UPDATE 10/15/2010: PLEASE READ AT LEAST SOME OF THE COMMENTS THIS POST HAS GENERATED BEFORE YOU MAKE A PURCHASE DECISION.
Has anyone tried this product? I got an ad in my e-mail about it, and I’m trying to decide what I think of the Potty Patch.
According to the ad, this is the “perfect” solution for pets who must stay inside for long periods of time, or at least for longer than they can cross their legs.
The picture appears to be a swatch about the size of a carpet sample, made of three layers. The bottom layer is a tray that can hold up to a gallon of urine. The middle layer is basically a grate that allows the urine to travel from the top layer to the tray. The top layer looks (and feels?) like grass.
The idea is that your dog will feel comfortable peeing on the “grass” and will not make a mess on your floors.
My questions:
Do you have to train your dog to use it, like you would newspapers, or does he naturally gravitate to it?
How hard is it to clean all three layers to keep them from stinking?
Why is this any better than newspaper training?
If you have answers, please let me know.
Until next time,
The Dog Lady
UPDATE!: See related posts and articles:
Response from Potty Patch company owner.
Did you get your Potty Patch yet?
Concerns about Potty Patch being an identity theft scam.
Alternatives to the Potty Patch.
Article on Indoor Dog Potties.
and as far as the grass sliding off, i took four squares of velcrow and put velcrow on the four corners. so now when every my puppy runs on it, the grass does not slide off. It is still very easy to take off becuase all i do is un velcrow it from the green plastic that it sits on.
i got an eigh week old tea cup chihuahua and the same day that i got him i went and bought the potty patch and some spray from walmart. the spary is called “out house training aid for puppies” and when i got home i set it up and sprayed that stuff on it and my new puppy has not use the bathroom any where else but on the potty patch. it is so nice not to have to clean up after a puppy, and to clean it all i do is turn the shower on hot and let it sit in the shower under the hot water for about 30 minutes. i love the potty patch
I bought the Potty Patch and after waiting forever for it ot come (about 6 weeks) I was so disappinted when it arrived! IT IS A PIECE OF JUNK!!! The grass slides all over the place. My dog did finally use it after I worked on training him. The problem: There are no sides on the box, so Skiper peed right onto the wall.
This is not a solution! I was tired of spenidng so much money on pads and I wanted a litter box trained dog. I work long hours ……………need I say more.
Someone had told me about the Rascal Dog Litter Box. and that they were very satisfied with the product. I ordered it and it was shippped the same day.
WOW!!! What a difference in the quality of the grass and the box itself! I paid a little more for it (not much, around $25.00), but it is well made and I am VERY SATISFIED! Skiper is using the box great and the box has sides.
Good Luck!
If you want this product, I would suggest going to Bed, Bath, and Beyond or PetSmart. If you have an As Seen on TV Store in your area, they have them there also!
don’t order this it’s a ripoff. I got charged for 2 potty patched for 185.55 when I only ordered one for 39.95
My mother-in-law ordered one and loves it! Her 2 yr old weiner dog will have NOTHING to do with it, but her 8 week old poodle used it the very day she got the dog! She is hoping the older dog will see the younger dog using it & get the idea.
I, too, have ordered the potty patch. I received a confirmation email that said it had been shipped on 5/31. When I check the customer status, however, it states it’s “in process”. I have yet to see the product on my doorstep. My order number is 36884201022125002. The payment has been processed, but I have nothing to show for it! I think this is a scam.
Potty Patch is available at Petco – so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of ordering online and not receiving it. Is this product really that bad if you rinse it off everyday? My dog is stuck inside for 11 hours a day while i’m at work and I want him to have a place to relieve himself other than newspapers. I hate that he has to be stuck inside for such a long period, but that’s how it is when you work full time. I see the reviews saying it stinks, but if I wash it everyday, really?
Thanks!
This would never work for my male chihuahuas. They only want to lift their leg and pee on something. They go in and out of the kitchen and if the door doesn’t magically open, they pee on the kitchen table leg. I put a zip lock bag on the table leg and tightened the top with a piece of tape and clothes pinned an old bath towel around the leg. Now they can go on the leg and I just replace the towel as needed. The table is saved and there’s no clean up.
I suggest that if anyone is wanting to try this product then buy at PetSmart. They have a money back guarantee for anything and everything in that store! Including food and treats. I just bought my potty patch today because I am moving to downtown San Diego and I worry about running into homeless people while I am walking my dog. I will update ya’ll when I know if this product works or not.
I ordered the potty patch and didn’t recieve it for three weeks, I check the site they give you for customers and my order said it was still pending. I went into the potty patch website and found their number to call. I don’t remember what it was but they answered and I explained that I am still waiting. They said They are still waiting on approval from the bank. So I gave them a different card and that one the bank authorized and I got my potty patch in about a 1week and 1/2
I got it because my dog get fleas attack after it rains and to get him away from being attacted by ticks.
