Puppy Pee Pad vs Indoor Dog Toilet

I would like to take this opportunity to compare dog pee pads to indoor dog toilets.

If you want to paper train your puppy, but you only read the newspaper online, you need something to replace the newspaper (imho training your dog to pee on your laptop doesn't seem like a very good idea).


No offline newspapers handy? Use pee pads to train your puppy.
At the moment, there are 2 good products on the market; the puppy pee pad and the indoor dog potty.

Pee pads
The puppy pee pads can be compared to a large square/rectangular diaper. They come closest to regular paper training. You just put a pad on the floor where you want your puppy to "do his thing", same as you would with a newspaper.




More absorbant than the New York Times!

One of the benefits of choosing a pee pad over the New York Times (unless you really hate the New York Times), is the fact that it absorbs the urine a lot better. When cleaning up a used pee pad it won't fall apart because it's soaked through.

Another benefit is no ink. Sometimes depending on your floor cover, when using a newspaper, the ink can come off on your floor, making the mess you have to clean up even messier. Good pee pads have a plastic liner on the back to prevent any leakage on your floor.

As with every product, puppy pee pads also have their flaws.For instance, they're not quite as absorbent as they should be to be really convenient. If your puppy has peed on it once, you can throw it out cause it will be completely saturated. Should your pup go on it a second time, it will start leaking all over the floor at the sides.

This also makes them rather expensive in the long run, not to mention incredibly environmentally unfriendly. Just think about it, your puppy will go potty at least 7 or 8 times a day...

The pee pads also have the tendency to slide. Which, from a puppy point of view, makes for an excellent toy...one which apparently can also be shredded...which in turn causes lots of attention from the brand new "boss".

Considering the fact that your dog is basically standing in his/her own urine on the pad, it's not even that sanitary. Because after your puppy went on the pad, you'll be praising him/her like crazy for being such a smart little doggie, that your pup will go temporarily insane, run around the room, jump up against you,...and guess what those cute, little, filthy paws just left all over your floor and clothes...

Indoor Potties
That brings me to the indoor dog potty. Lots of different models can be found and the prices range anywhere between 30$ to 450$. So you better think twice before buying one, unless money is not a problem.

The more expensive models, like the Pet a Potty, usually use real grass or artificial grass. Some even have their own irrigation system and fire hydrant. Big benefit, your dog will know it's okay to eliminate on grass, indoors or outdoors.

And of course the looks. If you're considering keeping an indoor potty even after your puppy is house trained, you can try and find a model that will more or less blend in with your furniture, kinda like having a miniature indoor garden.

However, if your doggie did #2, you'll need a plastic bag or pooper scooper to clean up, just like you would during a walk. You also need to clean the grass once in while, depending of course on how often it is used, to keep it sanitary. And with some models you regularly have to replace the sods.

The reservoir that holds the urine will have to be emptied on a regular basis.
Without this maintenance, you'll have problems keeping away unpleasant odors.
And if your dog's a digger, your doggie designer investment might be in real danger of losing that designer look.


Bulldog in action on the Wizdog.

The cheaper models, like the Wizdog or Ugodog, can be used as is. That's right, no added costs of pads, sods or litter. Both friendlier on the wallet and the environment. They're actually quite simple by design, nothing sophisticated about them, which is probably why they work so well and are easy to clean.

Basically, it's just a plastic tray with a grate on top. Urine flows through the grate so your dog doesn't stand in it, and #2 can be flipped off the grate without scoopers or plastic bags/gloves (provided you feed your puppy healthy dog food, otherwise you'll be in a bit of a mess).
Cleaning the tray and grate won't take long, rinse it off and maybe use a brush to clean the grate if necessary.

If you're worried about the urine in the tray (it might get knocked over), you can put papers or pads in there to soak it up. It'll cost you more, but thanks to the grate, your house and puppy will stay cleaner than when you would use the pads without the potty, and the pads won't get shredded.

The only problem I see with these kind of potties would be stool that isn't very firm. It will get stuck in the little holes in the grate, and will take a bit more effort to clean thoroughly. Of course, you could always take this as an encouragement to see how you can improve your dog's nutrition.

In short, it is really up to you to choose which of these products is right for your situation. Pee pads are more of a short term solution for initial house breaking. The Pet a Potty or equally expensive models will look good in any home or garden. And the cheaper indoor potties can be used just about anywhere since they're portable as well.

My personal favourite is the Wizdog thanks to its simple design and ease of use.

