Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ok, this is a hard review for me to write, but an important one in the sense that I hope it will improve the product. I took a risk buying it, because all the reviews were 5 star unverified purchases. I'm a real purchase, and I paid full price. Ok then. So the product arrived quickly and I was super happy that it was a lightweight box. It took just a few minutes to assemble. It's shockingly uncomplicated with essentially just one mechanical part, which is the winding mechanism which moves the dirty paper along the roll. So far, so good. My dog is a super smart, fastidious shiba inu, so took to it immediately. Also, good. Up to this point it is a 6 star rating! I love the design, the ease of setup, and the price was in range. BUT, I have the same complaint that others have. The paper is just not absorbent. I understand that there may be issues with creating bulk but they need to do something about the lack of moisture absorbance. My dog is a 15 pound, petite female shiba. She urinates in the center of the pad, but the urine inevitably runs off the side, and also on to her paws, which she hates. With the quilted wee wee pads, it sucks in the liquid before it can migrate. Maybe a different style plastic backing or quilting is in order, or just a thicker pad. Alternatively an edge guard to keep moisture on the platform could work. I think this can be resolved! For now, I put a wee wee on the side which catches the moisture. This defeats the purpose a bit, but it is still functional for gathering waste #2. If a new style pad comes out to manage this situation, I will revise my review to a 5 star, as the potential is 100% there. I appreciate the hard work the developer has put into the product and hope he keeps working to improve it. _______ JULY 2018 UPDATE Brillant pad wrote me to let me know that the pads are improved, and yes, I have noticed, they are! No more spill over, so we are moving in the right direction. The machine is not perfect. There are sometimes automated rolling snafus where the light goes red, but I just reset, and it's fine. This is rare, and not bothersome to me, given the benifits of the machine. I want to add that this has been a bit lifechanging. I have an elderly dog, and have had to move several times in the past year, which has been beyond stressful for all. The consistency of having Brilliant Pad in the home allowed me to deal with being away from the house for longer periods to deal with moving logistics, and having my shiba go to the pad freely, as needed. She never has to hold her urine and goes many times a day, improving her quality of life. I am fully convinced she will live a longer, healthier life being able to go on demand. I now walk her for fun, when she is up for it. No more rainy walks, walks in 100 degrees, or walking through painful salt ice on the sidewalks. One thing that I have found super helpful is to put plants all around the unit, to make it "outdoorsey." This also helps the dog hit the target and not go off the side, providing a "boundary" of sorts. You can just get potted plants at your local grocery store, which work just fine. Just make sure they are pet-safe. Putting potted grasses around is also helpful. A decorative tall grass varietal seems to work best. This also helps with odor, and hides the pad. Just make sure there is enough room for pup to enter/exit without knocking them over.