Having multiple dogs mean double the effort and double the expense. You might want to get your dogs to use the share everything so you can save some expenses. You must be wondering whether dogs can share a pee pad or not.
Let’s deep dive and see if they can or cannot.
Can dogs share a pee pad?
Many people train their dogs to share a pee pad, but I suggest not doing this. Then, of course, you can save some space, but you will eventually use an equal amount of pee pads.
Why can your dogs not share a pad?
Here are a few reasons why you should not make your dogs share a pee pad:
- Dogs communicate through urinating: dogs use urine to send signals to other dogs. So they should have their own space, so they only use pee pads for peeing and not for communicating.
- The dog-marking rivalry will start: Urine marking is a natural instinct of dogs. Your dogs may get into a rivalry. Both may start to fight for space.
- Dominant dogs will not let the other dog use the same pad: If you’ve got multiple breeds, the dominant breed may dominate the other dog. He may not allow the other dogs to use the pee pads.
- Some dog breeds won’t share: Not all dogs are friendly to other dogs. Some are perfect human friends but may not live happily with dogs.
- Some dog breeds are cleaner, and they won’t go to a pad that’s already soiled: some dog breeds are very clean. They do not use toilet space that is already soiled, especially by another dog.
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How to get your dogs to different pads when they need to go?
So, if you’ve decided that your dogs will not share a pee pad, how do you get them to use different pads? If you use the exact location and the same brand of pee pads, the situation will be the same as sharing a single pad.
Here are a few ways to get your dogs to use different pads.
1- Choose different locations for different dogs:
Use completely different locations for your dogs. For example, if one pee pad is placed in one bathroom, place the other in the other toilet. Or place both in different corners of a bathroom.
Don’t forget to train your dogs to use different corners. Hang something different on each corner, and then be with your dogs at every toilet visit.
Keep the dogs on a leash, and whenever they need to go to the toilet, go with them, make them touch the hanging thing with their nose, and then say the potty command, “your dogs will recognize their space.”
2- Choose different colored pads:
Although dogs cannot see all colors, they can differentiate between white and black. Choose different pee pad brands with different colors. I’m sure this is the best option.
Train each dog to use one color; then, they will easily recognize their place.
Most puppy pads are available in white color. While “Glad for Pets Activated Carbon Puppy Training Pads” are available in dark grey color (near to black).
The grey pads’ scent will differ from the others, so your dogs will recognize their place.
3- Choose pads with different scents:
Similar to the colors of pads, different scents will also help the dogs recognize their area. Instead, I should say that different scents are better than different colors because dogs use scents to detect different places.
You can get one scented brand and one non-scented. Even the non-scented things have a scent. Dogs’ sense of smell is much stronger than humans, so they can easily detect which one is theirs.
Similarly, you can buy different scented pads. I’ll give a few examples:
- The best non-scented dog pad can be Hartz Home Protection Unscented Odor Eliminating Gel Dog Pads. They are non-scented, but the dogs can recognize them when you train them to use them.
- Hartz home protection lavender scented dog pads has different; lavender scent.
- Hartz Home Protection Mountain Fresh Scent Odor Eliminating Dog Pads has a different scent.
- Glad for pets charcoal puppy pads have activated carbon, and they smell different. (and the color is also different)
4- Choose different types of pads for different dogs:
Other than the brand, the color, and the scents, you can choose puppy pads with different types. Such as you can train one dog to use a typical pad and teach the other to use a grass pad.
There are multiple types of grass pads available.
You can get real grass pads and arrange a permanent setup for your dog, like a porch potty.
A porch potty is a permanent setup you can attach with a water hose. It will automatically clean the grass pad and drain the water using the drainage system you set up.
You can use artificial or real grass pads with the porch potty.
Check out the porch potty set up here.
Porch potty has both natural grass puppy pads and artificial puppy pads. So, you can set up the system and then choose to use a natural or synthetic grass pad.
Other than a permanent set-up, you can opt for artificial grass pads with holders. They are available on Amazon.
For example, Ottomanson Pet Training Collection Non-Slip Easy Clean Indoor/Outdoor Tray with Reusable Grass Pad. Click here to buy it on Amazon.
Summary:
Your dogs should not share a pee pad. They may not go along with each other. They may start urine marking rivalry, or one dog may dominate another dog.
Multiple dogs should have different spaces as a toilet.
You have several options:
- Get puppy pads with different colors
- Get puppy pads with different scents
- Place the puppy pads in different areas of the house.
- Choose different types of puppy pads for all dogs. You can opt for typical puppy pads and grass pads. Moreover, you also have options to choose real grass or artificial grass.
