Training Your Assistance Dog to Eliminate on a Puppy Pad: Two Expert Methods
Flying with your assistance dog can be a seamless experience if they are properly trained to be able to cope with the journey, both at the airport and on the plane. When it comes to our Aviation Assessment, the question we get asked the most is: “How do I train my dog to go to the bathroom on a puppy pad?”
This guide is specifically designed for assistance dogs that are already fully house-trained but require additional training to master the precise skill of using a designated puppy pad. Since your dog is already used to relieving themselves outdoors, teaching them to use a pad indoors may seem counter-intuitive! However training this skill (with precision!) is essential for maintaining cleanliness and keeping your assistance dog comfortable when travelling by air.
The ADAA aviation assessment is formally recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and part of this process involves ensuring your dog can toilet on a pad. There are several different approaches to training this behaviour, and ADAA trustees Becki Gude and Sandra Fraser, have their own equally effective ways to get your pup comfortable with this essential skill. Whether you prefer a structured step-by-step approach or a gradual shaping method, one of these will work for you!
Becki Gude’s Step-by-Step Puppy Pad Training
This method is all about consistency and routine, ensuring your dog can confidently use a puppy pad even in a tiny airplane restroom or a travel crate. Here’s her structured approach:
Step 1: Choose your location for training
To help your dog adjust to the new skill, choosing a suitable location is key.
We recommend beginning training in a small, enclosed area like a bathroom or cloakroom in your home and remain consistent in this location at the start of training.
Make sure the area is a quiet, low-traffic space where your dog can focus.
Step 2: Know Your Dog’s Toilet Cues
Since your assistance dog is already house-trained, they likely give clear signals when they need to go. Start paying close attention to their natural bathroom routine so you can guide them onto the pad at just the right moment.
Observe their habits, especially after waking up in the morning, after meals or extended rest periods.
Look for their typical telltale signs like sniffing, circling or sitting by the door.
Anticipate these moments and immediately direct them to your training setup.
Step 3: Begin Training
Place several pads on the floor in your chosen space and encourage your dog to investigate them.
Use their regular cue, for example “Weewees” or “quickly”. Your dog might look at you like you are bonkers – but stay with it and wait until they make the choice to go.
Reward them generously with treats and praise if they are able to eliminate on the pad/s
When your dog is consistently able to eliminate on the pads, reduce the number of pads to just one over time, and start working on precision to a single pad.
It is possible to change the cue at this point to something more specific to toileting on the pad, for example “pee pad”, so your dog will be able to differentiate between indoor pad toileting and regular outdoor toileting.
Allow your dog to investigate several pads whilst indoors. They may be a bit confused to start with!
Step 4: Gradually Expand to Other Areas
Once your dog reliably uses the pad in their usual confined space, start placing it in different areas of your home. This helps them learn to generalise the behaviour and prepares them for practising in unfamiliar environments in public spaces.
Move the pad to other rooms, maintaining the new chosen cue and encouragement.
Gradually introduce mild distractions to ensure reliability.
Continue rewarding their successes to reinforce the skill.
Step 5: Mimic Travel Conditions
Now that your dog is comfortable using the pad at home, it’s time to introduce travel-related conditions to make the training as realistic as possible.
Play aeroplane noises on a bluetooth speaker to mimic the intensity of plane sounds
Practice having them use the pad in new small, confined spaces to mimic the aeroplane toilet cubicles.
Schedule bathroom breaks to align with typical flight durations and routines.
Step 6: Test in a Public Space and at the Airport
Once your dog confidently uses a single puppy pad at home, try practising in a public setting before your flight.
Visit a pet-friendly public space and place the pad down in the appropriate facilities (bathroom or private area)
Reinforce their success with praise and treats.
If possible, take a short trip to the airport to familiarise them with designated pet relief areas.
Always make sure you dispose of all waste appropriately, making sure that you have poo bags, wipes and anything else you need to keep your dog and the environment clean.
