# Wee wee pads vs. Ugodog?



## Leigh96 (Dec 20, 2010)

Any opinions one way or the other? I've been scouring posts here to get training advice for our upcoming arrival and have seen good things said here about the Ugodog. Before this I had never heard of it. I see it on Amazon for about $50, which in the long run would be cheaper than using the pads... 

Thanks so much for any advice! Total newbie here.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Leigh96 said:


> Any opinions one way or the other? I've been scouring posts here to get training advice for our upcoming arrival and have seen good things said here about the Ugodog. Before this I had never heard of it. I see it on Amazon for about $50, which in the long run would be cheaper than using the pads...
> 
> Thanks so much for any advice! Total newbie here.


Pee pads are convenient and very portable, so are great for when you are traveling. The cons are that some dogs (like mine) chew them up. They are expensive and bad for the environment.

UGO Dog is a bit expensive up-front, but obviously MUCH less expensive in the long run. In is environmentally friendly, because it is almost indefinitely reusable. The big con is that it needs to be cleaned regularly. If you have a big utility sink, that's probably fine. For me, in cold weather (which is a lot of the year here in N.E.) my only options for washing the thing would be the bath tub or the kitchen sink. NOT happening!<g>

A third option is a litter box. (this is what we use) The box, like the UGO Dog is indefinitely reusable. The litter is completely biodegradable. I use hardwood wood stove pellets which are also VERY inexpensive. The only con I can think of with a litter box is that if the pellets get on the floor, they HURT when you step on them with bare or sock feet.<g>


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

I used the ugodog with santos from the beginning. I love it...and he used it without any coaxing from me at all. Karen brings up a good point about cleaning though. It really doesn't get very cold here at all, so cleaning isn't a problem for me. I usually clean it in the bathtub or outside with the hose. The bad thing about pee pads is that havs love to shred them...and that's gross.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Augie was started on newspaper at the breeders. So we continued that after bringing him home as he tore up the pee pads. I was worried about the plastic coating on one side - that he might eat it. Then we found out about UgoDog. Loved it - used newspaper under the grates. I just threw it in the tub and used hot water and soap and a bit of bleach and sprayed it out with the hand nozzle we have attached to the shower head. Not as easily portable as a pee pad would be, though.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I'm a pee pad user. (She was trained on them at the breeders) We got a holder for them rather then just laying them on the floor. Whimsy tried shredding it once or twice but I was right there and firmly discouraged her.


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## Sivi (Jun 1, 2010)

I have the ugodog. Oscar started shredding the pee pads and that was no fun to clean up.( Until that point, they worked fine.) I bought the ugodog and within a few days, he figured out that he can lift the crates and get to the paper. So, I outsmarted him by placing two 5lbs weights on each end. It works great now. To clean, I spray it down with a bleach solution and wipe it out after I dispose of the paper. 
Oscar is 6 month old now and only uses it if I am gone a long time.
Good luck.


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## Leigh96 (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks for the input! I'm leaning towards the Ugodog or the litter box. I want him to have an indoor alternative (although I will be training to go outside as well, which is what he is learning with the breeder now). I've read a lot about the paper-shredding Havanese, so maybe if we start off with the Ugodog or box then we can forgo the pee pads altogether.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I am not sure with Ugodog is but I assume it is like the "grass pad" that I use with Laila. It is called Potty Park and it is a grass pad over a pan with a grate. She was trained on it by her breeder and she has used it since she got here! We also got a second one to use during the night in our bathroom. Since she came home at 1lb 5oz, we were not able to train her outside as it was just way too cold. She does wonderfully on it! And now she goes outside with no problem! 
Good luck with what you decide to use!


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## Leigh96 (Dec 20, 2010)

Laurief, is the grass pad setup hard to clean? I've seen those, but I was afraid it would get smelly. 

BTW, we are also in NJ! Northwest Bergen County. Good to meet a fellow NJ Hav owner!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Zoeys breeder used cloth hospital pads they are about twice the size of a paper pad and so far she does not try to pull or chew on them. It is similar to a mattress pad in looks with a washable water prof back. It is like washing a cloth diaper. How green is that!


