What Dog Trainers Really Think About These 5 Pet Tech Gadgets
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My parents got a puppy a few months ago, and they decided to try out a smart dog doorbell to help with potty training. It didn’t go as planned, but it made me curious what else is out there.
I went down a rabbit hole of puppy potty training tech and found gadgets I didn’t know existed. Puppies are adorable, but those first few months can be tough. While no gadget replaces consistent training, they can support the routine you’re building.
I read through customer reviews and chatted with two dog trainers about their tips for raising a well-trained pup. I selected products based on trainer input, customer reviews, unique features and relevance to different parts of the potty training process. Here are the five interesting pet tech gadgets dog trainers recommend.
Power Pet automatic roll-up door
High Tech PetA typical dog door swings open and closes whenever a dog pushes through. This dog door by High Tech Pet rolls up like a mini garage door when its sensor detects your dog’s collar. It connects to an app on your phone, so you can set a schedule and control when your dog goes in and out.
That’s what caught my attention. The issue with regular dog doors is that the dog can go through as it pleases. Kimberlee Tolentino, owner and dog trainer at Black Magic Dog Training, said that constant access is a problem for puppies. “If they have free access to their potty place, they aren’t going to build up the physical skill to hold it longer,” she said.
The door’s remote features come in handy when you’re away from home for long periods. The app sends a notification when it senses the collar, and you can open it remotely to let your dog out even if you’re not home. Whether that works safely depends on your setup, such as whether you have a fenced-in yard. The door comes in three sizes for dogs up to 30, 100 and 200 pounds. The company calls the door “whisper silent,” but some reviewers say the sound may take time for puppies to get used to.
Cost: $650+
Who it’s best for: Households with a fenced-in or underground-fence yard; owners who spend extended periods away from home.
Who should skip it: Owners who are home most of the day and don’t need the convenience.
BrilliantPad self-cleaning indoor dog potty
BrilliantPadI’ve never been a fan of pee pads because they sit out in your home and you have to touch them to throw them away. BrilliantPad claims to handle that for you. Your dog goes on a pad, and a motor wraps and seals the waste into a roll. You’ll swap the roll every couple of weeks, which the company says takes less than 60 seconds. The Smart model connects to a mobile app with potty alerts, a camera and AI health monitoring that tracks bathroom habits and flags potential concerns.
However, Tolentino advises against using pee pads. “Once you start on pee pads, that’s the associated smell and surface. It’s hard to recondition a dog to something different,” she said. But an indoor option can make sense if getting outside isn’t easy, like for pets living in a large apartment complex or whose owners work long hours.
Reviews of the BrilliantPad on Amazon say it still takes work to train your puppy to use the pad, but it saves time on manually picking up and replacing pads. You do pay for convenience. Refill rolls are $18 each on an auto-refill cycle, while you can find standard pee pads for about $10 per pack on Amazon. BrilliantPad says one roll covers the equivalent of 50 pads.
Cost: $270 for the Smart model, plus more for refills
Who it’s best for: Owners of dogs under 25 pounds that already use pads; those who live in an apartment and can’t get outside easily.
Who should skip it: Owners who prefer an outdoor-only routine or have a dog over 25 lbs.
PetSafe Smart Feed automatic feeder
PetSafe/AmazonA consistent feeding schedule can help create a consistent potty schedule. Puppies often need to go to the bathroom after eating, so knowing when your puppy eats can help you plan bathroom breaks. The PetSafe Smart Feed is a Wi-Fi-connected feeder that dispenses dry dog food on a set routine through its mobile app. You can plan up to 12 meals a day in portions from 1/8 cup to 4 cups or select the “Feed Now” button to dispense food on demand.
Ben Berenfield, owner and trainer at Haven Dog Training, recommends feeding puppies bigger meals earlier in the day and tapering down. “I do the biggest meal at breakfast, a tiny bit smaller at lunch, a bit smaller in the afternoon and smallest at dinner,” he said. “It’s going to help them be able to hold it a little longer overnight.”
The feeder handles dry food only, so you’ll still need to manage water, wet food and bathroom breaks on your own. But it can automatically adjust meal size the way Berenfield described, so you don’t have to measure out different portions by hand and can better anticipate when your puppy needs to go potty.
Cost: $150
Who it’s best for: Dog owners who want to automate a consistent feeding schedule.
Who should skip it: Owners who use wet food or prefer manual feedings.
Paws2Go smart dog doorbell
Paws2GoSmart dog doorbells are the gadget that prompted my dive down this rabbit hole of pet tech. The Paws2Go smart doorbell is a higher-tech version of the doorbell my parents tried with their puppy. Instead of a hanging jingle bell, it’s a touch-activated button that connects to a mobile app. When your puppy presses it, the button lights up, plays a sound or custom audio recording and sends an alert to your phone.
