One new challenge of all new puppy owners is the task of potty training their dog.  House breaking a dog takes consistency and being attentive to your puppy’s needs so that you can be sure to let him out as soon as he needs to relieve himself.  For those who work long hours, live in an apartment or a cold weather climate, or have a disability, this can often present a challenge.  A convenient solution to this problem is an indoor dog potty.

An indoor dog potty is somewhat similar to a cat litter box in that it is a boxed container that collects the dog’s refuse, but rather than having litter, most dog potties have a grate or synthetic grass that allow urine to drain into the catch basin for later removal and cleaning.  The dog potties come in a variety of sizes ranging from portable size units to 4’ x 8’ mega potties.

Dog owners have found that the effectiveness of the dog potty is dependent on the size being the proper scale to the size of the dog.  While the mini and portable sizes work well for small dogs and puppies, the larger the dog, the larger the potty area should be.  They are more likely to miss the collection area if the potty is not scaled to their size.

It will be easier to train a puppy to use an indoor dog potty with either type of surface, grate or grass.  However, an older dog will already be accustomed to a particular type of surface to do his business.   If the potty surface is very different, he may resist using it.  You may have to try a couple of different models with your older dog to see which he prefers.

The final consideration when buying an indoor dog potty is the method of collection.  Some potties are simply a box and you must either line the bottom with newspapers or purchase wet pads to absorb the urine.  Other dog potty systems feature a removable tray and even a built in sprinkler system to automatically spray down the surface after each use.

If the fear of housebreaking a new puppy has held you back from experiencing the joys of dog ownership, reconsider your decision.  The convenience of indoor dog potties and the availability of crate training instruction make this task much less onerous.