Readiness Signs

• Stays dry for longer periods
• Shows interest in bathroom habits
• Communicates need to go
• Discomfort with dirty diapers

Typical Potty Training Age

Most children start between 18 months and 3 years old. Focus on individual readiness over strict age guidelines.

• Physical development (pants up/down)
• Cognitive skills (understands instructions)
• Emotional readiness (willingness to try)

Readiness Checklist

• Can express need to go
• Has regular bowel movements
• Shows interest in using toilet
• Can follow simple directions
• Stays dry for 2+ hours during day

Long-Term Strategies

• Consistent bathroom routine
• Regular breaks, especially outings
• Positive reinforcement
• Patience during accidents

Training your dog to use a dog doorbell makes it easier for your dog to communicate when they need to go outside. “Dogs of all ages can learn to use a doorbell to go outside,” Steffi Trott, head trainer and founder at SpiritDog Training, told The Spruce Pets.

These bells or buttons are designed to be placed near a door, and you teach your dog to ring them when they need to go potty. With a few tries and lots of treats, most dogs will learn that ringing the bell means a human opens the door.

“Using a doorbell for your dog is a really great tool, but we should only be relying on it once the dog is fully potty trained and understands that pottying only happens outside.” With young dogs and dogs that are new to potty training, supervision is very important, Trott says. “This way, we can catch the early signs that they need to go potty.”

In our search for the best dog doorbells, we considered how they sound, materials, and ease of installation. Our favorite is Caldwell’s Potty Bells, which has a durable nylon strap, comes in eight colors, and easily attaches to either knobs or handles. It’s adjustable and features six bells. But there are alternatives to the pleasingly tactile jingle bells that may work even better in your home.

What to Look For in a Dog Doorbell

Dog’s Activation

Try to align the bell with an activation style your dog naturally uses. For example, some dogs are more likely to paw or to boop with their snout when they want to be petted. Depending on their build, one movement may come more naturally and that will help with training.

Installation

Many doorbells come on a strip of fabric or leather. There’s no installation involved; just slip the end loop or hook over the door handle. Others require sticking a button near the door with a remote receiver plugged into a nearby outlet.

Height

Make sure the bells hang at a height that is comfortable for your dog to reach. They should be able to nudge them with their nose—so hang them about nose height. If your dog prefers batting them or pawing at them, they can hang even lower. Some have adjustable straps.

Materials

Many hanging bells are attached to a nylon, ribbon, or leather strap. Others are buttons that are made of plastic. Some straps are more durable than others, which is particularly important if your dog is very excited or a chewer.

 “If you have a pup that tends to be a big tugger and chewer of toys, then having a more ‘boring’ doorbell might be a good idea to decrease the potential of the doorbell resembling a big tug toy,” Trott told The Spruce Pets. “In this case, a thin nylon cord might be less enticing for the dog.”

Sound

The bells need to be loud enough that you can hear them when your dog rings. It can help to have a few bells together because that creates a more noticeable sound. “However, if your dog is a bit noise-sensitive, using one with a single bell can be helpful to decrease the noise level,” Trott says.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets 

This article was written by Mary Jo DiLonardo, who often reviews dog products for Spruce Pets. The proud mom of a rescue dog, she has fostered around 60 dogs and puppies. When potty training them, she often uses doorbells to help them communicate when they need to go outside. For more than 25 years, Mary Jo has covered a wide range of topics focused on nature, pets, science, and anything that helps make the world a better place.

For this roundup, we talked to dog owners, fosters, and trainers. We also read through hundreds of reviews to find the best dog doorbells. We evaluated them based on materials, height, installation, and the sound they make.

Bringing home a new puppy and potty training go hand in hand. Potty pads have become an invaluable part of this training process, especially if you live in an apartment or city and want to train your pup inside. The right puppy pad both encourages positive habits during housebreak training and makes cleanup simple and mess-free. 

We have no reservations about recommending Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads. They are incredibly absorbent and hold multiple cups of liquid without spilling a drop. They are also durable and didn’t tear or get weighed down when we used a combination of liquid and solid materials to test their strength.

Plus, all four corners of each pad have an optional adhesive tab. The sticker-like area helps keep the pad in place, which is great if you have a dog that likes to paw at the pad before doing their business. At times, we found that a slight bit of the adhesive tab would rip off the pad and remain on the wood flooring, but it is easily removed.

Bulldogology Premium Puppy Training Pads combine several layers of material designed to absorb liquids and pull them into the center of the pad, including an outer “attractant fabric” layer and another layer that keeps scents locked in. But it’s the superabsorbent polymer (SAP) at the center of the pad that most effectively absorbs and retains liquids, transforming a powder into a gel that won’t release liquid back onto your floor or hands.