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## jacqui (Aug 7, 2007)

Suzi said:


> Zoeys breeder used cloth hospital pads they are about twice the size of a paper pad and so far she does not try to pull or chew on them. It is similar to a mattress pad in looks with a washable water prof back. It is like washing a cloth diaper. How green is that!


That is very intriguing. Did she buy them at a hospital?

For my current litter, I have been using the Pet Zoom Indoor Potty Park which I bought on Amazon. It is also one of the astro-turf style devices and is working really well! I put a pad of newspaper between the lining and the bottom to absorb the urine and wash it each morning.

My puppies were good with the piddle pads until about six weeks old. Then they were the BEST TOYS ever! I switched, then, to newspaper in the plastic holder but I worry about the chemicals in the ink.

Sold on the Potty Park because it is an easy switch for my families. They can get their own and put it near the door to outside.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Suzi said:


> Zoeys breeder used cloth hospital pads they are about twice the size of a paper pad and so far she does not try to pull or chew on them. It is similar to a mattress pad in looks with a washable water prof back. It is like washing a cloth diaper. How green is that!


Yes, I forgot to mention washable pee pads, though I only know a couple of people who use them. Wouldn't work for kodi, though... He'd destroy those too. I also worry that when you teach puppy to eliminate on cloth, they will think other pieces of cloth lying on the floor ( or a couch) are fair game too.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Yes you get them at Hospital supply stores. or you can buy a similar product at INTHECOMPANYOFDOGS.COM Idem # D84-094 My breeder sent me home with a couple so I have not had to buy more yet.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Suzi - I also use, and have a good supply of the hospital pads. I used those for my other guys when they were babies. I LOVE the washable ones. 
I really like the grass potty Park. although it has a tray underneath to catch the urine, I put a disposable pee pad under there, so I just get rid of the pad, and dont have to clean the tray. The grass part I just put in the tub, or sink and rub dish detergent on it, rinse it and set it on a dryer rack to dry. It usually dries in about 6 hours - that is why I have 2  
When she poops we pick it up immediately with toilet paper and just flush it! It has been a great product for us!!!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Laurief said:


> Suzi - I also use, and have a good supply of the hospital pads. I used those for my other guys when they were babies. I LOVE the washable ones.
> I really like the grass potty Park. although it has a tray underneath to catch the urine, I put a disposable pee pad under there, so I just get rid of the pad, and dont have to clean the tray. The grass part I just put in the tub, or sink and rub dish detergent on it, rinse it and set it on a dryer rack to dry. It usually dries in about 6 hours - that is why I have 2
> When she poops we pick it up immediately with toilet paper and just flush it! It has been a great product for us!!!


 I would like to go look at that. I wounder, both of mind do a very long poop dance can they do that on the grass pad? I have a covered patio with a indoor out door carpet and also a fence with bark they love going to the fence and run back and forth. 
If I had known and thought about training during winter I think I would have done what Linda has done with Augie.


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## miko (May 28, 2008)

We use UGODOG but still spend about $20 a month on hospital medical pee pads to put under the grates. We find that newspaper does not absorb liquid that well.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Oh yes, Laila does her little dance on the pad and poops - although she really only uses it now at night - when she was smaller she missed sometimes but I put one of the big hospital pads underneath so she hit that instead of the the floor. I think that when there is lots of snow, or bad rain, this would work nice under a covered area on a porch!


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

I use litter boxes with washable pee pads in them (they are thick fabric, called Pooch Pads). I don't use the Ugodog for the same reason as Karen - I live in a condo, and I'm not washing that thing in my bathtub. G-ross.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> UGO Dog is a bit expensive up-front, but obviously MUCH less expensive in the long run. In is environmentally friendly, because it is almost indefinitely reusable. The big con is that it needs to be cleaned regularly. If you have a big utility sink, that's probably fine. For me, in cold weather (which is a lot of the year here in N.E.) my only options for washing the thing would be the bath tub or the kitchen sink. NOT happening!<g>