At the moment, Wizdog is giving away a great free ebook (Dog training digest, worth $29.95) with their indoor dog potty. For a sneak-peak, you can register and get the first 3 chapters of the ebook for free, no strings attached (tip: the chapter about housetraining is chapter 3).

How to housetrain your dog using the Wizdog indoor potty system

So you're thinking about buying an indoor dog potty.Make no mistake, an indoor potty isn't some magical device that will instantly housebreak your adult dog or puppy. It will however make the job (yes, it's a job) a lot easier and less frustrating; your dog's paws remain clean (as will your floors, furniture and clothes) and it's really easy to clean.

First thing you have to consider is where to place the Wizdog indoor potty system in your home. It should be as far away as possible from your dog's eating and sleeping area, preferably against a wall. If your dog is restricted to a certain part of your home, the potty should obviously be placed in this confined area. During the first phase of housetraining, you may also want to place paper towels underneath the tray and the surrounding area in case of an accident.

Next, you should catch a few drops of urine with a paper towel/pee pad and put that in the Wizdog potty. This way, your dog will know where he is supposed to eliminate in the house. Untill your dog is fully housebroken, there should always be a small urine-scented towel left in the tray.

At first you may have to take the grid off of the Wizdog. As soon as you dog has eliminated on the tray a couple of times, you can start using the grid as well. If your dog is afraid to step on the grid, patiently lure him on it step by step, with a toy or a treat, while the grid is lying flat on the ground.

If you see your dog sniffing or turning around nervously, immediately put him on the indoor potty and praise him exuberantly. Praising your dog during housetraining is extremely important. Punishment will slow down the housebreaking process, and your dog might even become so traumatised, he won't eliminate when you're in the same room. If he misses the potty a few times, don't get angry, just ignore the mess and clean it up when he's not paying attention.
The more you praise your dog, the harder he will try to get that kind of fun attention, the faster he will learn.

To start using the Wizdog indoor potty and get a free e-book go to http://www.wizdog.com

Retiree dog owner, how to take back some independance.

Are you a retiree dog owner who wants to take back some independence?Are you tired of having to rely on someone else to take care of yourdog's bathroom needs?Are winters very hard on both you and your dog?

Thanks to the Wizdog indoor dog toilet, you can now take matters into your own hands again. Read further retiree dog owner, how to take back some independance is explained in the following paragraphs.

What is an indoor dog toilet?
It's similar to a cat's litter box. They come in various different shapes, sizes, prices and systems. Some have artificial or real grass, some use litter pellets, and of course there are also the well known pee pads. But the Wizdog is by far the easiest and most efficient dog toilet currently on the market.

Can't afford a dog walker to take you dog out several times a day?
With the Wizdog indoor dog toilet you can take matters into your own hands, literally. Depending on the breed and age, your dog can be happy with only one walk a day. Nonetheless, your best friend will have to eliminate more than once a day. The indoor dog potty can help you provide a solution for your dog's bathroom needs, without you needing to rely on someone else. All you have to do is house train your dog to use the potty. If you're wondering how, you get a free ebook "Dog training digest" with your Wizdog, which includes a chapter on how to house train your dog.

Don't worry about the extra work.
There hardly is any, it might even save you extra work and energy. The Wizdog indoor dog toilet is a very simple product. Just a tray with a grate that fits right on top. Thanks to the smooth glossy finish it's very easy to clean. And because the grate isn't too deep, most of the time you won't even need a brush to clean it. If your dog did #2, you can just pick up the grate and flip it over the toilet or garbage can. Because it's one large grate, you don't even have to worry about anything falling off. To make sure your dog's solid waste is solid (and hence requires less cleaning), I recommend giving him high quality dog food. As for the urine, it will flow through the grate into the tray. You can use newspapers or pee pads in the tray to absorb the urine if you're worried about anyone bumping into it and spilling urine on the floor, but it's not necessary. You don't have to worry about the dog shredding the paper or pads either, he won't be able to reach them underneath the grate. So no more bending down to pick up every last shred of paper or pad.

Worried about your dog's health?
If your dog likes to shred papers and pads, you might be worried about what he'll do to his indoor dog toilet. Don't, it's made of durable non-toxic plastic. So even if he somehow manages to bite a tiny piece off and swallow it, it won't do him any harm. You shouldn't worry about your best friends paws getting stuck in the grate either. The holes are too small for your dog to hurt himself. The manufacturer hasn't encountered any problems during the extensive testing they have done.