We assessed puppy pads using several tests and five different metrics, rating each for its effectiveness, durability, scent (and how well it absorbs scents), ease of cleanup, and the product’s overall value. In our evaluation, Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads received a perfect score in every category except overall value, since they are more expensive than several other training pads we recommend.

During testing, we poured a combination of water and vinegar on the Bulldogology pad up to the maximum absorbency claimed by the manufacturer. After soaking, the training pad’s margins remained dry, making it easy to pick up with our hands. Remarkably, even touching the wet portion of the pee pad still felt nearly dry.

When lifting the soaked puppy pad off the ground, the Bulldogology pad didn’t feel like it was about to rip or was at risk of falling apart. There was no dripping, and the floor underneath was dry.

Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads also come in a range of options, including different sizes, materials, and quantities. The standard pee pads are sold in 50-, 100-, and 150-count packages. There are also XL pads that are 24 x 35 inches and are available in packages of 40, 60, 180, and 360.

Bulldogology also makes it easy to subscribe, so a steady supply of pee pads will keep coming to your door. The company also has an activated carbon version of the Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads, with an additional charcoal layer designed to more fully absorb smells (though we found the standard pads effective at scent absorption already).

The Bulldogology pee pads also incorporate a feature we were unable to test under lab conditions: a pheromone attractant. Designed to draw the attention of a puppy while housebreaking, we were unable to test whether this is a useful feature or a gimmick.

Other minor features were more obviously useful, including the adhesive tape at each corner, which kept the Bulldogology pads attached firmly to our test floor. You may find the adhesive corners very useful if your dog likes to spin in circles before they pee or if they are limping, to help prevent the pad from slipping.

It should be noted that while the Bulldogology Puppy Training Pads were our overall favorite, many of our other recommendations performed as well or nearly as well. There are a number of viable puppy training pads on the market, so don’t hesitate to try something else on this list if it’s more convenient to purchase.

Available in two sizes

Frisco Dog Training & Potty Pads are available in scented or unscented versions, along with many of the useful features found among our other recommendations, including the inclusion of a pheromone meant to attract your puppy to the pad. They have a dry paper margin and leakproof plastic liner for high absorbency and fewer messes.

The scented pads have a wildflower scent that we found to be very mild and pleasant throughout three months of real-world testing, and the pads were reliable, with no leaks or tears to report.

In our lab testing, we found the scent to be very effective at completely masking the smell of vinegar that was used in the absorbency tests. Of course, we found that many of the unscented pads were just as good at fully absorbing strong smells, so scented pads should be seen as a personal preference rather than a necessity.

The main downside to the Frisco puppy pads is their relatively limited availability. But if you already do your pet shopping through Chewy, these pads are a great all-around pick, whether you go scented or unscented.

Available in three sizes

How We Picked

Testing: We purchased and tested 20 puppy pads in our New York Lab to find the absolute best. The pads were set up side by side on linoleum flooring. Following our lab testing, we sent each style of puppy pad to a home with a dog for real-world testing.

We checked after one month and three months to get their feedback. Each puppy pee pad was rated according to five different scoring categories: absorbency, scent, durability, ease of cleaning, and value.

All of our real-world participants had at least one dog in their home who would use a potty pad, so we were able to see how the pads stood up to real dog pee and poop.

In our lab, we used measuring cups to dispense 3 to 6 cups of water on each pad. Each brand was evaluated according to its claimed capacity: If a pee pad said it could hold 3 cups of puppy pee, we rated it on its ability to absorb 3 cups. The water used on each puppy pad contained both food coloring for visibility and vinegar so that our testers could also rate the scent-tackling features, evaluating the ability of scented pads to cover up the vinegar smell and rating unscented pads for their smell absorbency. 

To test durability, we simulated solid puppy waste in combination with waterlogged pads to determine whether they ripped or leaked when lifted off the ground.

Finally, our testers rated for ease of cleaning by scoring each pad according to how well it kept the linoleum beneath dry and how easy each puppy pad was to dispose of without coming into contact with soiled portions of the pad. Testers looked for weaknesses, such as liquid running off the pad, wet floors underneath, and pads that got soaked out to the edges.

More We Recommend

Best Washable: A washable puppy pad is a great option if your puppy tries to eat or shred paper pads. Improvia’s Washable Underpads are our top pick because they’re reusable, come in three sizes, and can be machine-washed up to 500 times. We found the small size (18 x 24 inches) to be an excellent fit for a pet carrier (like the hard-sided Petmate Carrier) or pet stroller, and the medium or large pads (34 x 26 and 34 x 52 inches, respectively) to be well-suited for covering larger areas on the floor. 

