Need a Replacement Lid?

Yes! Performing a "Perk Test" will prove beneficial in deciding whether a Doggie Dooley® will be effective in your yard.

1. Dig a hole approximately 1 foot wide by 2 feet deep. (Test hole can be smaller than real hole.)

2. Pour approximately 5 gallons of water in the hole.

3. Check the hole in 24 hours. If water is completely drained, you have fairly sandy soil and a pyramid style Doggie Dooley® is recommended. If there is still standing water, check again after 48 hours.

4. If the water is gone, you can use either the tank style or pyramid style of Doggie Dooley®. If after 48 total hours there is still standing water in the hole, a Doggie Dooley® will not be an effective waste management system in that location of your yard. Test another site!

Yes! Please visit our online store to purchase a replacement lid to fit your Doggie Dooley® system.

Round or Square? Silver or Green?

If you have the round lid, please inspect the flange before ordering a lid. The flange is the round 17” diameter portion that sits on the ground. You need to have the “two ears” on the flange intact. These two ears stick up and the lid will screw onto the two ears. If you need the entire 17” flange, unfortunately, you cannot replace the flange if it is damaged.

No! Our Doggie Dooley® systems are not designed to be used with cat waste as you would not be able to deposit any sort of litter. In a small enclosed area, even the biodegradable kind does not break down fast enough to avoid creating an issue with the drainage. Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a system designed for use with cat waste.

No! Our Doggie Dooley units are not designed to be used with any sort of biodegradable bags. In a small enclosed area, bags of any kind do not break down fast enough to avoid impeding the drainage.  Many “biodegradable” bags take months (or years) to break down.  Even natural corn-based bags do not break down well with water unfortunately.

Yes! The Doggie Dooley® units are designed for residential use. The Model 3000 and the Model 3800X are the largest units, handling the waste of up to 2 large or 4 small dogs. If you would like to use in a larger capacity in order to accommodate more dogs, simply install multiple units and distribute the waste among them. 

It depends! The Doggie Dooley® is a biological product and relies on Mother Nature; waste is broken down by bacteria in our environment which typically works only with some amount of heat.  Doggie Dooley® is not designed to be used in the winter when the air temperature is consistently below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You do not need to remove the unit from the ground, but do not add stools to it during the winter. Simply allow the system to sit dormant until spring time when you can resume normal use.

Spring start up – Clean up your yard and bag the left-overs from winter.  Do not add an entire winter’s worth of pet waste to the Doggie Dooley®!  This will clog the unit!

Yes! Whether you are experiencing operational issues, or would simply like a more convenient location, any Doggie Dooley® can be relocated if necessary.

With a tank unit, begin by digging around the outside of the unit to loosen it up until you can lift it straight upward. Then dump the contents into the hole and fill it in with dirt from the new hole. The stools will continue to break down at a slower pace as they naturally would.

With a pyramid unit, begin by digging around the outside of the unit to loosen it up until you can lift it out. Since the pyramid unit has an open bottom, the stools will remain in the hole. Fill the hole in with dirt from the new hole. The stools will continue to break down at a slower pace as they naturally would.

If discarding the unit, simply bag the Doggie Dooley® and dispose with your regular trash.

We are sorry to hear you are having difficulty with the Doggie Dooley®.  Doggie Dooley® is a biological product which relies on Mother Nature, so it may require a little tweaking or troubleshooting for flawless operation. Maintenance and troubleshooting will depend on which style of Doggie Dooley® you have. 

If the water is not draining or if it is draining too slowly, ensure nothing is clogging up the overflow tubes (tank models) or the bottom (pyramid models). Grass and yard debris can form a layer over time that may need to be cleaned out if it is impeding drainage. Also, if your area has had heavy rains lately, the ground may be too saturated to drain properly. In that case, wait a few days for the water table underground to go back down and the unit will resume normal drainage. 

The Doggie Dooley® is not designed to be used in winter when the temperature is consistently below 40 degrees. You would not add stools to it during that time, but just let it sit dormant until the weather warmed back up.  No Doggie Dooley® will work in hard, slow draining clay soil.  In addition, each Doggie Dooley® has a specific digesting capacity. Use only as directed in the instructions.

Septic Tank Models:

If you have a Septic tank style (Model 2000 and 3000), it should be full of water to the point of the overflow tube or holes. Add enough water to overflow it at least a quart a day. Increase the overflow to a gallon a day if there is good soil drainage underneath the unit.

Pyramid Models: 

If you have a pyramid (leach bed) model (Models 3535, 3500, 3800 and 3800X), add 5 gallons of water at least two to three times per week. If the soil is draining water out too quickly, increase the frequency of adding water, even daily if necessary to keep the contents wet. The contents should never be drying out. On the day that you add the digester powder, pour in the water first and then add the tablet (or powder) on top. That way, when the water drains the digester will settle on top of the stools rather than being washed away.   

We are sorry to hear you are having difficulty with the Doggie Dooley®.  Doggie Dooley® is a biological product which relies on Mother Nature, so it may require a little tweaking or troubleshooting for flawless operation. Maintenance and troubleshooting will depend on which style of Doggie Dooley® you have.  

The drainage should slow down on its own once a layer of stool forms on the bottom. The Doggie Dooley® works on a continual basis. It is normal for the unit to accumulate dog stools and fill to no more than half full and maintain itself near that level (similar to composting you need to have a small mass of "stuff").  

With a pyramid model you should be adding 5 gallons of water at least two to three times a week. If the soil is draining out very quickly in dry hot weather, you may need to add water daily. The system does not need to hold standing water; however, you should add enough water to keep the contents moist. The contents should never be drying out. 

You only need add (1) tablet (or 1 Tablespoon) of the digester per week per dog.  On the day that you add the digester, first pour in the water and then sprinkle the powder on top. This will allow the water to drain first and leave the digester to settle on top of the stools rather than being washed away.   Do not add more digester than recommended; this will not speed up the rate of digestion. It will actually do more harm than good!

• When installing your Doggie Dooley® in your lawn or flower garden, use common sense by avoiding tree roots, vegetable gardens, fruit trees and the path of your lawn mower. Avoid damage to your Doggie Dooley® by surrounding the unit with a flower garden, mulch, stones or bricks.
• Check local laws for recommendations and/or regulations on how far digesters should be placed from wells. Digesters should be the same distance from wells as septic tanks.
• Install your Doggie Dooley® at a minimum of a few feet away from any structures, such as houses or other buildings, while avoiding entrances. 
• Be careful to avoid drainage tiles and utility lines in your yard – Natural Gas, Electric, Telephone, Cable. Many communities require that you “Call before you dig”! 
• Install your Doggie Dooley® within reach of a water source such as a garden hose. You will need to add water frequently!
• Install your Doggie Dooley® in an area of your yard with minimal clay content. The unit requires normal ground drainage to operate effectively.
• Check for adeqaute drainage by performing a Perk Test first before installing the Doggie Dooley®

No! Whether the powder or the tablet, all formulations of Waste Terminator are harmless and non-toxic.