Ummm, Karen, didn't I read recently, in another thread where you bathe Kodi in the kitchen sink? Not that I would rinse my UgoDog out in the kitchen sink (my sink isn't large enough for one thing), but I don't see a lot of difference between giving a dog a bath there and washing out the UgoDog.  Of course, I would follow it, as with a bath, with some bleach. If one puts several layers of newspaper (or I am sure a pee pad of some sort works as well or better) in the bottom, I found that it really did soak up the pee quite well and we picked up the poo off the grate with paper towel or a Kleenex, there really isn't much mess to clean up. And it sure is much less messy to clean up the UgoDog than giving a butt bath :biggrin1:, which I do in the bathtub, and then just clean the tub well.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Ummm, Karen, didn't I read recently, in another thread where you bathe Kodi in the kitchen sink? Not that I would rinse my UgoDog out in the kitchen sink (my sink isn't large enough for one thing), but I don't see a lot of difference between giving a dog a bath there and washing out the UgoDog.  Of course, I would follow it, as with a bath, with some bleach. If one puts several layers of newspaper (or I am sure a pee pad of some sort works as well or better) in the bottom, I found that it really did soak up the pee quite well and we picked up the poo off the grate with paper towel or a Kleenex, there really isn't much mess to clean up. And it sure is much less messy to clean up the UgoDog than giving a butt bath :biggrin1:, which I do in the bathtub, and then just clean the tub well.


Honestly, I haven't needed to give Kodi a butt bath since he was a small puppy, and when I did, it was NOT in the kitchen sink. I gave my children baths in the kitchen sink too when they were small enough. To me, there is a BIG difference between that and rinsing something in the sink that you know has been peed and pooped all over.

Maybe it's just me, but in my mind, it's not the same. For that matter, I suspect my baby's butts were dirtier than Kodis, after being encased in a diaper with all that... stuff.:biggrin1:


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Yup, after cleaning up the throw up and dirty butts of three boys, cleaning the Ugo-Dog was a piece of cake! ound:


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I just saw this thing that looks fantastic, called Porch Potty. I might be moving and this looked like a good option if you can't just let the dogs out in a fenced yard.


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## miko (May 28, 2008)

heh....we wash the UgoDog in the guest's bath tub...dont tell anyone =P. but we use puppy pads on the bottom so there's really nothing much to wash...


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Wouldn't bother me any. I have no doubt that I have 'sat' on worse things in public restrooms in my time than anything washed out of a UgoDog in a bathtub.  ound: Have probably stepped on worse things going barefoot in my yard too! ound:


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

miko said:


> heh....we wash the UgoDog in the guest's bath tub...dont tell anyone =P. but we use puppy pads on the bottom so there's really nothing much to wash...


BWAHAHA! We give The Fluffs butt baths in the sink in the guest bathroom :whoo: but there are two sinks and we always specify "use the right sink, the left is the dog sink" LOL


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## jacqui (Aug 7, 2007)

miko said:


> heh....we wash the UgoDog in the guest's bath tub...dont tell anyone =P. but we use puppy pads on the bottom so there's really nothing much to wash...


To save some $$$ I put newspaper in the bottom. It soaks up the urine and I just toss it.


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## jacqui (Aug 7, 2007)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Wouldn't bother me any. I have no doubt that I have 'sat' on worse things in public restrooms in my time than anything washed out of a UgoDog in a bathtub.  ound: Have probably stepped on worse things going barefoot in my yard too! ound:


I'm lucky to have a double laundry tub in my basement. That's where I clean mine.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

jacqui said:


> I'm lucky to have a double laundry tub in my basement. That's where I clean mine.


If I had a laundry tub, I'd DEFINITELY try the Ugo Dog!


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## mozzerellas98 (Mar 3, 2012)

does the ugodog smell? and how often do you have to clean it? i am planning to get a ugodog as well.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

mozzerellas98 said:


> does the ugodog smell? and how often do you have to clean it? i am planning to get a ugodog as well.


