Westie Terrier Blog

The Dog Grass Pee Pad – Good Idea or Cute Fad?

A dog grass pee pad? What a ridiculous idea! That was my first reaction when I heard about this indoor dog toilet. The idea of dogs running to pee on a patch of astro-turf just seemed too cute to take seriously.

I mean, let’s face it, cats have litter boxes. Dogs go outside to do their business. The idea of a litter-box for dogs just seemed, well, undignified. My opinion is finally starting to change, though.

One of the reasons for the softening of my position is my age. I’m retired, so I have lots of time to walk my dog. The question is, what happens if that changes? What happens if I get sick and can’t take Willow out for her walks? Or, what happens if I start doing volunteer work that takes me out of the house for most of the day? Willow is 100% house-trained, but it wouldn’t be very pleasant for her to be locked up in the house with her legs crossed.

Another thing that has made me soften my position on the dog grass pee pad is the weather we’ve been having. We live on the West Coast and walks in the driving rain aren’t very pleasant for either of us. Then I look at the blizzards that are kicking up such a fuss right now and wonder what dogs in those places are doing? Hmmmm, maybe there’s a place for dog grass after all. So I decided to do a bit of research.

Construction

The concept of the dog grass pee pad is simple. There are always three parts to the unit.

• A base tray to catch urine
• Support system to keep the grass up off the bottom of the tray
• A layer of artificial grass on top to attract the dog.

That’s the basic system. Its embellished in various ways depending on brand and cost, but all the examples I’ve seen have been some variation of this basic, three part concept.

Price

So, how much does one of these gizmos cost, anyway? Big surprise there. Cost of a dog grass pee pad ranges from around
to just over 0
. In other words, about the same as a good dog coat. At the low end one of these indoor dog toilets will cost about the same as a bag of premium dog food. A big price tag is definitely not an obstacle to owning a dog grass pee pad.

Size

This is a much bigger deal than cost. Dogs are simply larger animals than cats are, and that means that any kind of indoor dog toilet has to be larger to match. For small dogs this isn’t an issue, but, with anything larger than a Westie it is definitely a problem. Even for small breeds, the area required is around two feet square. That means a dog grass pee pad requires dedicated space much more so than with a cat litter-box. If you have a carport or garage to put the unit in then you’re fine, but the big footprint of a dog grass pee pad is a definite problem if you live in an apartment.

Cleaning

This is another big area where the difference between cats and dogs can’t be avoided. Dogs don’t bury their output and the use of artificial grass in the dog grass pee pad means that they couldn’t anyway. That means that cleaning becomes a bigger deal than it is with a cat. The poop has to be removed and the grass needs to be washed. A lot of people can’t get by this step and have problems with the smell of urine. Here are the steps needed to clean a dog grass pee pad properly.

Seems like people have tried all sorts of methods for cleaning their Pet Zooms with average results. I have had mine for about 5 months now and am not having a problem with the smell at all. Here’s what I do:

-Take it to the bathtub and spray it down until the water runs clear.
-Lay it flat and intact (grass in tray, etc) in the tub and sprinkle about 1/4-1/2 cup bleach (I use scented).
-Fill the tray to the brim with water.
-Let soak for about 30 minutes.
-Dump bleach water out and rinse all parts separately VERY WELL.
-Allow to dry COMPLETELY before using.

Do this once a week, weekends are best when you are home to take your dog outside yourself.
Using bleach is a common way to disinfect pet toys and even baby toys, as long as you rinse it very well and allow it to dry! Also, try to keep the poops outdoors, as this will cut down on the cleaning hassle significantly.

As you can see, a dog grass pee pad is higher maintenance than a cat box.

Another problem users have encountered with the dog grass pee pad is that the tray underneath the grass is not deep enough and needs to be emptied frequently. A couple of obvious work-arounds for this are to put a pee pad in the tray to soak up the urine, or to put clumping cat litter in it. Both of these approaches would help to cut down on the urine smell as well.

Final verdict: definitely more labor intensive than a cat litter-box, but probably not too bad once you get your routines down pat.

Will your dog use it?

This is the big question with a dog grass pee pad. If your dog won’t use it there’s no point, is there?

From reading the product reviews it seems that some will and some won’t. This is more of a training issue and depends on how much time you are willing to devote. After all, many people have trained rabbits and ferrets to use a litter-box. I’ve even seen a video of a pig that was trained to use a human toilet, so training your dog to use a dog grass pee pad is totally possible.

The difficultly level probably has a lot to do with the dog’s age and what its used to. The very best scenario would be training a puppy. Get him used to the dog grass pee pad  from the very beginning and things will be much easier.

