Indoor Dog Potty—when it’s inconvenient to “go” outside

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While most dogs prefer to do their “business” outside, when it’s really cold or wet out some dogs just don’t want to go out (like Snarf). An indoor dog potty can be super convenient if you don’t have a backyard, live in a high rise building or can relieve some stress when you can’t get back home in time to let your dog out. While some dog owners might use pee pads for such occasions, we consider the indoor dog potty to be much more environmentally friendly.

Indoor Dog Potty - when it's inconvenient to "go" outside Dogsized

UGODOG Indoor Dog Potty

When looking for an indoor dog potty, you need to consider whether your dog prefers grass or not. Our dog used the UGODOG Indoor Dog Potty. We picked this because Kobi is an urban dog living in NYC and doesn’t normally pee on grass outside. Note: if you have a male dog, you might want to put a back splash on one side of the indoor potty. We put a very thin cutting board on one side (goes in the tray between the edge and the grid) as Kobi sometimes lifts his leg.

UGODOG Indoor Dog Potty is no longer available in Amazon but we find Blyss Pets Klean Paws Indoor Dog Potty as the most suitable alternative if you’re looking for a grass-free option. It has a very similar design to that of UGUDOG’s that keep your dog‘s paws dry and clean.

Indoor Dog Potty - when it's inconvenient to "go" outside Dogsized

Fresh Patch with REAL Grass

Some dogs just can’t “go” without grass. For those dogs you have the two options of real or faux grass. For those discerning dogs that need fresh grass, check out Fresh Patch – a REAL grass, fully disposable dog potty. The box combines specially grown, dirt-free grass with a leak-resistant, throwaway container. Fresh Patch is clean, absorbent, and eco-friendly.

Indoor Dog Potty - when it's inconvenient to "go" outside Dogsized

PetZoom Pet Park

There are a number of faux grass indoor dog potties to choose from. For example, the PetZoom Pet Park is made of a synthetic grass material that looks and feels real. It’s also weather proof so you can keep it inside or outside. Easy to clean – just wash in warm soapy water. How it Works: When your dog “goes”, the urine passes through the faux grass mat and through the holes in the grid tray to the bottom of the removable waste tray. The pegs on the surface of the grid tray elevate the grass mat, keeping it away from the urine.

See also  Does Your Dog Need a Snuffle Mat?

An indoor dog potty is definitely not error free either, but we figure it’s a trade off we’re willing to live with when needed. The two biggest downsides are that you need to clean it and sometimes our dog’s aim is not great and he misses the dog potty.

Cleaning a dog potty isn’t fun! You also need to be careful about what you use to clean it. If you use something like white vinegar or bleach to clean the dog potty, the smell will turn off your dog and he will not want to use it again…resulting in him doing his business right next to the potty rather than on it. To clean our indoor dog potty, we’ve used Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator. It gets the tray really clean (no need to do a lot of scrubbing) and it doesn’t leave a smell that turns off our dog.

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