Indoor Dog Potty for Dummies:  Everything from A-Z

You might have heard of the latest fad today among dog owners and dog trainers, the indoor dog potty.

It has become popular, mainly in metro areas, because dog owners often stay at work for longer periods of time with their dogs left behind in apartments with no yards.

Activities like walking the dog and outdoor potty training would be difficult due to time constraints.

The obvious solution was the indoor potty.

Everybody seems to be getting into the trend and is using this product. But for some, especially new dog owners, the word still sounds alien.

This website was created to educate those who have heard of the term for the first time.

Indoor Dog Potty Defined: How Does it Work?

Indoor dog potties can be simply described as a plastic or steel pan, usually rectangular or square in shape which serves as your dog’s potty or the place where you train your dog to urinate. This pan which has either synthetic grass or grates on its top which lets the urine of your dog pass through it to a collection pan below. This pan is lined by newspapers or pads which soak up your dog’s urine. When fully soaked, the newspaper or pads can then be disposed of and you may clean the potty system by using a specially designed chemical disinfectant or cleanser to remove the dirt, bacteria and odor on the indoor dog potty.

Benefits and Practical Uses

The product was developed specially for dog owners who have a hard time potty training their dogs properly and ends up with an accidental “emergency wee wee” on the street, in the mall, or other public places. Or even on your own couch, carpet or bed. Ouch! Cleaning up is definitely hard if this happens. The product can be used to train your dogs to urinate at the right place and time. This is also effective for dog owners who can’t take their dogs out frequently for walks. You can simply leave your dog and let the dog do his thing. You don’t have to wait for a long time anymore. Also, if you do not want to leave your dog outside your yard too often or do not own a yard, you can use the indoor dog potty as a substitute to your yard.

Basic Types

Different types of indoor dog potties are available on the market today. Although there are a lot of brands to choose from which come in different shapes, colors, designs or even some added unique features, the product’s fundamental parts and the principle of how it work remains the same. Their main difference lies in the material which consists of its top, either steel or plastic grates or synthetic grass. A grass top indoor dog potty is used for dogs, usually older dogs, which are already potty trained outdoors. Its counterpart, the grate top potty can be used on dogs, usually younger ones or puppies, which are not yet potty trained or are already potty trained indoors. All indoor potties have either a square or rectangular frame which holds the collection pan below. This pan will serve as the reservoir of the dog’s urine which either has paper, cotton or cloth pads, which are all disposable.

Advantages vs Disadvantages

If you are planning to purchase an indoor dog potty, then you might want to look at some of the pros and cons to help you make an informed and educated choice, as well as to prepare yourself for what is ahead and what is to be expected.

Convenience is a major advantage of the product since you don’t need to walk your dog outside anymore or leave your dog outside to urinate. If trained enough you can just leave your dog on the indoor dog potty while it does its business and you do your own. Another strong selling point of an indoor dog potty is that it helps you potty train your dog easily. Potty training a dog is one of the most difficult things to teach to a dog because urinating is purely based on its instinct. Older dogs who are trained to urinate outdoors, usually on the yard, will adapt best to the indoor dog potty with a grass top. These dogs will not have a hard time adapting to the potty because the synthetic grass mimics the appearance of real grass in the yard as well as its feel on the paws. This will make the transition from urinating outside on the yard’s lawn to urinating indoors on the indoor dog potty easy. Puppies or young dogs that are not yet trained to urinate outdoors on the other hand can use the one with a grate top. The advantage of using a grate top is that it keeps your dog’s paws dry. You don’t want your dog walking around your house with wet paws after it uses the potty.

Moving on to the disadvantages, cost and maintenance are the major drawbacks experienced by owners of an indoor dog potty. Although using the product can be viewed as a long term investment, the cost of buying pads and disinfectant/cleansers can be heavy on your pocket. Especially if the indoor dog potty you purchased is part of a system. What I mean by this is that the potty is only compatible or only works with specific cleaning materials and disposable pads. Usually these specific supplies can only be bought from the company, brand or manufacturer of the indoor dog potty you bought, so be mindful of these features. Maintenance is another bother for some owners of the dog potty, especially the new ones. The potty with a synthetic grass top is especially hard to cleanup as compared to the grates top. The grass top needs to be cleaned more thoroughly with warm water and soap as well as the recommended disinfectant because the synthetic grass top tends to hold in the odor of your dog’s urine, as compared to the dog potty with grates top. The grates top just allows the urine to pass through to the collection pan below, while the grass top can retain some of the urine which makes it smell more easily. It also makes your dog’s paws wet.

Choosing the Right Indoor Potty for Your Dog

Choosing the right type and brand for your dog may seem very tough, but considering some factors, you can be surer and more specific about the type, brand and features of your indoor dog potty.

Here are some basic tips to ponder before doling out on a hefty investment such as this.

1. Consider the size of your dog. Buying a small potty for your dog may be uncomfortable for it when using it. Buying a bigger potty for your dog may be unnecessary because bigger potties are more expensive and may consume more space in your house. Also consider the free space in your house which will accommodate the potty.

2. Consider the age of your dog. As discussed earlier, a puppy or younger dog is more suitable for the grates top, while the older dogs prefer the grass top.

3. Consider the type of system you want to use. Do you want to use a system which uses disposable pads or do you want a reusable pan with which you wash regularly? Using a disposable system saves you time and effort because you just throw away the soiled pads and cleaning up of the potty is not regularly required. You just need to clean it when the need for it arises. A downside however is that this system is more costly because you need to buy supplies regularly. Using a potty with the reusable pan as a urine collection method requires regular cleanup, so maintenance requires more time and effort. You also need to thoroughly wash the indoor dog potty because the smell of urine can stick to the pan even if you have disposed of its contents. An advantage of using this is it is reusable, so you only need warm water and soap for cleanups. No need for supplies like the disposable system.

4. Consider where you will you place the indoor dog potty. Will you be placing it in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, or in the garage? Be sure that you are familiar with the features of the indoor potty you are planning to buy because some may be inappropriate for the location where you will put it in your house.

5. Consider how often and how long you will use the potty. Is the potty going to be used only temporarily because you are having your dog come with you on a vacation or long trip? Is it only during long weekdays when you need to stay at work later than usual? Is only during emergency situations? Or are you considering potty training your dog which will mean that you will use the indoor dog potty for life? Investing in the sturdier, longer-lasting brands with better quality (and usually with a bigger price tag) should be done only when long-term use will be done. Ordinary potties can be used if it is to be used only temporarily or occasionally.

6. Consider the visual appearance of the indoor dog potty. Some dog owners, especially those living in metro condominiums and apartments, are also in to interior decoration. Therefore, some may consider the aesthetic appeal of the potty they will buy, as it too will be part of the house like any other appliance or piece of furniture. It need not stand out in its appearance, especially when placed in the living room or reception area of the house, as no guest would want to see a shocking neon green or bright yellow potty screaming for attention.

7. Consider the customer service of the company. You might encounter some defects, problems or accidental damage with your potty, so having superior and fast customer service with the company you bought the potty from would be of great help. For example, if your dog accidentally chewed on the rubber grass top of the indoor dog potty, you’d not worry so much because you know that the customer service has your back and has it all covered.

8. Consider getting feedback from others. Ask some dog owners you know who use an indoor dog potty and try asking them what they like and not like about the product. Also try reading customer feedback online. These pieces of information which are not included in the brands’ promotional ads will help you be more discerning in make the right choice.