Your Dog Can Text You When He’s Gotta Go With New Barking Mat

Mary Simpson
by Mary Simpson
Are indoor pee puddles a common sight in your home? Break the habit with the Barking Mat, a cool new house training tool available through Indiegogo.


Ground Control to Major Tom. We all know the line, the song and now it’s going to be running through our head all day! So what if your dog could be Ground Control and you could be Major Tom. Yes, he’s sending you a message… Can You Hear Me Major Tom?


It’s not as crazy as you may think. JSW Pet Products has developed what they call the Barking Mat and it enables your dog to send you a message through your smartphone. Of course the message isn’t to tell you that he’s floating in a most peculiar way… or even that he loves and appreciates you, it’s to say “let me out buddy, gotta go”.


Related: What to Expect – Your Puppy’s First Day Home


How it works is simple. You put the mat in front of whichever exit door your dog uses when he needs to do his business. He is naturally conditioned to go to this location for that purpose, and this is where the Barking Mat enters the picture. When he sits on the mat an audible, real time signal is sent to your smartphone and you know it’s time to let him out. Bingo-bango, your house is now a puddle-free zone!


This simple yet ingenious product is the brainchild of Barking Mat co-founders, Jenna Swartz Wachs and hubby David Wachs. We all know that necessity is the mother of invention and such was the case when they brought home new pup LuLu and couldn’t find a housebreaking product that worked. “The tools were either too cumbersome or required too much dog training. 44% of American families own a dog and we wanted to reduce the arduous training process by creating something so simple you forget it’s there, but effective enough to actually work!”


For those of us with older pets who are accident-prone and set in their ways, it’s a great way to reinforce their natural need for routine, provide them with quick access to the outdoors and keep our floors pee-free.


Related: Tips on Making Your Home Comfortable for Your Senior Dog


Features of the Barking Mat include:


  • Anti-slip feet to keep the mat (and an anxious pooch) from sliding across the floor
  • An integrated pee pad holder for when you take a little too long to get to the door
  • Complete waterproof housing to protect floors (see above point)
  • USB rechargeable battery for quick and easy charging
  • Black, grey and a limited edition pink to suit your tastes


Want to play Ground Control?? You can purchase the Barking Mat with Wi-Fi-connectivity on Indiegogo for early-bird pricing of $75 ($89 MSRP) or without the Wi-Fi connectivity for $45 ($59 MSRP) – both feature the audible alerts.

Mary Simpson
Mary Simpson

Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and two felines who prefer to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife

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