Extra Tips for Success
Stick to a Routine: Consistency will help your dog to understand what is expected of them
Short Sessions: Keep training sessions short and stress-free to build confidence.
Be Patient: Transitioning from outdoor relief to a puppy pad can take time!
Pack Extras: Always carry spare puppy pads, waste bags, and cleaning wipes.
Sandra Fraser’s Gradual Puppy Pad Transition
Sandra’s approach takes a slightly different route, using scent association and shaping techniques. This is a great option if your dog responds well to environmental cues. Her method has two main parts:
Step 1: Making the Puppy Pad a Familiar Toilet Spot
Prepare a Scented Pad Piece Cut a small piece of a puppy pad and soak it in your dog’s urine. Store it in a plastic bag (trust the process!).
Introduce the Scented Pad Piece Outdoors When you next need to toilet your dog, take the small piece of puppy pad out to the garden where your dog will normally urinate. Take the dog out to the area on a lead and allow the dog to sniff around, when the dog gets near the puppy pad piece mark and reward, the expectation at this time is for the dog to acknowledge the piece of puppy pad, repeat this process as often as possible. Renew the soaked piece of puppy pad daily
Increase the Pad Size When you see the dog is eliminating near the piece of puppy pad you can begin to increase the size. Apply this method until you have got a dog who seeks out the puppy pad piece when taken out on the lead, at the moment it is not possible to say how long this may take, but it is important to mark any approximation of urination near or around this piece of puppy pad. The intention is to be able to take your dog on a lead to the area that has puppy pad and get the dog to eliminate there.
Move Towards a Full-Sized Pad. The goal is to have your dog reliably seeking out the full puppy pad when on a lead.
Including a piece of puppy pad that smells of your dog's urine can help them create the association with toileting on the pad Step 2: Teaching Your Dog to Step into a Tray (to mimic confined spaces and create precision)
Use Clicker Training
On a separate exercise you will need to teach your dog to step into a small box or cat litter tray. The best way to teach this is to clicker train, if you are not familiar with this type of training, go on Youtube for some really good videos.
Encourage Full Entry
You can start with a cereal box cut down with just a small lip around the sides, or a washing up bowl, this will depend on the size of your dog. The end goal is to get the dog to put all four fee in the box or bowl. Start by shaping the behaviour for just one foot, gradually increase your criteria for all four feet in the box/bowl. Once you have this then add a dry puppy pad for the dog to stand on. You’re nearly there!
Add a Dry Puppy Pad
Move the bowl/tray to the outside where the dog will now eliminate on the puppy pad, begin to add the wet puppy pad into the tray and see if the dog will step in to the tray, remember to mark and reward any attempt and keep sessions short.
Step 3: Put it all together
Introduce the Scented Pad to the box
Move the setup outside, and place the urine-scented pad inside the box. Your dog will have learned to step into the box and urinate.
Practice in Different Locations
Finally, take the tray with puppy pad out to various locations, try the disabled toilets as a good starting place. Gradually move to smaller spaces, include your bathroom.
It is vitally important to keep the whole process stress free. It is also important to keep the process hygienic, make sure you have plastic gloves and a poo bag for clean disposal, or take the whole lot home to dispose of safely.
Which Method is Right for You?
Both methods have their strengths!
Becki’s method is great if your dog thrives on routine and clear cues.
Sandra’s method works well if your dog responds to gradual changes and environmental shaping.
No matter which route you take, patience and positivity are key! With practice, your dog will be confidently using a puppy pad wherever your travels take you. Safe (and clean) journeys! If you find that you need help from a professional trainer, please visit the ABTC or IMDT trainer registers to help you.
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About the Assistance Dog Assessment Association (ADAA)
The Assistance Dog Assessment Association (ADAA) certifies and supports assistance dogs and their handlers, providing rigorous assessments and advocacy to enhance independence and quality of life.
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