Many new puppy owners invest in puppy pads to use during puppy training and crate training. These absorbent pads allow puppies an indoor place to urinate and protect carpets and furniture. However, if the puppy pads are not absorbent enough to hold all the urine, an even bigger mess can occur when the pads are collected for disposal.
It’s important to note that just because a puppy is small doesn’t mean it can’t hold a large amount of fluid in its bladder. A human adult can usually hold about two cups of fluid in the bladder before needing to use the bathroom. It is likely that the bladders of large adult canines, such as Great Danes and Mastiffs, can compete with adult human bladders for total fluid volume capacity. However, puppies do not yet have full-sized, fully developed bladders and bladder muscles. This means they can hold less fluid by volume in the bladder before they need to urinate, and the undeveloped bladder muscles mean puppies need to urinate more frequently than they will as they grow older.
Light-absorbing pads generally measure about 17 by 24 inches. These pads can absorb enough urine to protect against urine spills from dogs in the toy size category. Teacup Chihuahuas, young Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Poodles, and Teacup Maltese are dog breeds with tiny bladders. For puppy potty training of a very small breed, lightweight absorbent pads should work well.
Moderate absorbency wee wee puppy pads are usually available in a couple of different sizes. They are usually around 17 by 24 inches and 23 by 36 inches. These puppy training pads have enough absorbency to handle small to medium sized dogs. Adult Shih Tzus, Sky Terriers, and other small members of the terrier classification, such as Scottish Terriers, can probably get by using moderately absorbent puppy pads.
Even as puppies, as the size of the breed increases, puppy training pads should have more and more absorbency. Medium-sized dogs may need additional 23-by-36-inch absorbent pads. These include puppies from breeds in the non-sporting group, such as Poodles, Chow Chows, and Dalmatians.
Double X and Triple X absorbency pads are generally only available in the 23 by 36 size. These pads have enough absorbency to contain the bladder contents of much larger dogs. Dogs in the working group, including Akitas, Boxers, and Portuguese Water Dogs, will generally need double X absorbency pads. Larger working group breeds, such as Newfoundlands and Mastiffs, will most likely need the triple absorbent pads.
Every wholesale puppy pad store should have customer service representatives who can help puppy and dog owners find the right size absorbent pads. Keep in mind that larger, more absorbent puppy training pads will be needed as the puppy grows.