I can't really complain about a system that gives me peace of mind when I'm not at home. My dog is 10 lbs and 11-months old. I wouldn't recommend this product if you have a dog that's more than 30 pounds. I would say a miniature spaniel or small cockerspaniel would be the top sized dog you'd want to use a litter box with. But then again, if you have a large space like a connecting garage or a very large kitchen area and have space for an extra large tray, it could probably work too.
Although I don't use my litter box outdoors, I can see this as a useful potty aid if you don't want your dog to mess up your outside garden area. I'm thinking about adding a box outside because I don't have a lawn, and it's mostly concrete and dirt.
My dog still enjoys his walks, and DOES go poop and pee outside in the park lawn whenever I take him. He also goes inside his litter box, but it's not as preferable for him. He will still pee on my carpet when he's roaming around and not near the litter box. So my dog, even at 11 months old is not completely housebroken. He's not a very smart dog, so I don't think he ever will be housebroken. If you have a dog like mine, this might be your best solution.
If I know that he has just eaten or drank a lot of water, I bring him back to the litter box after a couple of hours (which is in my laundry room) and close the door for a while or wait until he goes. This is the only way to make sure he doesn't have accidents. If your dog is paper trained or pad trained, you should follow the "transition" instructions on the Purina website. My dog has only used the litter box since birth, but when he discovered the lawn, he never quite liked the litter box as much.
So here is the best way to use this litter.
1. Only line the bottom of the tray with a small layer, just enough to cover the bottom. This will save you A LOT of litter and cash in your pocket. The instructions wants you to put in at least an inch of pellets. I found it very wasteful and heavy to pick up and clean as well.
2. The second most important reason why you want just a THIN layer is because it's always best to replace your litter often. This makes for less waste.
3. When your dog pees on the pellets, they swell up and you can tell which pellets have been soaked. If you're careful, you can use a small scooper to clean that portion out and replace it with fresh pellets.
4. Also clean up poop out of the litter box on a daily basis or as soon as your dog poops. This will prevent a smelly room, and encourage your dog to go back in the litter box. My dog barks when there's poop in the box and tells me to clean it when he's in his room at night. (He literally drags me out of bed with his barking!) I just use some toilet paper to pick it up, and flush the poop down the toilet. This saves on biodegradable poop bags and again, puts a little cash back in your pocket.
5. If you bought the Petco Blue litter box tray, there's some tricky placement to consider due to the foot ledge that sticks out. Do read my review on the Petco blue litter box tray or remember these tips:
a. NEVER put the box flush against the wall. This won't allow your dog ample space to roam around the litter box before it actually pees or poops. This will limit the number of accidents outside of the box. Also, if you have a male dog with a marking problem, you will see lots of urine on the floor next to the wall.
b. Face the foot ledge toward the wall, (if your room is narrow and long like a laundry room...this is where we put our tray) and leave some space between the foot ledge and the wall for your dog to walk around.
c. Be prepared to sop up pee on the foot ledge. This will be a common place for your dog to have a pee or poop accident. Still...better on the ledge than on the floor. The blue raised circles on the foot ledge makes it difficult to clean urine. I have to fold up my paper towels and sop around the circles.
d. Always use a doggie cleaner on the foot ledge after you clean up an accident on the foot ledge. Your room will start to smell if you don't.
e. If you don't want to struggle with this seemingly difficult foot ledge, try the actual PURINA tray. I think the trick is to have a high edge around the tray, so the dog is not tempted to be partially outside the tray when it is going pee or poop.
f. Wash your tray every week or at least every two weeks. No matter how often you empty your pellets, the smell still gets on the tray itself. There just isn't a perfect sanitary system. I guess not having a dog is the perfect sanitary system! :-)
6. Pellet bags are heavy...especially the 25 pound bag. I bought a plastic bowl to help me scoop the pellets out and control the amount that goes in the tray. No one wants to scoop the pellets BACK into the bag from a dirty tray after the fact. Get the scooper...it will actually save you money by controlling the amount of pellets that go into the tray, AND your back in the long run.
7. To avoid your dog from chewing on the pellets, especially in the wee morning hours when it starts to get hungry, leave some treats around his room a night. Be prepared to sweep up pellets on occasion. A bored and hungry dog, makes for a naughty dog.
8. If you are transitioning your dog, make sure you put some of his urine soaked pads or newspapers inside the box so he can smell it in the early stages. Your dog should adjust in about a week or two.
Good Luck!
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