The first time we got a dog as an adult, we had a dream that it would be easy. Our new puppy would love us, listen to our every command, and grow up to be lovingly sweet. Okay; maybe we weren’t quite that naive, but we did believe that things would be simple.
Training a young or adopted dog, however, isn’t always that simple. Often, dogs and puppies will have bad habits that you need to work on breaking so that you can live in peace. One of the areas that we had some trouble with when training our Westie was accidents. No matter what we did, our puppy couldn’t help himself, and we’d end up with a mess to clean up. Throughout this time, we tried a few different products out.
One product that really has stuck in our minds is the Simple Solution Premium Dog and Puppy Training Pads. Training pads are a great tool for all dog owners, and these ones might be the right choice for your family.
Simple Solution Premium Dog and Puppy Training Pads
The Simple Solution Premium Dog and Puppy Training Pads are super absorbent, leak-safe training pads that can be used by both dog and puppy owners as a training tool and a way to keep your home safe from pet accidents.
Who Is This Product For?
These Simple Solution Premium Dog and Puppy Training Pads are a good choice for any dog owner who wants to help their pet learn the proper areas to go to the bathroom while simultaneously protecting your home from damage. Cute as your pets are, pet urine can cause serious damage, so you want to correct this as soon as possible.
These particular pads are also great in homes where the dog is attracted to certain scented areas when they have accidents. The pads have an enticing odor for pets that will help encourage them to pee here rather than elsewhere, and that can make a big difference if you are trying to break bad habits.
What’s Included?
These set of training pads from Simple Solution will have as many pads as you order. These premium pads are available in a few different, bulk-sized sets.
Overview of the Features
When we first started looking at training pads, it’s safe to say that we were incredibly overwhelmed! There are a lot of different options, and it can be hard to see the difference between them. We found a few pads that we liked, but these ones stood out from others because of their scenting and their layered construction.
These pads have six absorbent layers, which help to prevent any type of staining from happening to the floor underneath. With that being said, we did see a little bit of leakage around the edges of the pad.
The attractant that is applied to the pad made it very easy to help our Westie learn where it is “ok” to go if he has to go inside. We don’t use the pads often anymore now that he’s potty trained, but we do like to set them up when we are going to be away for longer than usual, and he never fails to find the pad!
These pads can absorb a lot of liquid as the polymer material in them will convert all liquid to gel. This is what helps the pads to be so absorbent. They also help to eliminate any urine odor, so you won’t have to deal with that smell lingering in your house after your pup goes. The pads themselves measure 23 by 24 inches.
Pros
- Layered construction traps more liquid
- Absorbent core turns colors when wet
- Attractant helps encourage faster training results
- Works for multiple breeds
Cons
- Mild leak issues around edges
- Not big enough for multiple large dogs
How to Use This Product
We didn’t know how to use these pads when we first got them, but we knew that our Westie needed to learn more about where it was okay to go and where it wasn’t, so we tried a few different techniques.
Ultimately, we figured out what worked best for our family! We’ll share our recommendation, but remember that every dog is different, and you may need to make some adjustments for your own pet.
Here is what we did:
- Put the pad on the floor. The plastic side should touch the ground, and the tissue side should be up.
- Bring your dog to the pad. We set Sami down on top of it, and let him sniff around to become familiar with it.
- Let your dog go to the bathroom there. If your pet doesn’t seem to want to go right away, wait until he asks you to go outside.
- Lead the dog to the pad and encourage them to go.
- If they do go on the mat, make sure to praise them and give a reward for doing so.
- If you catch your dog going elsewhere, ask them to stop and quickly relocate them to the mat. Then, praise them. While it seems strange to praise an accident, you are actually praising the relocation, and this will help correct the behavior.
As you can see, it was quite a process to train our Westie to use these pads, but it went a lot faster than we thought it would!
Alternatives
If you’re not into the idea of wasting pads every single time one is used, you can try to get a reusable pad like this one instead. For your convenience, these can be washed in the washing machine.
Then again, some dogs simply won’t go on pads. In those cases, using a fake grass mat like this, which catches any liquid, is a great way to protect your home while still providing relief for your pet.
Conclusion
Training your puppy or newly adopted dog about where it is okay to use the bathroom at home can be a trying time, and it can be hard not to become frustrated with the process. Remember, however, that your dog doesn’t want to be making these mistakes! With the right tools, you can help both you and your pup to feel more comfortable.
Every time that we would get upset with our Westie for having an accident, we’d feel guilty for being mad. We were so thankful when we finally started to see some progress, and having pads like these on hand has helped the whole family feel more comfortable at home!
