’s convenience and ease. That said, which is better for both the dog and the owner?
Dog pads have two very distinct advantages over newspapers—they come pre-scented with a natural attractant only they can smell, and they are designed to be highly absorbent—meaning your dog won’t have a puddle of urine sitting on a pad to get on their paws and track around your house.
The ideal surface for potty training your dog is good old mother earth. If you can crate train your dog and take them outside to do their business in the yard, at a dog park, or somewhere natural—that’s your best option. They’ll quickly learn that your house is their den, and dogs never soil their den, or the area where they eat, sleep and live.
The problem is apartment dwellers, people who live in the city, in a high-rise, or who are elderly, or unable to get up to walk their puppy every three hours can’t always accommodate their puppy’s needs. For the first five-to-six months of their lives, until their bladders fully develop, puppies need a place to potty safely and reliably, so they learn to grasp the concept of not using the house as a toilet. So what’s a puppy owner to do? Find a way to meet the puppy’s needs and the owner’s needs until the dog matures. That means training the puppy to use either a dog pad or another source—like newspapers.
If you use newspapers to train your dog, then be prepared to never ever leave a newspaper on your couch, bed, floor, or anywhere your dog can find it. They will always assume any newspaper is an approved place to do his/her business. Even after they’re grown and house-trained, dogs who were trained using newspapers will always use newspapers to pee. That’s just how training works. Unless specifically trained not to use the newspaper after they’re housebroken, they will continue to do so. It’s natural. But it’s also a habit you don’t want your dog to get into.
While millions of puppies and dogs have successfully used newspapers to pee on over the years, newspapers aren’t the best place for them to go. Newspapers aren’t super absorbent and tend to repel urine. The urine then runs out to the sides of the paper and onto the floor. Try it yourself. Lay down some newspaper and pour a half a cup of water on it and watch what happens.
This means your dog may relieve him/herself, then walk through the urine and track it onto the surrounding floor before it can be absorbed into the paper. That leaves minute traces of their urine scent, which they will return to long after you’ve removed the soiled newspaper.
Dog pads do work better than newspaper because they are more absorbent—even faster absorbing than good old dirt. The formula behind WizSmart Super Absorbent dog pee pads is a unique blend of materials that makes for superior absorption and quick drying so dogs’ paws stay dry. And the drier the paws, the cleaner your house will stay while utilizing dog pads.
And unlike newspapers, most pads include an attractant that encourages your dog to use the pad each and every time. Additionally, while they’re not impossible to shred, they’re significantly harder for mischievous puppies to chew. Since pads are less likely to be shredded into a thousand pieces like a newspaper would be, the soiled area stays contained into a smaller area. Combined with adhesive tabs that keep the pad in place, dog owners find that pads are quicker and easier to clean up than soiled newspaper.
When considering any puppy or dog for your home, consider what you’ll need when he comes home and how you will handle potty pad training. Try a free sample of WizSmart dog pads and see the difference the right pad can make!