Washable vs Disposable Pee Pads (2026)

A puppy in its first weeks of house training can go through several pads a day; an older dog with new accidents may need them for months. Which kind of pad makes sense depends on which of those you are facing.

How we chose: we did not test these pads; layers, sizes and claims come from each maker's listing, and every pick was sold by Amazon.com or the brand and in stock in September 2026.

This page covers what the layers and "attractant" claims mean, how washable pads compare, and what the ASPCA and the AVMA say about house training and accidents in older dogs.

Seven pee pads compared

Prices are Amazon's, as of the time shown, and subject to change. Details

Disposable or washable?

Disposable pads are a stack of layers: a quick-dry top sheet, an absorbent core that turns liquid into gel, and a plastic backing. You lift the whole pad, fold it and throw it away. That suits the first weeks of house training, when a puppy may use several a day and you want nothing to wash.

Washable pads are fabric on top of a waterproof layer. You shake or rinse the mess off, wash the pad and put down the spare. You buy them once and keep washing them, so there is less trash. They also make sense under a senior dog's bed, where you want something that lies flat and stays put.

The catch with washables is care. Only two of the three listings here say how to wash them:

• Amazon Basics Washable: machine-washable, per the listing; a set of two so you can switch while one is in the wash.
• Eterish: survives "many washes" in the machine, per Eterish, with a lower dryer temperature or air drying. Eterish also says to trim your dog's nails, because claws can puncture the waterproof layer.
• Pet Parents Pawtect: the listing covers the fabric and the StickyPaw backing but not washing. Follow the care tag.

What the layers and borders mean

Every disposable here claims five or six layers. The number matters less than two details you can check on the listing: the size of the absorbent center and the edge.

• Absorbent center: Amazon Basics is unusually specific. Its 22 x 22 in pad has a 19 x 19 in center and a 1.65 in border; the XL has a 23.6 x 29.5 in center.
• Edges: Amazon Basics puts a plastic border on all four sides; Glad seals and quilts all four edges; Four Paws quilts the top to cut wet-paw tracking.
• Odor: only the Glad pad lists an activated-carbon core, which Glad says traps urine odor instead of masking it.

For a large dog, size decides more than layers. A dog that squats over the edge of a 22 in pad will wet the floor whatever the pad absorbs, so the 28 x 34 in XL or the 36 x 41 in Eterish is the safer buy.

Do attractant pads work?

Three disposables here list an attractant: Amazon Basics and Four Paws call it built-in, and Glad calls its version a pheromone scent. These are the makers' claims; none publishes a test we could check.

What the ASPCA's house-training advice stresses is you, not the pad. "Whether your goal is for your dog to eliminate on pee pads indoors or to do it outside, you have to really throw a party for her when she succeeds," it says.

It also says not to rub a dog's face in an accident: it makes the dog fear you, and the dog cannot connect the punishment to where it went.

If the plan is to move a puppy outdoors later, keep the pad in one spot near the door so the routine is easy to shift. If the puppy sleeps in a crate, our dog crate guide explains how MidWest says a divider panel helps prevent accidents inside it.

Pro tip: clean accidents that miss the pad with an enzymatic cleaner, not an ammonia-based one. In its advice on urine marking in cats, the ASPCA says urine contains ammonia, so cleaning with ammonia can attract a cat back to the same spot to urinate again; the same logic applies to a puppy. Our enzyme cleaner guide compares six.

Pads for a senior dog

Pads are also a tool for older dogs, but the order matters. When a house-trained older dog starts having accidents, the ASPCA's page on older dogs says the "first step is to take him to his veterinarian to determine whether there is a specific medical cause." It lists sensory decline, conditions that affect mobility, cognitive dysfunction and endocrine disorders among the medical problems that can contribute to house soiling.

The AVMA lists house soiling among the common signs of cognitive dysfunction in senior pets, and says senior pets should see a veterinarian twice a year or more.

Once your vet has looked at the cause, the ASPCA suggests a dog walker or an indoor spot such as newspapers, a dog litter box or potty pads if you cannot get the dog out often enough. For that use:

• Under a bed or in a crate: a large washable pad such as the Eterish 36 x 41 in lies flat and has a non-slip back.
• For odor between changes: the Glad carbon-core pad.
• For a big senior dog: the Amazon Basics 28 x 34 in XL in heavy-duty absorbency.

An older dog that struggles to get up may also need a better bed; see our orthopedic dog bed guide. This page is not veterinary advice (why); ask your vet about new accidents or incontinence.

Check any pad brand against our pet product recall list before you stock up; none of these brands appears on it as of September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know my puppy is about to go?

Watch for the signs the ASPCA lists: sniffing, circling and walking with stiff back legs. When you see them, get the puppy to the pad or the potty spot right away.

What if I catch my puppy going off the pad?

The ASPCA says it is fine to startle the puppy by clapping or making a noise, then take it to the pad or outside. Scolding afterward does nothing: a dog does not learn from a past accident, even one a few minutes old.

How much of the house should a puppy on pads have?

Not much at first. The ASPCA says to limit a dog in training to the one or two rooms where you can see it at all times, which also keeps the pad within easy reach.

How do I stop my dog from tearing up pee pads?

Put the pad in a holder or use a washable pad with a non-slip back, such as the Amazon Basics Washable with its silicone base. Supervise a puppy that chews pads, and ask your vet if a dog swallows pieces.

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PetProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Specifications are the makers' own. This guide is for general information and is not veterinary advice.