Is it for you?

Big maybe. If you have a small breed dog and you are having problems getting your dog out for walks and if you have enough space, then a dog grass pee pad may just be the answer to your prayers. I’ve included a couple of links at the end of this article, one to the lowest cost unit and one to the most expensive. In the end, of course, the choice is up to you. Read the Customer Reviews and make your own decision.

Terriers of all kinds are high-energy dogs. They also have very strong jaws and love to chew. Put all that together, and you have a pretty tough situation when it comes to choosing toys that appeal to terrier dogs.

I should probably rephrase that a bit. There are lots of toys that appeal to terriers, but the results from letting your dog have them may not appeal to you.

Plush toys are an example of this. A terrier will have a great time with a teddy-bear, but you get to vacuum up the remnants when he’s done with it. This is a pain. Teddy guts will plug up the power head on a vacuum cleaner faster than almost anything I know.

Toys for this dog group have to be durable. I had a Staffordshire Terrier once who was in love with her Kong, and the Kongs did last a long time, but she always managed to cut the top off. It usually took her about five minutes to decapitate a ten dollar toy. She couldn’t completely destroy one because of the squish factor, but she always got the top off. Thank God she never swallowed one of the tops she removed. Dogs will swallow the damndest things and that can lead to some strange medical emergencies and big vet bills.

One of the favorite doggy games is tug and, if you are really going to get into it, you need something you can hang onto. Something like a Kong Tugger is what you need. It has a good handle you can grab onto and actually lift the dog right off the ground.

Another good choice is something like the Hollee Roller. These are tough balls that resemble a geodesic dome. They are made out of very tough material and they’re squishy, so its harder for your dog to destroy them. These are also really good for your dog to play with by himself. He’ll spend hours chasing it around and giving that terrier killer headshake they love so much. They come in sizes between 3 and 8 inches. Get the big one, even if you have a small breed like a West Highland or a Yorkie. Small dogs really love to master big things.

If I was just starting my Westie dog toy collection (unfortunately I’m way past that point), these are the two I would start with. Dogs love them and they are tough enough to stand up well so you get your money’s worth. Just be sure to monitor the condition of the toys and be sure to retire them when they start to get old.

Westies love toys. Because they are terriers, those toys have to be nearly indestructible. In fact, I haven’t yet found a toy that a terrier dog can’t destroy, given enough time. Once you accept that simple fact you can start to acquire an arsenal of toys that your dog will enjoy. So, what are the best toys for Westies?

If you’re really after durability you have to stay away from manufactured toys altogether and stick to natural products.

First on the list of natural toys is the tried and true bone. They do last a long time. The biggest problem with bones is that they expire. The dog loses interest in them after a certain point but you don’t have the heart to chuck them out. By the way, it doesn’t matter how old and used up a bone is, if your dog sees you intend to throw it out he’ll guilt trip you and generally act like you’re shooting his favorite pup. Don’t fall sucker for it. Give him a new one and toss the old.

The smokie bones they have for sale in pet stores now are very good and appeal to most dogs. The only thing you need to be aware of is that they stain the carpets when they get wet, so they should be outside toys or kept on tile floors so you can clean up easily.

Another natural chew is the hooves you can buy now. These are usually from sheep, sometimes from cows. These things are practically indestructible and seem to provide enjoyment to the last, if your dog likes them. Some just don’t.

When it comes to manufactured dog toys, things are a lot different. The king of the indestructible dog toys is the Kong. To the best of my knowledge there just isn’t anything tougher. They can provide hours of enjoyment. As interactive dog toys they’re great, but don’t expect even a Kong to stand up to a concerted chewing session from a terrier, even one as small as a Westie or a Yorkie.

Marilyn and I had a Staffordshire Terrier bitch named Ashley back in the 1990′s. She loved the way the Kong bounced and she’d chase it for hours. If she ever sat down to chew one, though, she always managed to cut the top off even the super kongs within an hour.

That’s really about all there is to say about manufactured dog toys for terriers. If you want something that is going to last a long time, there’s the Kong and that’s all.

There is one ray of hope that I can offer you, and that’s that there is often a difference between dog toys and puppy toys. Puppies are ferocious and don’t have any sense of restraint when it comes to chewing. Once the dog matures, say after the first year, many begin to treat their toys with more respect. Willow has a few toys that have survived her puppyhood and she can play with them for a long time and not destroy them. She even has a teddy bear that she plays with very gently. After more than eight months it is still not leaking stuffing, although it has lost its eyes somewhere along the line.

I’ll take about balls and so on extensively in a future post. For now, just keep in mind that if you want a toy to last, stick to a bone or a Kong.