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Doggie litter: A vast wasteland of opportunity?

By Laura Petrecca, USA TODAY Wed Aug 3, 8:01 AM ET

Nestlé Purina PetCare wants to train dog owners to think inside the box when it comes to their pooch's bathroom habits.

Today, the company will unleash an e-mail campaign to boost trial use of dog (yes, dog) litter. The e-mails, containing cute talking-dog video, will go to about 500,000 Purina customers, in the hope that they'll send them on to other dog lovers.

In promoting its Secondnature litter brand, Purina hopes to ride two trends: time-strapped Americans looking for more convenience and a rise in spending by dog owners on pampering and fancy products and services for pups, such as high-end doggie day care and canine massages.

Secondnature hit specialty stores a few years ago, but this is the first major ad effort, says Chris Padgett, marketing director for the litter line. Sales still are under $10 million but have taken off at an annual sales gain of 20%, he says.

The whole dog-waste category (scoops, bags, etc.) is estimated at $50 million to $80 million. Dog and cat litter has $732 million in annual sales, according to sales tracker Information Resources, but dog litter is a tiny sliver.

Current trends in dog ownership, however, give Purina hope that the time is right for consumers soon to be scooping dog litter off store shelves.

Americans are crazy about canines, with 43.4 million households owning at least one dog, according to a recent report from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). In 1994, that number was 33.9 million.

And the currently hot dog to have - a "teacup pup" à la Paris Hilton's and Britney Spears' pint-sized pooches - falls right into Purina's target group for the litter.

"It works better for dogs that are 35 pounds and under," says Padgett, who admits that the dog litter line is "an unusual concept."

While some owners might be put off by the idea of litter training their dogs, Padgett insists training and cleanup aren't as challenging as they might seem.

The company offers step-by-step instruction on its Web site and also offers a DVD of training tips. The Web site doglitter.com also features success stories.

Padgett concedes," It's not a one-hour process - it does take some perseverance. But if you follow the protocol ... a week's worth of sticking with it" can train a dog.

For owners who have cats and dogs, there's no litter-box sharing allowed. While most cat litters are clay-based, the dog litter is more like lightweight, but heavily absorbent, paper pellets. Most dogs also need bigger litter pans than their feline friends.

As for waste disposal, most people "will go in and maintain it once a day or once every couple days," Padgett says, adding that the company suggests using the litter in conjunction with walking the dog. The litter can be used when an owner goes away for a weekend or doesn't want to take the dog out in bad weather.

Purina hopes to lure buyers with detailed instructions - and a dose of cute humor - in the new ad effort. The marketing campaign, from ad agency Berlin Cameron/Red Cell, shows dogs confessing what they do when they're left home alone.

Berlin Cameron/Red Cell creative director Izzy DeBellis says the campaign is designed to capitalize on Americans' "love affair with their dogs" and play up the bond that leads many owners to think their dogs have distinct personalities.

Three-quarters of dog owners say they consider Fido to be like a child or family member, the APPMA reports.

And it's not just pooches that Americans are passionate about: Cats, bunnies and a raft of other furry friends are also being coddled with a spate of new services and products.

Overall spending on pets is close to $36 billion - a total that's more than doubled the last 10 years, the APPMA says.

The U.S. market for pet supplies alone has grown nearly 20% since 2000, according to a report released last week from research firm Packaged Facts. Spending on pet supplies reached $8.5 billion in 2004, with that number expected to swell to $11 billion by 2009.

"There's a whole cottage industry of doodads and gadgets for your pets ... from waste-disposal products to dog perfume," says Tom Vierhile, executive editor at DataMonitor's Productscan Online division.

Through July, 995 pet products were launched in the USA this year. That follows 1,144 introductions in 2004 and 726 in 2000.

The new product count through the first seven months of the year is already more than the full-year counts for 2000, 2001 and 2002.

:-(

 

[Musashi Wins!]

goddamn, people.

 

[Vlad]

We tried training our Miniature Schnauzer puppy to go on that stuff when we first got her (five years ago), and the results were pretty much as you'd expect.

You fill up the bin with the litter, which really is shaped like large pellets.
You then place the (rather confused) puppy into the bin.
The puppy, standing on what feels like a loose collection of rocks, promptly bolts out of the bin and hides under the dining room table.
After finally getting the dog used to just standing on the stuff, they then proceed to sit there and eat the stuff.
You then throw away the litter and just walk the dog like everybody else.

 

[sprsk]

if it wasnt for dog walking, some people would never get exercise!

 

[Lucky Forward]

The fact that dogs go outside to do their business is one of the many things that make them superior to cats as pets. A friend of mine with cats has their litter box in a bathroom, and that room and adjacent area always stinks.

Besides, I think it goes against a dog's instincts to relieve himself indoors. It is ingrained in dogs not to soil their own den.

 

[ManDudeChild]

Um... dogs don't burry it cats do. Why have dog litter?

 

[cubanb]

I'd like to get me some good people litter. I hate when all the bathrooms are in use. this would be perfect!

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

A friend of mine with cats has their litter box in a bathroom, and that room and adjacent area always stinks.

Maybe your friend should try cleaning the litter box then. I've never had a problem with my cats' box stinking up the room, and it's in the family room where everyone spends a lot of time.

Cleaning out the littler box every 4 hours is hell of a lot easier than taking a dog outside for walks, to go to the bathroom etc. Plus dogs just suck, and cats rule.

 

[impirius]

Hey guys I just had this crazy idea!

Don't anybody steal it... I have a giant copyright

 

[ToxicAdam]

Maybe your friend should try cleaning the litter box then. I've never had a problem with my cats' box stinking up the room, and it's in the family room where everyone spends a lot of time.

Cleaning out the littler box every 4 hours is hell of a lot easier than taking a dog outside for walks, to go to the bathroom etc. Plus dogs just suck, and cats rule.

You don't even need to clean it every 4 hours. You can just do it once a day, and there will be no smell. EVER. (As long as you put in new litter every so often to freshen it up).

 

[Dsal]

(As long as you put in new litter every so often to freshen it up).

You'd be surprised how many people forget this step, especially now a days with the scoopable kind. They're just like, "oh i just scoop it out and my work's done," and they never do a full up change out.

 

[Litigation Manuel]

Cats are better than dogs and these pictures prove it!

 

[tt_deeb]

Anyway we tried to train one of my dogs to go on the "wee wee pad" and it kind of worked, and probably would have if we kept up with it but I was so disgusted with it that I convinced my parents to do it doggie style (haha im awesome).

We tried training our Miniature Schnauzer puppy to go on that stuff when we first got her (five years ago), and the results were pretty much as you'd expect.

You fill up the bin with the litter, which really is shaped like large pellets.
You then place the (rather confused) puppy into the bin.
The puppy, standing on what feels like a loose collection of rocks, promptly bolts out of the bin and hides under the dining room table.
After finally getting the dog used to just standing on the stuff, they then proceed to sit there and eat the stuff.
You then throw away the litter and just walk the dog like everybody else.

Probably the trick would be to put some scent into the bin or if the dog fails to go in the proper place to then put the waste in there and show the dog. It could work with the right idea.

 

[Dagless M.D.]

The fact that dogs go outside to do their business is one of the many things that make them superior to cats as pets

well my cat always shits and pisses outside, so..eh fuck you