Monthly Archives: January 2016

Dog Training Pads – The Pros and The Cons

by alexandra

dog training padsCongratulations! You’ve brought home a new furry addition of the canine variety to join your family. With the exception of selecting food and toys for your newest bundle of joy, the issue of housetraining is typically the highest priority for new pet owners. Since the new puppy will be spending lots of time inside the home things can get pretty messy until the little guy starts to understand that grass means go and carpet means no!

Dog training pads are a very useful invention that can reduce the mess during the training process. But, not everyone decides to use training pads and there is some vocal opposition to the practice.  Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of introducing dog training pads to your home during the training process.

It should be noted that dog training pads are a good long-term solution for specific situations above and beyond housetraining. Older dogs who cannot walk long distances or injured dogs may be better off relying on a training pad inside the home where they are safe. Additionally, pet owners in high rises and urban environments who do not have easy access to grass turn to training pads for their dog’s dirty business. And of course, if you are unable to safely go outside due to winter or other weather conditions, then pads may be your only choice.

In this article, we are going to focus on the pros and cons of using dog training pads in the house-training process.

Pros of Using Dog Training Pads

– Convenience for you and your puppy, as you do not need to open the door or walk as many times per day.
– Can reduce the amount of waste that touches your carpets or other flooring which can ruin them or build up odors.
– Safety, as you can avoid walking your puppy late at night if it is not safe in your area.
– Inexpensive compared to constantly cleaning your carpets to get pet waste out of them.

Cons of Using Dog Training Pads

– Using pads can prevent you from spending as much time outside with your dog and getting more exercise for you both.
– Not properly disposing of pads correctly can leave an unpleasant pet waste odor in your home. Use a pet waste disposal system such as Lucky Champ to solve this problem.
– It can be difficult later to take the option of a pad away from your dog and actually delay the training process in some cases.

The end goal is to get your dog to understand where it is acceptable—and where it is not—to do their business. You get to decide on the boundaries based on your specific situation and constraints. If you have the luxury of a fenced in yard, perhaps dog training pads are unnecessary for you. However, if you are gone for long periods of time or do not have grass that you can quickly reach when your puppy starts showing signs of needing to go, then dog training pads are going to be a necessity.

Don’t Let Dog Training Pads Stink Up Your Home

by alexandra

dog training padsThe addition of a new pet, especially a puppy, is one of the most exciting milestones in any household. While the experience is typically overwhelmingly positive, there are a few issues that can spoil the lovefest.

In addition to losing some shoes, rugs or furniture to a teething process, the issue of housetraining the new puppy can be a trying endeavour.

There are many questions that will come up:

– Who will walk the puppy?
– What schedule should we train the puppy on based on the families work, school and life patterns?
– How will we praise and discipline the puppy throughout the process?
– Should we use dog training pads to assist with the process?

In this article, we will take a look at one of the downsides of using dog training pads—waste odor—and how to mitigate it.

What are Dog Training Pads?

Dog training pads are double-sided pads, with the top side being absorbent and the bottom side being water-proof. They come in a square or rectangle shape in various sizes. The size you select will be determined by the size of your pet. Tiny dogs might only need an 18” pad, while larger dogs or multiple dogs being trained simultaneously would need a much larger pad size.

By placing the pads in a consistent spot in your home and training your puppy that they are an acceptable place to potty, you can reduce or eliminate your pet from soiling your carpets or other flooring. Dog training pads are disposable, resemble the look and feel of diaper material, and are sold in pet stores and many supermarkets.

Why Dog Training Pads can Leave Odor

If you’ve ever been around a used diaper, you’re familiar with the odor that can permeate the room. Just as it is good practice to seal a used diaper in an odor containing bag or transport it outside, used dog training pads should be handled similarly. It is common for pet owners to allow a pad to be reused once or twice and this can actually assist with the potty training, but any used pad left for too long is going to become a source of odor.

While solid waste will emit a strong odor immediately and should be flushed or sealed as it is deposited, urine waste may not emit much odor until it has had time to decompose. The most common and persistent odors pet owners using dog training pads experience is from used training pads that are disposed of in a casual manner, such as in the kitchen or bathroom waste cans.

A more deliberate disposal of these odor-causing pads can be easy and also more sanitary with a pet waste disposal system.  

Eliminating Odor From Dog Training Pads In Your Home

Similar to the nifty and innovative diaper disposal systems many new parents are gifted when they are expecting, specialized waste systems exist on the market specifically for your pets. This is your best solution at eliminating dog training pad odor from your home because you’ll essentially be containing the odor before it can spread.