Worried about your own health?
Having your dog pee and poop in your house may not seem very sanitary. However the Wizdog indoor potty system is a lot more sanitary than other indoor toilet solutions. Thanks to the grate your dog won't stain your floor, furniture and clothes with urine. There's no leaking like with papers or pee pads. And it's easy and quick to clean. In short, it's a lot more sanitary than those accidents your dog occasionally leaves behind because he didn't get a chance to go outside in time.

Think you can't afford it?
Think again. The Wizdog can be used as is, so there's just the one time cost and that's it. It's made of durable plastic, so it won't need frequent replacement (if any at all). And you don't have to put money and energy in buying pellets, pads or sods. Unless you can have a neighbour, friend or family member take out your dog every time he has to go potty, you can save a lot of money by reducing dog walker expenses to a minimum of a daily walk.

Worried about the future?
Maybe you've wondered what will happen to your dog if you become ill, have to be hospitalized or maybe even have to go to a retirement home. These aren't exactly fun things to think about, but if your dog is house trained to use an indoor dog toilet, you'll have one thing less to worry about. Whoever decides to take care of your best friend while you can't, won't have to worry about any unwanted presents in the house. They can just take the Wizdog home with them as it is portable, and your dog will know exactly what to do where. If you go to a retirement home, maybe you can find one that allows pets. Having an indoor dog toilet trained dog will make it easier to keep your best friend with you.

Retiree dog owner, how to take back some independance by changing your dog's bathroom habits may seem like a very small step at first, but it will be worth it, both for you and your dog. By getting a Wizdog indoor potty system, not only do you gain some independence back, you'll also save energy, money and time. And most importantly, you'll be able to enjoy your best friend's company for a lot longer.

Don't wait any longer, order your Wizdog here and receive a free book on dog training.

Housetraining Your Puppy or Adult Dog: a Dog’s Point of View

The most important thing to remember when housetraining your dog is to use positive reinforcement. It is far more effective to ignore your dog when he eliminates where he shouldn't, than to yell at him, rub his nose in it, hit him,... This will only cause your dog to become afraid to eliminate in your presence. If on the other hand you praise your dog, give him treats, pet him... whenever he eliminates where you want him to, he'll quickly catch on to this and try to please you (and himself) by repeating the good behaviour.

Here are some basics you should keep in mind:

-All dogs are "naturally housetrained". By this I mean that every dog will try to avoid eliminating where he eats and sleeps. The mother dog will reinforce this behaviour the first weeks. As soon as you take the puppy home with you, it's up to you to fine-tune it; teach him where and even when he should eliminate.

-At 7 or 8 weeks, about the time you take your puppy home, he will develop a preference of surface to eliminate on. They particularly prefer an absorbent surface like grass, paper, pads and of course your expensive living room rug. You can help your dog make the right choice by using an indoor dog potty like the Wizdog indoor potty.

-For a puppy, indoors is just as good as outdoors (maybe even better; safe, warm and dry). Your puppy focuses on surface, smell and location, so teach him at an early age where you prefer for him to eliminate, for example only on grass or sod, only in your backyard. Keep in mind though that you might someday take your dog somewhere with no grass, sod,...this might cause a problem because your dog might refuse to eliminate altogether. Nothing to worry about if it's only for a couple of hours, but you might want to consider housetraining your dog using a portable dog potty to prevent him from "crossing his legs" for hours on end.

-As dogs prefer to keep their sleep/eat area clean, using a crate can be very helpful when housebreaking your dog. Just remember not to leave your pooch in a crate for more than 4 hours.

-Never forget that your puppy is just that, a puppy. He can't hold up as long as an adult dog, so accidents will happen. But he will send out signals to let you know it's time to go potty. Going around in circles, sniffing are good indicators. If you catch you puppy in the act, you can pick him up and put him where he should eliminate. Puppies immediately stop eliminating when picked up, so you don't have to worry about cleaning up a whole trail.

To start using the Wizdog indoor potty and get a free e-book go to the Wizdog website

Advantages of Wizdog Indoor Potty System

There are several good reasons to housetrain your dog to use an indoor dog potty. But don’t forget, your lovable pooch still needs his daily exercise!

-no need to go outside in really bad weather
-comes in handy when you or your dog are ill
-when you can’t be home on time to take the dog out
-although it can’t replace the social contact and exercise, definitely cheaper than a dog-walker
-no more indoor accidents because the dog owner wasn’t quick enough to notice the dog’s signals
-if it’s portable you can take it with you on holiday, on a boat, in an RV…
-if your dog should have to stay with someone else for a little while, there won’t be any accidents.
-when using something like the Wizdog indoor potty, you won’t have to worry about the dirty paws all over your house, clothes and furniture (your furry terminator can’t shred it to pieces like pads or papers)

To start using the Wizdog indoor potty and get a free e-book on dogtraining go to the Wizdog website now!

