(Published in June 2007)

Pooch Potty-Training
Here are the latest and greatest products for tackling this age old problem.
By Scott and Ann Springer

Housetraining is a dirty job but somebody has got to do it. You've likely had many frazzled customers enter your store desperate for the magic pill to help alleviate this dog-owning hurdle.

While there may not be a one-size-fits-all solution to housetraining, manufacturers are creating more solution-oriented products to give consumers more options.

"There are so many products on the market and none of them is a miracle worker," says Nancy Miller, the store director for Superpetz in Martinez, Ga. "What works for one dog may not work for another."

Sales in this category continue to rise as the pet population grows and as more pets are coming indoors to live up the good life.

Housetraining is an age-old problem that doesn't discriminate by age. As the lifespan of the dog population increases, more owners of adult dogs are seeking out alternative methods to retrain their incontinent dogs.

Overflowing Market
Crate training is still the housetraining method recommended most by Eddie Miller, the manager of Crown Hill Pet Supply in Seattle, Wash.

"This is a huge market," he says. Eddie Miller recognizes that crate training may not suit every dog owner, though, so he wisely stocks a wide range of products to meet all of his consumers' needs.

Dog litter pans have received a lot of buzz among consumers in his area, especially with small dog owners, Eddie Miller says.

While these doggie litter boxes are popular with city folks, the downside for some dog owners is that the litter becomes a toy to their pets, warns Nancy Miller.

Some customers may also dislike that a litter box has to be cleaned regularly and requires the purchase of new litter.

Other indoor potties exist that don't require litter, says Ryan Means, the operations manager of Wizdog LLC, a San Diego, Calif.-based manufacturer.

"These products really appeal to customers because there's nothing complicated about them," Means says. "They clean off easily and you can just lay down a new puppy pad or newspaper."

Sales of these indoor potties have grown consistently, Means says. He attributes a portion of the overall sales of Wizdog's indoor potties to the aging dog market, but the majority of sales come from puppy owners.

Pee pads are used by some owners as an indoor potty while others use them to slowly transition their puppy to doing their business outdoors, says Angela Torrey, the director of marketing communication for Dallas, Tex.-based manufacturer The Brampton Co.

The Brampton Co. manufactures pads that are pheromone scented to attract dogs to use them. The pads now feature 100-percent biodegradable material and can be used for dogs and puppies, Torrey says.

"We saw a strong need to address the specific needs of both puppies and adult dogs," Torrey says.

However, some consumers may find their dogs use pee pads as a bed or chew toy instead of their intended use.

Disposable doggie diapers are also catching on with many dog owners. These come in handy if a dog is on the road, visiting in a new home, or in season.

Going in the Great Outdoors
Some consumers may prefer to purchase a housetraining product that doesn't require constant replacement and teaches a dog to urinate outdoors.

Doggie doorbells allow a dog to ring a bell to alert its owner that it wants to go potty, thus eliminating the need to scratch, whine, and bark, says Devony Coley, the sales director and co-owner of Poochie-Bells based in Simsbury, Conn.

"We've sold thousands and have had virtually no returns," Coley says about the bell method that has been used for years with animals.

Other housetraining products keep canines pointed in the right direction once they get the hang of potty training.

Pheromone-encapsulated pee posts are used primarily to lure a dog to a particular spot in an owner's yard area to keep the entire lawn from being overrun with brown patches, Torrey says.

Repellant sprays help reinforce where Rover can, and can't, do his business. "It can be used anywhere from upholstery to trash cans to keep them from marking," Torrey says.

The limitation of deterrent products is that they often need to be used in conjunction with another training aid.

"Deterrents and attractants work, and serve a purpose, but you never want to depend entirely on those types of products," Eddie Miller says.

Educational materials come standard with most products on the market, but some customers may seek out additional books and videos.

"It's a good idea to have a few books in your selection," Eddie Miller says.

Sales Strategies
Housetraining items are solution-oriented products, not an impulse buys, so most sales will be generated through a well-stocked shelf and a well-educated sales staff.

First, be sure to offer a wide selection of products.

"People come in asking for products they've seen in a magazine or heard about from a friend," Nancy Miller says. "We have a couple different kinds of each type of product and customers decide from there."

Nine out of 10 customers who walk in the doors of Eddie Miller's retail shop are familiar with the housetraining options on the market, he says.

Second, you and your staff must know the ins and outs and pros and cons of each item in order to match a consumer with the right product.

"Our employees have been taught to say, ‘Let's start from the beginning,' to a customer and then they begin troubleshooting from there," Eddie Miller says.

Next, remember that displaying housetraining products, or having them in use, can entice dogs to use them while visiting your shop.

If you aren't up for the work involved in that type of display, you can opt for signage and endcap displays as a substitute.

Seek out point-of-purchase displays from manufacturers to increase sales and provide you with more space-efficient display options, Coley says.

Size of some of the products can be a barrier to displaying some products in this category, Means says.

Finally, be creative and fun when selling products associated with the least fun part of pet ownership.

Means recommends retailers creatively merchandise "Puppy Packages" by filling indoor potties with other housetraining items and other required puppy products and adorning them with clear wrap and a bow.

"It can be easier to display them if you present them as part of a package," Means says.