Whether you call them potty pads, puppy pads, training pads, or pee pads, these absorbent sheets have become an invaluable part of the puppy training process. Effective potty training relies on teaching your dog consistent habits. The right puppy pad not only enables positive habits during housebreak training but also makes cleanup as simple as throwing out the pad and replacing it with a new one.
After testing 20 different puppy pads in our New York lab and for three months in homes with real dogs, our winner and best overall pick is the Premium Puppy Training Pads from Bulldogology. The Bulldogology training pads have all the qualities necessary for perfect potty performance, including the ability to absorb smells and hold in liquid effectively enough that you'll never have to deal with puppy pee on your hands or floors. But we also tested several other puppy training pads that work exceptionally well.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Bulldogology Premium Puppy Pee Pads at Amazon
Best Washable: Pet Parents Pawtect Pads at Amazon
Best Overall: Bulldogology Premium Puppy Training Pads
Slightly larger than most comparable training pads
Margin around pad stays dry, making it easy to pick up
Fully absorbs scent
Charcoal version also available
Sold in multiple sizes and quantities
Optional adhesive tabs on all four corners to keep pad in place
Adhesive tabs may get stuck to wood floors at times, but we found it easy to wipe clean
Both sides of pad are white, which makes it harder to know that the absorbent side is faceup in low-light settings
We have no reservations about recommending Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads. They are incredibly absorbent and hold multiple cups of liquid without spilling a drop. They are also durable and didn't tear or get weighed down we went used a combination of liquid and solid materials to test their strength. Plus, all four corners of each pad have an optional adhesive tab. The sticker-like area helps keep the pad in place, which is great if you have a dog that likes to paw at the pad before doing their business. At times we found a slight bit of the adhesive tab would rip off the pad and remain on the wood flooring, but it is easily removed.
Bulldogology Premium Puppy Training Pads combine several layers of material designed to absorb liquids and pull them into the center of the pad, including an outer "attractant fabric" layer and another layer that keeps scents locked in. But it's the superabsorbent polymer (SAP) at the center of the pad that most effectively absorbs and retains liquids, transforming a powder into a gel that won't release liquid back onto your floor or hands.
We assessed puppy pads using several tests and five different metrics, rating each for its effectiveness, durability, scent (and how well it absorbs scents), how easy they are to clean up, and the product's overall value. In our evaluation, Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads received a perfect score in every category except overall value, since they are more expensive than several other training pads we recommend.
During testing, we poured a combination of water and vinegar on the Bulldogology pad up to the maximum absorbency claimed by the manufacturer. After soaking, the training pad's margins remained dry, making it easy to pick up with your hands. Remarkably, even touching the wet portion of the pee pad still felt nearly dry. When lifting the soaked puppy pad off the ground, the Bulldogology pad didn't feel like it was about to rip or was at risk of falling apart. There was no dripping, and the floor was dry.
Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads also come in a range of options, including different sizes, materials, and quantities. The standard pee pads are sold in 50-, 100-, and 150-count packages. There are also XL pads that are 24 x 35 inches that are available in packages of 40, 60, 180, and 360. Bulldogology also makes it easy to subscribe, so a steady supply of pee pads will keep coming to your door. The company also has an activated carbon version of the bulldogology puppy training pads, with an additional charcoal layer designed to more fully absorb smells (though we found the standard pads effective at scent absorption already).
The Bulldogology pee pads also incorporate a feature we were unable to test under lab conditions: a pheromone attractant. Designed to draw the attention of a puppy while housebreaking, we were unable to test whether this is a useful feature or a gimmick. Other minor features were more obviously useful, including the adhesive tape at each corner, which kept the Bulldogology pads attached firmly to our test floor. You may find the adhesive corners very useful if your dog likes to spin in circles before they pee or if they are limping, to help prevent the pad from slipping.
It should be noted that while the Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads were our overall favorite, many of our other recommendations performed as well or nearly as well. There are a number of viable puppy training pads on the market, so don't hesitate to try something else on this list if it's more convenient to purchase.
Price at time of publish: $45 for 100 pads
Scent: None | Dimensions: Regular, 24 x 24 inches; XL, 24 x 35 inches | Absorbency: Regular, 7-9 cups; XL, 7-9+ cups
Best Washable: Pet Parents Pawtect Pads Washable Dog Pee Pads
Machine washable
Surprisingly absorbent
Multiple sizes, including round pads
Durable and high-quality construction
Can be placed inside a dog stroller or carrier
Held up well after repeat use and washing for three months in real-world testing
Fabric can get soaked to the edges which makes it difficult to pick up without getting your hands dirty
In our real-world testing, puppies liked to chew on the sewn-in labels
While we tested a handful of non-disposable options, the Pawtect Pads Washable Dog Pee Pads from Pet Parents were the only product that provided comparable performance to our favorite disposable options. And after three months of real-world testing, they have held up well in the wash without any signs of wear.
Described as a "WickQuick proprietary fabric blend," the material in the Pawtect pee pads was surprisingly absorbent. We found that it quickly absorbed several cups of water, pulling the liquid into the center of the pad. The main disadvantage to this design is that there's no margin around the absorbent area of the pad, so there's always a possibility that it might be a little soggy wherever you grip to pick it up.
Our testers were pleasantly surprised to find that the Pawtect pads didn't smell after absorbing vinegar. While there's no guarantee that its odor protection will work as well with dog pee, its scent-absorbing abilities seemed on par with our favorite disposable pee pads.
The Pet Parents pee pads felt exceptionally durable as well, with multiple fabric layers triple-stitched all around the perimeter of the pad. The bottom layer is a waterproof backing with a grippy, rubberized feel that held the Pawtects pee pad to the floor better than the adhesive tape included on some disposable models. It's even got enough cushion that your dog might use it as a resting mat, making the Pawtect a useful crate liner as well as a potty pad.
"It's the standout one of the fabric options," one tester said, describing the Pawtect. "It's both the smallest and best absorbing. I'm pretty impressed by this one."
At only 18 x 24 inches, the Pawtect Pad was among the smallest pads we tested, but numerous other options are available, including a jumbo 41 x 41-inch pad and circular variants up to 48 inches in diameter.
The Pawtects Pads Washable Dog Pee Pad is sold in bundles of two, so you can always have one in use and one in the wash. And, of course, the pads are machine washable.
Price at time of publish: $24 for two 18 x 24 inch pads
Scent: None | Dimensions: 18 x 24 inches, 24 x 36 inches, 34 x 36 inches, 41 x 41 inches, 17-inch round, 36-inch round, 48-inch round | Absorbency: 3 cups (18 x 24-inch model)
