Puppy pads: are they a good idea, and how to pick ones that do not leak

Pads earn their place for some puppies: in a flat, overnight, before the vaccinations are done, or when you have to go out for longer than your puppy can hold on. They come with a cost, because a puppy who learns to go on a pad indoors has two toilets to unlearn later. Battersea puts it simply: "They're most useful for short periods or overnight, but they're not a replacement for taking your puppy outside." If you use them, one pad in one spot, held flat so it cannot slide or be dragged off, does more than any special layer or scent.

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Which one for your puppy

Your home and your days decide this more than the puppy does.

These are the 34 toy breeds in Puplr's records, the size where an indoor toilet most often stays:

And 22 more in the breed guides.

Are puppy pads bad?

No welfare charity says never. RSPCA Australia, Humane World for Animals, the AKC, Battersea and Blue Cross all give pads or paper a place, and the PDSA and Battersea put pads on their new puppy shopping lists. What they disagree on is how much to lean on them.

• The case for. RSPCA Australia: "Puppy pads can be useful during the toilet training process". The AKC says they "may be useful for owners who cannot return home frequently during the day".
• The case against. Mary Burch, director of the AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy programs, says "You're reinforcing two different options for the puppy." Dogs Trust: pads "can encourage going to the toilet indoors and reduce the likelihood of your dog going outside instead." Humane World for Animals: "indoor potty training can make outdoor housebreaking take longer."
• The middle. Battersea: "Pads should only be a back-up. Keep the biggest rewards for outdoor toileting so they learn that outside is the best place to go."

Nobody has studied whether pads slow toilet training down. Every line above is expert advice, not a measured result.

What to look for

• A way to hold it still. Dogs Trust says to "always place them in the same spot and secure them to avoid slipping." Adhesive strips, a pad holder or a tray with a frame all do this, and a pad that stays flat is harder to drag away and shred.
• A leak proof backing. The AKC says washable pads made for dogs and the hospital pads made for people "Both have leakproof backing". Disposable pads describe their layers and backing on the pack; those are the makers' own claims, and no independent leak test of any brand was found.
• The right size. The AKC notes pads "come in different sizes". A bigger puppy needs a bigger target, so size up as they grow.
• Washable, if your puppy shreds. The AKC lists washable pads as "Sturdy, with leakproof backing, machine washable, not easy to shred." Battersea adds a condition: choose one that "looks and feels different from rugs or bedding so your puppy doesn't get confused."
• Grass, if outside is the goal. The AKC says artificial turf "can help them make the connection to real grass outside", and that real grass means puppies "will already be familiar with it when they go outdoors for the first time." Keep artificial turf out of hot sun: in a 2026 study, turf in the sun "reached temperatures as high as 63.8 °C" while real grass stayed below 40 °C.
• Easy to change. Dogs Trust says to "Change the pads regularly", and the AKC's older advice is "Replace dirty papers or pads immediately."
• An attractant is optional. Battersea: "Scent attractants can sometimes encourage a dog to toilet in a particular spot, but they're not essential. Routine and supervision matter more."

Claims that do not hold up

"Attractant pads make a puppy use them." No study or vet body was found that tests them. Most makers do not say what the attractant is, and one calls its spray "Clinically formulated" without citing a study. A 2022 review of dog scent products found the evidence "mixed, largely negative" and said "marketing of semiochemicals is far ahead of the science". Battersea's free version does the same job: "placing a cloth with your dog's urine in the desired area."

"Leak proof for 24 hours." Some packs promise a full day of protection. Those are the makers' claims, and nobody independent has tested them. The charities still say to change pads often, whatever the pack promises.

"Puppy pads belong in the crate." Several makers sell their pads as crate liners. VCA says the opposite: "you may want to avoid lining their crate with them so as not to confuse your puppy about which area to eliminate in." The AKC explains why the crate works without one: "most dogs prefer not to eliminate in their sleeping space."

"Pads are poisonous if a puppy eats one." No poison centre page covers training pads, so the closest guidance is on nappies, which are made the same way. Pet Poison Helpline says eating them "is unlikely to cause poisoning in your pup. However, eating diapers and wipes can still cause GI upset and may even result in an obstruction in their GI tract." The ASPCA says a large amount "can form a blockage in the stomach or intestines which may require surgery to remove." The study often shared as proof of poisoning was about a cooling gel pad, not a toilet pad, and the dog had eaten about 350 grams of the gel; they "had recovered fully" two weeks later.

"Clean the floor with bleach to kill the smell." Blue Cross: "Avoid using ammonia based products such as bleach as this is likely to cause your puppy to use the same area again." The Royal Kennel Club says ammonia cleaners "smell similar to urine".