Wizdog Reviews: What Is The Wizdog Indoor Potty?

These days, pet products, or should I say gadgets, are all the rage. Some are somewhat beneficial to the dog, some are just plain ludicrous and made only for the dog owners.

At first I thought the indoor dog potty belonged to the last category, you know, a gadget for the lazy owner who wouldn't take the time to properly housebreak a new puppy. The ones I had seen, had in my opinion no advantages to basic paper training, they were just a lot more expensive.Surfing the web I recently stumbled upon the Wizdog indoor potty. It got me thinking about the pros and cons of the indoor dog potty, and I have to admit I changed my mind.

What exactly is a Wizdog indoor potty?
It's an indoor dog potty consisting of a durable plastic tray and fitted grate. It measures 21" X 28" with an elimination space of 15.5" X 23.5" and was specifically designed to fit most daily newspapers (you can also use the store bought pee pads). The paper remains under the grate, preventing your dog or puppy from shredding it. Liquid waste is channeled through the grate to the bottom of the tray, preventing paws from coming in contact with the urine. Solid waste is disposed of by simply lifting and flipping the grate. The grate is only 3/8" deep and is easy to clean. Each Wizdog indoor potty weighs approximately 3 lbs. Each grid cell measures approx 5/8" square and 1/2" deep.

The Wizdog can be used as is, or can fit either newspaper or training pads to absorb the urine. Personally, I like the ecological aspect of that (no added waste like litter,pads or paper are necessary), however it might make cleaning it a bit harder.

For dogs over 40 lbs, 2 Wizdog trays can be combined to accommodate for a larger surface area. Of course, if you have no intention of using the indoor potty after the puppy is fully housebroken and full-grown, there's no sense in buying 2.

Who is this indoor potty designed for?
Your dog, obviously ;-)But seriously, the Wizdog could be a great help for a lot of people.I lived on a 3rd story apartment, no elevator, when I bought my dog. Needless to say, after a couple of months of housetraining the puppy, my physique had greatly improved...I decided to papertrain her at first, so she would know where to go when I wasn't home. Worked like a charm, except for the times when she only put her front paws on the paper or had an identity crisis and thought she was a paper shredder... Kinda wish I had something like a Wizdog back then, would've saved me a lot of time cleaning the apartment.

But the Wizdog indoor potty isn't just for apartment-dwelling dog-lovers; maybe you're not that quick on your feet anymore, disabled, down with the flu, occasionally have to work long hours, stuck in traffic, like to sleep in late, take your dog with you on hotel-holidays, live on a boat,... Or maybe, your dog is terrified of thunderstorms, ill, disabled, afraid of the next-door cat... If your dog knows he can use an indoor dog potty wherever he is, he'll be happier and healthier (I think you'll have a hard time finding kidney-donors for dogs).

Is it really revolutionary?
The term "revolutionary" always makes me a bit wary when contemplating a new product. To me, a revolutionary indoor dog potty would be flushable (you could even teach your dog to flush).

Nonetheless, I think the Wizdog indoor potty is a great idea and it looks like a really good product which does what it claims to do. Of course you still have to put some time and effort in housetraining your dog, it just makes it a lot easier, cleaner and less frustrating. And as with all dog training, some dogs will learn quicker than others, it's up to the owner to figure out what makes his dog "tick".

How much does it cost?
The regular price is $49.95. At the moment they're selling it at an introduction price of $39.95 and including the book "Dog training digest" as a free bonus.

Compared to other indoor potty products I've found, this is a very reasonable price. Especially considering the fact that there are no extra costs necessary to use the Wizdog (sod, pellets, pads,...). And you get a really good guarantee.

Would I buy a Wizdog?
I would, at the moment however I have no need for an indoor dog potty.
Thanks to the good feedback about the product and after sales service, it will be first on my list if the need should arise. One of the other things I like about this company, is how they stress the fact that you should housetrain your dog in a positive way. They also give a 100% satisfaction guarantee, offering a to refund all your money, no questions asked. So basically, you have nothing to lose... except the stress and worry about your dog's potty needs.

Get your own Wizdog indoor dog potty here!

Need more info?
Take a look at the Wizdog website, faq and especially the comparison chart.Also check out the following links to see what users have to say about the Wizdog:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1413.html
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1056.html
http://prefurr.com/?p=40

To start using the Wizdog indoor potty and get a free e-book go to the Wizdog website.