So it rained here in chicago and My dog went straight to the patch and used it. and it was good , no pea on the floor and all in the tray. I poured it out into the stool.
But it rained again and this time he went to the potty patch and the pea was all over the floor on the side of the potty patch.
So I think it might be hard to get him to use it right all the time. It may not happen.
This sounded like a good idea but I think now maybe it is not worth the money paid for it. I think I should be cheaper.
I also ordered a dog bed from shiville.com. I am very please with it ,my dog loves it. They have some adorable pet beds and dog houses
I wish I would of known all this before I purchased the potty patch at Walgreens Now I am out the money and my dog probly wont even use it.
I ordered a pet park which is exactly the same as a potty patch from Pet Zoom and received a confirmation email. I wanted to reach them as the s&h was very high. It has now been 6 days and even though I haved reached the customer service dept. they have no record of my purchase. They advised me to contact my credt card company and IF I have been charged to disput the charges and have them call the company. Customer service said this has happened to several people.
Customer always have the right to dispute a charge when they have not received the item.
I bought the “potty patch” because I moved into an apartment so she no longer had freedom of a doggie door to go outside. She is also an old dog. Had to do some training to get her to use the potty patch. So it does work, but has some design issues. The biggest is the shallowness of the tray (about .25 to .5 inches deep with fake grass & grill removed. This makes it quit a balancing act to empty. Impossible to walk with and not make a mess. Maybe a bucket to pour into, but I decided to just use training pads in tray to make disposal easier. Also is not “odor” free after a while. Would not have bought this if I could change the past. Cheaper options – training pads with floor protector (walmart.com) or tractor supply had a 2ft by 2ft tray about 1.5″ inch deep for putting under hutches or coops that would make a better bathroom tray, but not be too high for a small dog to get into.
I bought this, and haven’t felt good about it since. It is smaller than I thought it would be, and I think it scares them. The postage was ridiculous and it took forever to receive it. I actually thought they lost my order (which I wish they did). But mostly they have disreputable companies using their site too. It signs you up for “My Advisor” and “Buyers Edge” who then help themselves to $1.00 each out of your checking account….so they sell you info. I have called those companies twice and have not gotten my money back. It may only be 2.00 they took but like I told them it is MY 2.00 not theirs….they are thieves!!! BEWARE!
I bought the Potty Patch in the As Seen On TV Store in a mall. It cost more than I expected, but I was desperate. My dogs don’t have any idea what it is for. The grass part slides around, if they did get on it, it might scare them. I guess I could try train them to use it.
After reading the comments I decided against this and went witht he guys idea of sod. I put in my house by the window where it can grow and one outside on my porch since I live in an apt. my dog uses the outside one but hasn’t caught on with the inside one. Im gonna try putting it where she pees now. The hard part is I never see her pee. I can smell it on the carpet but never have see her. she is slick.
I purchased the potty patch it took two months to arrive. I called the company several times and all the customer service agents were rude. I finally recieved it and my dog wont use it. He urinates next to it. lol
The item cannot be returned but you are not told that till it is shipped to you. Cool concept and may work for some, but it didnt for me
Surprised to hear about you saying the Ugo Dog system is uncomfortable — the one I have is very comfortable for my dog. But all dogs have to be trained to use them and I’m sure they have their preferences. My Danny knows when I say Go Pee what that means, and I think it helps if your dog understands these types of commands. I’m happy with Ugo though and do recommend it because the dog is not standing in their urine–some of it does stick to that artificial grass, as I mentioned.
I also braught the UGO DOG system, I t was a complete waste of money, my little puppy wouldn’t go on the grate and it was very un-comfortable not to mention no grass. I eventually did some research and got a another one called rascal dog litter box and i have so satisfied with it, it is so simple and easy to manage and clean and also their customer service is second to none. Every time I needed help with training I called the owner direct and she answers her calls straight away and helped me out with my questions. It took me a couple of weeks to train but I swear by it and in the end you got to look are you getting your money’s worth and the most importand thing is after service. and they can bought on http://www.rascaldoglitterbox.com. I hope this helps someone.
This is a follow up to my post of March 21. I received the new dog potty from Amazon that I mentioned in that posting. It’s called UGODOG Indoor Dog Potty. As I said, I don’t use dog potties inside–I live on the second floor of a condo and have a balcony with a patio door, and a removable sliding glass doggie door installed for Danny my Dachshund to go out when he wants. This is nice because he doesn’t have to hold it until I get home.
Anyway, I really like the Ugodog. It doesn’t have the artificial grass on top like the Potty Patch, but two small removable grates on top that are easy to clean off with a paper towel. Under the grid (which is comfortable for the dog I might add), I put papers and then a waterproof potty pad under that, same as with the Potty Patch. At some point I want to try a kitty litter liner with green pellets instead and see how that works. But for now, the newspaper words fine, and, unlike the Potty Patch (or any of the artificial grass dog potties), there was no odor. Everything is plastic and wipes off. The artificial grass dog potties like Potty Patch state that the urine goes right through the grass, but what they don’t tell you is that a lot of the urine clings to the grass and really smells after awhile. You find out just how much urine is there when you wash it off. Despite all my attempts to clean it, the urine smell never went away.