Depending on the size you need, the pads are sold individually and in a 10-pack. They are made out of polyester and rayon that quickly absorb liquids and leave a dry surface within 10 minutes. The pads don’t have much of a barrier along the perimeter, so there’s always the possibility that the pad might be a little soggy when you pick it up, but the liquid won’t leak through the pad. They are unscented and suitable for dogs with sensitive skin.

Available in three sizes

Most Sustainable: If you don’t want to constantly swap out pee pads or are looking for a more sustainable option, consider the Bark Potty Natural Disposable Dog Potty Pad. This potty is essentially a small, at-home version of a dog relief area. The box shell is filled with an aromatic, antimicrobial fill that naturally kills odors. Our at-home tester found that in addition to concealing odors, it required little maintenance.

The Bark Potty Pad comes in two sizes, and the standard option felt large for a 10-pound pomeranian. During testing, the potty handled multiple uses a day with no leakage. There’s a plastic tray under the fiber pad to capture any liquid. Training a dog on real bark may also make the transition to peeing outside more seamless. 

The only potential downside to this potty is that it’s a monthly subscription service, where you receive a new fiber pad each month. Our tester found that the pad could last slightly longer than a month if needed, but thought the subscription was worth the value. “Everything is recyclable, so we use the new packaging to slip the old, used one in and send it out for recycling,” said our tester.

If you live in an apartment, this is a convenient bathroom option with no smell and minimal maintenance. The dark color also blends in well with hardwood floors. 

Available in two sizes

Best With Activated Carbon: Glad for Pets Activated Carbon Training Pads are not only an affordable option but also among the most effective we tested in both our lab and in a real home. These training pads incorporate activated carbon for better smell absorbency. 

We tested the Glad for Pets training pad with 3 cups of vinegar and water. The floor beneath stayed dry, and the pads successfully retained the moisture in their center, so the paper margins also stayed dry, making it easy to throw out and replace a pad without getting puppy pee on your fingers.

While we didn’t see a noticeable improvement in overall absorbency over non-charcoal pads, none of our testers could smell any of the vinegar we used. Our at-home tester preferred the dark coloring of these pads, and they had no complaints after three months of use.

Downsides were minor, though the Glad for Pets potty pads did take a little longer to absorb liquid than our top picks. Plus, the top layer was thin enough that some of the sticky gel squeezed through when pressed with a finger (of course, no one other than a product tester is likely to press their finger into the center of the wet puppy pad).

Available in one size

Best for Large Dogs: The Four Paws Wee-Wee Gigantic Pads measure 27.5 x 44 inches, providing substantially more surface area than almost any other disposable training pad (our best-scented pick from Frisco offers a “giant” size in the same dimensions).

For dogs that are big even as puppies, like Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees, and Newfoundlands, these larger pads can help to prevent a leak while they practice their aim.

During tests in our New York lab and in a real home, we found the Four Paws pads performed just as well as our other favorites, with the quilted lining ensuring that the floor beneath the pad stays dry, even after multiple cups of liquid have been spilled. The Wee-Wee Gigantic Pads have a generous paper margin, so you won’t get your fingers wet, and the extra surface area helps the Wee-Wee Pad soak up 5 cups of liquid without ever feeling waterlogged.

The main downside to the Wee-Wee Gigantic Pads is the price. We could find the pads only available through online retailers in packages of 8 or 18, without an option for the bulk packaging that brings down the per-pad price of many of our other favorite brands.

Available in four sizes

Popular on Amazon: Although we didn’t test this washable pee pad from Green Lifestyle, it’s a top-rated pick on Amazon, so it’s worth including in our list. Similar to the brand’s washable underpads, which we tested and recommend for use in crates only (see Other Products We Tested), these pads also effectively lock in moisture and can be reused multiple times. However, unlike the washable underpads, these pee pads have an anti-slip backing, making them suitable for use on floors, beds, and furniture.

The soft quilted material has a waterproof backing to prevent leaks and reinforced edges for durability, which the brand claims can be washed over 500 times. Some reviewers note that the white with paw print and dog bone pattern makes it easier to tell if the pad has been peed on, although we think the light color could make it harder to mask stubborn stains.

Shoppers, on the whole, are impressed by how quickly the pads absorb liquid and wick away moisture. They also like that these pads come in multiple sizes to accommodate different spaces and sizes of dogs.