The kit

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How to use pads, then stop

1. Pick one spot and keep it there. Battersea: "Choose one quiet, consistent spot for the pad (away from where they eat and sleep)", and "Avoid using lots of pads around the home, as this can encourage toileting anywhere." The AKC suggests a low traffic area with "an easy-to-clean floor, such as tile or linoleum".
2. Put it near the door, if you have one to go out of. Battersea: "Keep pads near the door if you have outside access, so it still links to going out."
3. Take your puppy to the pad at the usual times. After waking, eating, drinking and play, the same triggers as going outside. The AKC says that for very young puppies "it could be as often as every 15 minutes." The toilet training plan has the full routine by age.
4. Keep it out of the crate and away from the bed. VCA, above. In a pen, put the pad at the far end from the bed.
5. Clean accidents with an enzyme cleaner. Dogs Trust: "Other household cleaners or disinfectants aren't effective enough at removing the scent." Battersea's alternative is "a 1:9 mix of biological washing powder and warm water", and it says to "Clean out of your dog's sight so it doesn't become a game."
6. Move outside a little at a time. The AKC's method: "Only move it a small distance each day so you don't confuse your puppy", first to the door, then just outside it, then to the outdoor spot, and then "cut the potty pad into smaller and smaller sizes until they're using the ground instead." Blue Cross says to put some of the soiled paper outside "as the smell will help your puppy to know where to go to the toilet."
7. Stop when the accidents do. RSPCA Australia: "As your puppy gains better control of their bladder and learns to toilet on cue, the puppy pads should be removed." Battersea: "stay consistent", because switching back and forth "can slow learning."

Common questions

Are puppy pads a good idea?

For some puppies, for a while. The AKC: "Puppy pads can be useful in certain situations, such as when owners cannot get home frequently or for very small dogs during severe weather. However, they can sometimes slow the transition to outdoor elimination."

Should I put a puppy pad in the crate?

No. VCA advises against lining the crate with pads, and Battersea says to keep the pad "away from where they eat and sleep." Most puppies avoid soiling their bed, and a pad in the crate works against that.

Do attractant puppy pads work?

Nobody has shown that they do. Battersea calls scent attractants "not essential", and no study testing them was found. A cloth with a little of your puppy's own wee on the pad uses the same idea.

What if my puppy eats a puppy pad?

Call your vet. The main risk with a swallowed pad is a blockage in the gut. VCA lists the signs as vomiting, diarrhoea, tummy pain, not eating, straining to poo, tiredness and changes in behaviour when handled around the tummy, and says "Time is critical". Cornell says "Most GI foreign body obstructions require surgery." A holder or a washable pad keeps the edges out of reach.

How do I stop using puppy pads?

Move the pad towards the door, then outside, a little each day, then make it smaller until your puppy uses the ground. Battersea also suggests that when accidents drop, you "stop replacing the pad, or move it just outside the door (if safe)."

Should I use puppy pads for an older dog?

Dogs Trust: "Puppy pads may cause confusion for older dogs and increase indoor weeing or pooing." If you do use them, it says to keep them in the same spot, secure them, change them regularly and make sure your dog "still has outdoor access."

How we worked this out

We did not test any puppy pads. This guide is built from welfare charities in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US, two kennel clubs, veterinary hospital pages, a veterinary specialist college's foreign body page, two peer reviewed papers and the makers' own product pages, all opened and read on 6 October 2026 and quoted word for word where they are quoted. The makers' pages were used only to see what pads claim to do, and those claims are described as claims. Every source is listed below.

No study of puppy pads themselves was found: not of leaks, not of attractants, and not of whether pads slow outdoor toilet training. The advice here is the welfare charities' and the AKC's, and it says so where it is opinion. The guidance on swallowed pads comes from poison centre pages about nappies, the closest product they cover. The toy breed list comes from Puplr's 384 breed records, using the AKC's size classes.

Where the sources disagree, we have said so. The main differences:

• How much to use pads. RSPCA Australia, the PDSA and Battersea treat them as a normal part of the kit; Dogs Trust and Humane World for Animals warn they can slow the move outside.
• Pads in the crate. Some makers sell pads as crate liners; VCA advises against it, and no welfare charity was found recommending it.
• Indoor and outdoor at once. Battersea says switching back and forth can slow learning; one AKC article says a dog can learn both, "one location and then the other".
• Treats for using the pad. One AKC article says to reward with "praise and treats"; Battersea says to avoid treats for toileting, "as some dogs may start offering little squats or pretend wees to earn a reward."
• Cat litter in an indoor toilet. One AKC article suggests it; another says "Do not use cat litter", because clay "can be tempting to eat".

This guide was drafted with an AI writing tool and checked against every source listed. Read more about how we write buying guides.