Your home will be a more pleasant environment if you do dispose of used pads quickly and thoroughly because the odor will be trapped and not allowed to inundate your home.
Consider the Training Champ odor-free dog training pad disposal system to more conveniently dispose of the used pads. It’s simple to use and the 7-gallon capacity canister makes the disposal of your dog’s training pads convenient and odor-free, sealing the odor inside the innovative canister!

Cat Litter Disposal Not What It Used To Be

by alexandra

cat litter disposalIf you’ve ever owned a cat, or even lived in a house with indoor cats, you’ve probably come to appreciate the convenience of the cat litter box. The cat litter box has come a long way from its meager origins of a small crate filled with sand. Today, we are fortunate enough to benefit from three major innovations in cat litter disposal.

Who Invented Cat Litter?

“Kitty Litter” was invented in 1947 by Ed Lowe while working at his father’s industrial absorbents company. Since the company sold sawdust, sand and other raw material, one of Ed’s neighbors, named Mrs. Draper, asked for sand for her cat’s waste box. Ed suggested that clay would work better because it was much more absorbent than sand and would be less likely to track all over the house.

Mrs. Draper enthusiastically returned to purchase more and her rave reviews caused Ed to consider if other cat owners might pay for this new product, which he then began to call Kitty Litter.

For the next 30+ years, this simple invention was the standard all over the world for indoor cat owners.

The Addition of Clumping Cat Litter

The absorbent nature of the clay that made Kitty Litter so useful also required owners to regularly change out the entire box of litter as it would become saturated. That all changed in 1984 with the introduction of clumping cat litter. Now, consumers can quickly locate the small portion of the litter that has been soiled and scoop it out, reducing the workload and waste required to maintain a sanitary environment for our feline friends.

We have an American biochemist named Thomas Nelson to thank for this advancement:

Nelson was studying the molecular structure of clay when he discovered that some types prevented urea (the primary solid component of urine) from breaking down, hence no unpleasant ammonia odor as a result. Nelson also learned that drying bentonite clay instead of baking it in a kiln allowed it to form clumps in the litter box, which could then be easily removed from the box. This was a revolutionary discovery for cat owners because it allowed the litter box to stay cleaner and less odorous.

A classic example of science making our daily lives more convenient.

Making Cat Litter Disposal Easier

But what exactly do you do with these waste clumps? Until recently, those responsible for maintaining the litter box would scoop the waste into a used plastic grocery bag from a recent shopping trip, or some other plastic bag. And since even a tied up grocery bag might emit a decomposing odor, we were required to walk outside to the outdoor garbage cans, trash chute or dumpster. If a house has two or more litter boxes, this could become quite the chore.

One of the most serious, but lesser known problems of using grocery bags, is that cat lovers were filling our landfills with unbelievably large quantities of non decomposable waste.

Enter the Lucky Champ Cat Litter Disposal System.

Each time you scoop your cat’s litter box you are replacing the use of a wasteful plastic bag with an easy scoop into the Litter Champ and sealing the odor and waste inside with the turn of a knob. Conveniently decide when you are ready to transport the waste to an outdoor receptacle without worrying about odor, cleanliness or safety. Less bending over, less walking, less non decomposable waste, and less odor!

Here are some of the features and benefits of adopting the Litter Champ system:

– The clean-looking device can be kept next to all of your litter trays, making the process quick and convenient.
– Long-lasting liner saves you money over time.
– Continuous liner system assures zero-waste disposal.
– Litter Champ Liners will biodegrade 100% underground or in landfill within 9 months to 5 year period.
– Exclusive triple-seal design locks odors in.
– Odor-free system reduces trips to garbage can.
– Child-proof lock keep pets and small children out.

While we should certainly thank Mr. Lowe for introducing the world to Kitty Litter, we have many other advancements to be thankful for. As you can see, cat litter disposal is not what it used to be!

Cat Litter Disposal System Takes the Dirty Work Out of Having Cats

by alexandra

cat litter disposal systemFeline companionship is a wonderful—and popular—way to add a little furry warmth to your home. It’s estimated that 74-96 million cats are owned in the United States which is approximately 30-37% of all households in the United States (Source: APPA).

In addition to being adorable, cats are relatively low maintenance and self sufficient when compared to other domestic pets. If you can keep their litter box clean and ensure sufficient food and water is available, your cat will be happy staying home alone for long periods of time during the day and even overnight. Speaking of low maintenance, cats even clean themselves. No need to drop your cat in the bathtub unless you have a fetish for claw marks—because they will vehemently remind you that they don’t need to be bathed!