Available in five sizes

Other Products We Tested

IMMCute Pee Pads: We tested 20 puppy pee pads in total, and while the IMMCute Dog Pee Pads were not our favorite for any particular category, they were still one of our highest-rated training pads and could be a good option if our other picks don’t fit your specific needs. After letting liquid soak into these pads, the floor beneath them stayed completely dry. There was no runoff and cleanup was easy. The IMMCute pee pads are available in packs in multiple sizes and configurations.

Green Lifestyle Washable Underpads: These fabric pads lock in moisture and can be washed and reused. However, there is no traction on the underside of this pad, so it slid around on wood floors, which spooked our Pomeranian tester. We would recommend it for use in a crate only, and it could be a good option for a dog recovering from surgery or struggling with urinary incontinence. 

Amazon Basics Dog and Puppy Pads: Readily available and affordable, these potty training pads from Amazon are a convenient choice. They come in three sizes, and there’s also a heavy-duty option. However, in our lab testing, the absorption capabilities of these pads fell short when compared with other pads on our list.

PUPPIBOO Washable Dog Pee Pads: If you’re looking for a potty pad that blends in with your decor, this would be a great choice. Its medallion pattern resembles a rug, though this might be confusing to a dog used to a solid pad and may encourage urinating on your actual rugs. Overall, we found the pad to be absorbent and hold up well after washes.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

Rebecca Shinners, a writer with a decade of editorial experience, recently updated this story to ensure up-to-date guidance. She is the mom to a two-year-old cavapoo named Gemma whom she trained using both disposable and reusable potty pads in a New York City apartment. Check out additional stories she has written for The Spruce Pets, including The Best Elevated Dog Bowls, The Best Peanut Butter for Dogs, The Best Cooling Mats for Dogs, The Best Dog Treats, and The Best Cones and Recovery Wear for Dogs.

A previous version was written by Andrew Whalen, senior editor for The Spruce Pets, who joined a group of volunteer testers for direct insight into the usefulness of 20 different puppy pads. Using a rigorous methodology, testers evaluated each puppy pad for effectiveness, smell control, durability, value, and how easy they were to clean up. He has tested hundreds of products in our New York product labs.

One of the biggest hurdles any parent faces during those challenging toddler years, by far, has to be potty training. It’s a milestone that’s both exciting yet terrifying in equal measure. On the one hand, a life free of diapers and blowouts is finally in sight. However, by the same token, a few new challenges emerge. Accidents and messes are inevitable, leaving you and your household vulnerable to some real high-stakes trial and error. In the end, it’s your child’s attitude that holds the key to success. If they are into the change and prove to be willing participants in the learning process, then potty training can be a breeze. But if they aren’t, or if it’s something they come to fear, it can quickly become a crappy situation — literally.

And while some kids’ shows or movies, such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and CoComelon, can help make the whole potty training ordeal seem fun, there are others that prove to have the opposite effect… like the beloved ’90s film Looking Who’s Talking, Too. As much as I personally love the whole Look Who’s Talking franchise, I would not recommend introducing the sequel to your kiddo while you’re in the throes of potty training. Because it won’t end well — believe me. Here’s why.

First of All, Here’s the Clip

If you ask me, that pretty much sums up my argument right there.

The movie served as a sequel to its predecessor hit film, Look Who’s Talking, which starred John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and Bruce Willis, who voiced the inner dialogue of Baby Mikey. The follow-up project had a similar premise, except now Mikey is a toddler who finds himself in the early stages of potty training. He is hesitant about the process, but soon becomes downright terrified after a fellow toddler friend, Eddie, warns him about Mr. Toilet Man — a mystical figure who resides in the potty and needs to be given your pee and poop. That sounds, well, super gross and scary: two very deadly combos when it comes to getting your own little one to squat on a potty.

Kids Mimic What They See

Understandably, Mikey becomes horrified with the idea and starts envisioning what this mysterious Mr. Toilet Man would look like — as will your own child. In his dreams, Mikey goes to use the potty, and it transforms into this terrifying persona. Mr. Toilet Man is scary looking and mean, and he yells at him to do what he says or he will bite off his butt the next time Mikey sits on him. This causes Mikey to wake up screaming — an appropriate reaction for any kid or adult, to be honest.

Ultimately, Mikey faces his fears and successfully uses the potty once he realizes that Mr. Toilet Man isn’t real, but rather a figment of his imagination. The whole family celebrates, and his parents are extremely proud of him, which is a nice ending to the story. However, the journey getting there honestly isn’t worth the effort. I remember watching this movie as a kid and getting completely freaked out during those scenes. It made me question our own toilet at home, leaving me second-guessing if it was safe to use.

So, if you’re in the process of potty training one of your kiddos or gearing up to tackle the process, do yourself a favor and avoid watching this movie at all costs — or the only thing that will get flushed down the toilet is your chance of success.