Finn is still using the UgoDog. We put newspaper in the bottom of it. We change it out once a day, and spray it out with hot water and a hand-held shower attachment in the bathtub that holds a portable laundry tub where I bathe the dogs. Bleach it occasionally. I have never noticed it smelling. The poop sits on top - have to lift that off with toilet paper or paper towel after he goes and I throw that in the toilet (not the paper towel). Finn sometimes pees alongside it. Occasionally, he will have a day where he thinks putting one hind foot on the tray is close enough. So I would definitely place it on vinyl flooring or where it isn't going to hurt if your dog misses. It has just been so easy to have him use that as we have no fenced yard and we take Augie out on a schedule, on leash. He used UgoDog as a pup too. He was much better about consistently hitting the tray.


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

I have tried pee pads, ugodog, and the grass pad. Never had an issue with the shredding, cause she is never left alone with it. The grass pad works good, prob. feels the most normal, the ugodog, she would use, but, she would have accidents, dont think she cared for it, kinda like peeing on plastic. I thought not buying pads would be great, but, I still use pads under the grass pad, and I used it under the ugodog too. Otherwise it is a mess to try and contain. She seems to prefer the grass. She is trained for inside only and does great since she was little. Good luck.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I use pee pads in the Ugodog and change it out every couple of days. Walmart here has different pads than they used to and they are bigger and thicker so they actually more than fill the Ugodog tray and I can tuck one end under the front lip of the tray (which helps if he misses a bit) and have a little bit on the wall side going up to protect the wall The pee pad really keeps the Ugodog tray clean. I spray off the grates using the hand hell shower nozzle in the tub for a quick clean and will occasionally give them a soak in bleach and water. 

Brody went through a phase where he thought putting his front paws on it was good enough and then would let fly all over the floor. Ugh. Thankfully he got past that really quick. I was sort of perplexed as to how to handle it because he was technically going in the right place - so, because I treat him for pottying in the right place, I just wouldn`t treat if he wasn`t completely on it. If I actually tried to move him mid-potty, it was a disaster.


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Walmarts I have been in lately, are only carrying one brand of pee pads. They are big, but very very thin.


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## tootle (Jun 19, 2007)

These folks have a great price on the cloth pads
http://www.odcmerchandise.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RESPP


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Costco in bellingham have absorbs, 100 for $14.99.

Only reason I have an ugodog is because oreo kept stepping on his own pee with just the pad.


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Gabby steps in her pee on pee pads too sometimes, that is why I have to use something else on top. Right now, she is using the grass pads. I dont know about the cloth pee pads. I guess the appeal of putting that in the washing machine which I wash our cloths, just grosses me out too much. It wouldnt work for me anyhow, as we are always traveling.


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## curly_DC (Nov 27, 2011)

I have been using waterproof mattress pads, protective bedding designed for people, so it holds much more liquid than necessary to protect my carpet when I leave Sergio alone in his xpen area. I still place the potty pad farthest away from his sleep and play area within the xpen, and he will pee on the potty pad if he absolutely can no longer hold it and I'm not there to let him out.

He's only had one accident where he peed on the mattress pad instead of the pee pad inside of his xpen, and the mattress pad absorbed much better than the pee pad. As for grossness in laundry, I just sprayed some OxyClean fabric stain remover on the small area of the mattress pad, and then used a bit of bleach in the wash. I washed it separate from my other clothes. The stain was easily removed. I couldn't even tell he peed on it.


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

Michele, I wouldnt have a prob with that, but, cloth pee pads that are peed and peed on, and continually washing, I would have a prob with that, but, that is just me.


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## curly_DC (Nov 27, 2011)

Ruthi said:


> Michele, I wouldnt have a prob with that, but, cloth pee pads that are peed and peed on, and continually washing, I would have a prob with that, but, that is just me.


I'm not sure my dog would even use the same pee pad more than once before washing it, so I would need to change it out after every use. I don't know how he wouldn't confuse the texture of the reusable pee pads with other flooring since the disposable pads are like tissue. The texture of the disposable pads are different than rugs, etc.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I started mine on pee pads because it was just more convenient. Now at 6yrs, Kodi only goes outside. Shelby still uses the pads once or twice a day, usually aftera long nap. It's funny to watch her get up and realize she has to go, then make a mad dash for the pad.


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