Providing that you don’t dunk them in a bathtub, cats can be very loyal and affectionate to their owners. And if you keep your cat inside, they’ll return the favor by not tracking dirt inside the house.

But, in spite of their otherwise clean nature, there is one inevitable and dirty aspect to owning indoor cats: kitty litter and their waste. While most people don’t want to be assigned to litter box duty, nobody wants to deal with the odor of an unattended litter box.

The bad news is that cats poop and pee inside your house. The good news is that cats instinctively want to poop in a litter box so there is very little training required. That’s where your cat litter disposal system comes into play.

Extinguishing Litter Odor

With a few modern tools you can avoid the household odor that is sometimes associated with having litter boxes in your home. Try using a clumping litter that is commonly found in pet stores and supermarkets so that the soiled litter separates itself from the clean litter. This seals in some of the odor until it is scooped and reduces the amount of litter you need to buy.

Placing a cat litter disposal system like the Lucky Champ near your litter will also simplify the process. As urine and solid waste begin to decompose, the odor released dramatically magnifies, making it important to scoop regularly.

A good cat litter disposal system will include a long-handled scoop to prevent the need of getting low to the litter box, and then instantly seal the waste without the need for a trip to the outside dumpster.

Each time you scoop your cat’s litter boxes using a disposal system, you are replacing the use of a wasteful plastic bag with an easy scoop into the Litter Champ and sealing the odor and waste inside with the turn of a knob. Conveniently decide when you are ready to transport the waste to an outdoor receptacle without worrying about odor, cleanliness or safety. Less bending over, less walking, less non decomposable waste, and less odor!

Invest in the Lucky Champ cat litter disposal system and take the dirty work out of having a cat!

How Often Should I Change My Dog Training Pads

by alexandra

dog training padsDog owners know, nothing makes a household warmer than the unconditional love of our furbabies. In the early days of the pet’s arrival, everyone in the house showers the dog with attention and care. During this time, walks and outdoor play time are abundant. But, over time, as their presence becomes the new normal, we tend to get back to our lives and are unable to spend 100% of our time with our pets.

With work, school and activity schedules, families can be away from the home for extended periods of time. Many families are fortunate enough to have a fenced in yard and can install a doggy door that allows the pet to use the outdoor facilities at their discretion. For many of us though, this setup is not practical or possible.

Luckily, clever humans have gifted modern society with dog training pads. These simple devices are small pads that are liquid-absorbent on the top side, and waterproof on the bottom side. Your pet is free to urinate on them and the pad temporarily traps the liquid for easy cleanup and protects your flooring beneath them.

In many households, dog training pads are the norm long after the puppy is house broken.

 

Dog Training Pads For Puppies

Dog training pads can be immensely helpful in the early days of house training. For highrise dwellers and residents of extremely low temperatures, regular walks may not be as convenient, yet consistency and frequency are key in house training a dog.  

Placing a dog training pad in the same place and repeatedly taking your dog to it when they exhibit the need to do their business typically creates a quick habit for your puppy. Adding in a treat and positive praise when they are successful will demonstrate that this is your expectation when they need to go next time.

In the early days of training your dog to use the training pads, it is actually good to leave out a pad that has been urinated on for a second or third use. If the dogs smell their urine somewhere, it means instinctively it’s okay to go there and that will reinforce the habit. Additionally, puppies tend to go more often and release smaller amounts, so changing the pad every time can be an exhausting endeavor.

 

Dog Training Pads For Adult Dogs

As we mentioned earlier, the modern family can often be away from the home for extended periods of time. Your furry family member is left behind to nap, daydream and focus on chew toys for hours or even all day and it’s likely they are going to need to go one or more times while you are away. Dog training pads are a great solution to keeping your pet happy and healthy without ruining your new carpets or wooden floors.

So how often do you need to change your dog’s training pads?

For larger dogs who are well trained, they will likely only use the pads when they absolutely have to go. Therefore, one use will most likely drench the pad, and it will be time to introduce a fresh one. For smaller dogs who only leave behind an ounce or two each time, you can leave a pad out all day or sometimes even multiple days. Unless you have small children in the home, there is no danger in leaving a used pad out, but it can become unpleasant if the odor builds up.

Your home will be a more pleasant environment if you do dispose of used pads quickly and thoroughly. Consider the Training Champ odor-free dog training pad disposal system to more conveniently dispose of the used pads. It’s simple to use and the 7-gallon capacity canister makes the disposal of your dog’s training pads convenient and odor-free, sealing the odor inside the innovative canister!

However often you decide to change your dog training pads, make sure to give your furry family members an easy option to relieve themselves when you must leave them alone for extended periods.