Should I use puppy pads at night?
While it may be tempting to put some puppy pads in the puppy crate, stick some ear plugs in and hope for the best, this approach will simply slow down your puppy’s toilet training progress and create bad habits. It can also be very stressful for a puppy if they have to go to the toilet where they sleep.
The sooner you can get your puppy into a routine and help them to learn where they should go to the toilet, the better it will be for both of you.
If you live in a flat or apartment, then you may need to use puppy pads. For example, it may not be practical to take your puppy outside several times a night. You should, however, decide on a toilet spot to help your puppy learn where they need to go, and get them used to going outside as soon as possible.
Ideally, if you have access to a garden you should get your puppy used to going to the toilet outside from day one and avoid using puppy pads.
How often do puppies need to pee at night?
Young puppies need to pee often – and you can expect there to be lots of accidents to begin with. During the day you will be constantly looking out for signs that your puppy needs to go so that you can scoop them up and take them outdoors or to their toilet spot. And toilet training doesn’t stop when it’s bedtime. Until your puppy is old enough to be able to hold on, they will need to go out for frequent toilet trips at night. And that means lots of broken nights sleep for you.
Are puppy pads a bad idea?
Here’s a quick rundown of why wee-wee pads are a bad idea. While they might seem like a convenient solution, they’ll only end up sabotaging your potty-training efforts. They teach your dog to pee in your house. They don’t work for long-term use.
Puppy Potty Training At Night WITHOUT Setting An Alarm – Bringing Home A New Puppy Episode 6
Our mission is to help save dogs and cats’ lives through our educational content. To support our efforts, this page may contain affiliate links. We earn a commission for qualifying purchases – at no cost to you.
As Preventive Vets dog behavior expert and lead trainer at Pupstanding Academy, Cathy focuses on helping humans and their pets build a strong relationship based on trust, clear communication, and the use of positive reinforcement and force-free methods. With over 13 years of experience, she has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs on a wide variety of training and behavior issues. Beyond her one-on-one consultations through Pupstanding Academy, she also teaches group dog training classes at Seattle Humane. Her specialties include dog aggression, resource guarding, separation anxiety, and puppy socialization.
Cathy is certified through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, holding both the CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA designations. Cathy is a Fear Free Certified Certified Professional, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, the Pet Professional Guild, and the Dog Writers Association of America.
When shes not geeking out about dogs, you can find her reading, hiking with her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, or paddleboarding.
A note for our readers: If you have an urgent question and are unable to ask your veterinarian, you can use the Ask a Vet service that will give you access to a veterinarian for 7 days for $1.