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).
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