One feature that stood out to me is the ability to mute the chime and rely on phone notifications instead. That way, you don’t have to hear the same chime over and over. The Paws2Go model also includes a Travel Mode, so you can pack it in your bag and keep your dog’s routine consistent while on the go.
A smart dog doorbell still requires teaching the dog what the button means. Once that connection clicks, the doorbell gives them a consistent way to communicate their need to go outside instead of scratching at the door, barking or having an accident inside.
Cost: $50
Who it’s best for: Owners who want a portable smart dog doorbell connected to their phone.
Who should skip it: Owners who don’t need phone alerts and are fine with basic jingle bells or another training method.
DogLog potty training tracking app
DogLogAdding a puppy to your life can be overwhelming with everything else you have going on. DogLog is one of several apps built to make keeping track of your puppy’s routine easier. It lets you log when your puppy eats, drinks and uses the bathroom, then shows patterns over time.
Tolentino recommends this kind of tool. “I think another great tool is tracking apps,” she said. “It’s super helpful to have something tangible, like this is when I did the feeding, notes on this potty break and so on.”
I chose DogLog for this roundup because of its Pack feature, which lets a partner, roommate or dog sitter log into the same account. Then you can easily settle the debate of who took your pup out last. You can use basic logging, reminders and Pack sharing for free with up to three pets. Upgrading to premium adds vaccination and medical record tracking. The app gives you a record to reference yourself or hand over to a vet if something seems off.
Cost: Free, with premium at $4/month or $40/year
Who it’s best for: Owners who want a digital record of their puppy’s routine.
Who should skip it: Owners who’d rather rely on memory or paper log.
Here’s the updated comparison table, including the links to buy each product:
| Product | Price | Best for | Who should skip | Key features | Where to buy |
| Power Pet Automatic Roll-Up Door | $650+ | Households with a fenced-in or underground-fence yard; owners who spend extended periods away from home. | Owners who are home most of the day and don’t need the convenience. | Rolls up like a mini garage door via collar sensor, mobile app schedule & remote control, app notifications, comes in three sizes (up to 200 lbs). | High Tech Pet |
| BrilliantPad Self-Cleaning Indoor Dog Potty | $270 for Smart model (plus refill costs) | Owners of dogs under 25 lbs that already use pads; those living in apartment complexes with limited outdoor access. | Owners who prefer an outdoor-only routine or have a dog over 25 lbs. | Automatically wraps and seals waste into a roll, Smart model includes app alerts, camera and AI health monitoring. | BrilliantPad / Amazon |
| PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder | $150 | Dog owners who want to automate a consistent feeding schedule to aid potty timing. | Owners who feed wet food or prefer manual feedings. | Wi-Fi connected, dispenses dry food on a schedule via app (up to 12 meals/day, 1/8 to 4 cups), on-demand “Feed Now” button. | PetSafe Smart Feed |
| Paws2Go Smart Dog Doorbell | $50 | Owners who want a portable smart dog doorbell connected to their phone. | Owners who don’t need phone alerts and are fine with basic jingle bells or other training methods. | Touch-activated button, lights up, plays sound/custom audio, sends phone notifications (option to mute chime), includes Travel Mode. | Paws2Go |
| DogLog Potty Training Tracking App | Free (Premium: $4/mo or $40/yr) | Owners who want a digital record of their puppy’s routine. | Owners who would rather rely on memory or a paper log. | Logs meals, water, walks and bathroom breaks; identifies patterns; Pack feature shares account across multiple caregivers. | DogLog App |
What works best for puppy potty training
Both trainers I spoke with emphasized that structure and consistency matter more for potty training than gadgets. The tools on this list aren’t a replacement for the training process, but they can make it easier on you.
They also both pointed to the crate as a top potty training tool. “Everything with puppies is preventative,” Berenfield said. “Pretty much everything we do is just mitigating problems and building patterns.”
When Berenfield isn’t actively training or playing with the puppy, he uses a crate. As the puppy stays clean in the crate, it earns more free time in the house. He recommends taking puppies out every two to four hours and responding to cues such as whining, even if it doesn’t need to go.
Tolentino relies on the crate as well. “My number one potty training tool is the crate,” she said. If she’s not actively supervising a puppy, it’s either in the crate or outside to limit where accidents happen.
A smart doorbell, automatic feeder, tracking app or other gadget may support your routine, but successful potty training still depends on supervision, repetition and consistency.
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