I put the Ugodog in the same place as I had the Potty Patch and at first Danny just looked at it, like what’s that? Where’s the stuff on top that you think I think is supposed to be grass. But I used positive re-enforcement, lots of good boys, go ahead and try it and eventually he did after I put him on it a few times. Now he goes there by himself. The urine goes right through the grates and the solids stay on top, which I remove immediately. Like I said, really easy to clean–wipe the top off with a paper towel and cleaning solvent or use sterile wipes, replace the paper and that’s it. The plastic tray was easy to wipe down too.
I was VERY happy to wrap up the Potty Patch and dump it in the garbage!
Well I know a lady who bought the potty patch for her chaweenie and she loves it. Its nice so when she goes to work she doesnt have to worry about the puppy. I am thinking of buying one but not from online as i can see thats not a good thing but from the as seen on tv store in my mall. It is the same price but no shipping. I am glad i didnt get it online.
Watch out for auto shipping Auto shipping is a scam in and of it’s self I have a friend that works in the industry and he tells me the following
1. Whether it is internet or a phone sale the auto ship is explained however it is never clear. They are trained to gloss over auto ships and just meet the FCC guidelines that keep them out of court.
2. This is true only for the 800 number call operators are standing by calls STAY AWAY FROM THE FREE OFFERS AT THE END OF THE CALL. They are trained to try and lull you in by using a very monotone voice and at the end of the statement saying “OK” real brightly. People they are reading you a CONTRACT and it IS binding The best way to not mess with these is as soon as they start hang up!!
I need to also let everyone know it took me 3months to even get the potty patch.Waiting that long and then being disapointed on top of it.Please do not buy!
I want to safe anyone from buying the potty patch.It is a waste of money.You can buy a plastic lid and puppy pads and have the same thing.All my dogs did was bark at it.They never would even use it.My cat liked the grass part.I gave them to my mom.She has to put a puppy over top of it for them to even get her dogs to use them.I purchased two.It costed me 137.50.They are small.You still have to buy puppy pads.You would be better of going to Lowes and buying a storage unit and using the lid and putting the puppy pads on top of it.If you want buy some grass it will not costed 137.50.It is a joke.I hope, I saved someone out there.Then they just took another 29.50 out of my account.I think it is for puppy pads.I was told the pads would be 9.99 a month.So now, I have to try and get that cancelled in the morning.To me it such a waste of money.I have learned never give out your credit card infromation.Just keep buying puppy pads if you have a little dog.I have a plastic shower curtain I use under my puppy pads.I have to wash it out but it safes my carpet.My two little dogs go to it.Just be carefull and please do not waste your money.Now days money is hard to get a hold of.I hope this helps anyone wanting infromation about the potty patch.Thanks a lot Angela
I’ve used the potty patch and also the larger Patio Potty, which both have the artificial grass. I started out my miniature dachshund on soil less sod since he was used to going on grass, and then got the artificial grass once he got the hang of it. I have to say, although there are exceptions, I don’t think most dogs are just going to use these products automatically–like, oh, hey, there’s the bathroom. You have to train them to use it.
Having said that, I really have problems with the artificial grass type dog potties. Having used two now, I can tell you that you will NOT want to keep them inside. I live in a condo and have the potty patch outside on my balcony and no matter how many times I’ve washed it, using Tide with bleach, anti-urine sprays, plus a few others, they STILL smell like urine. I use newspaper under mine with a waterproof pad under that, and you have to change the paper daily and wash the grass a lot. If you live in an apartment or condo, you need to be thinking about where you’re going to wash the grass, since you need a tub of some type or a place to take it to rinse out and clean.
Although I think it’s a bad idea to encourage your dog to go inside, I understand there are situations where that’s what you need to do. If so, I think you’d be best to just stick with potty pads and change them as needed, rather than using a potty patch-artificial grass type product.
I’ve recently ordered a new dog potty which is the same basis as the potty patch, but the top is a (paw comfortable) grill where they urine passes through to the paper below, so I think this will be easier to keep clean with better odor control, since the artificial grass on the dog potties hold the urine smell too much. I should receive it next week and am hoping it’s a better solution.
I bought the Rascal Dog Litter Box Little Squirt for my Yorkie! He took to it in a couple of days. I think it was the training spray that the company offers. I am very pleased with the product and the grass is machine washable. It costs about the same as Potty Patch. I like the sides on the box cuz it keeps him from hitting the walls. Very pleased with the product and would recommend it to anyone with little dogs. They have a bigger size coming out soon too. Not sure of the price – the company has not listed it yet. Looks like the box I ordered but in a tan color. Good Luck!
I went on AsSeenOnTv.com to look for PediPaws ($19.99) and saw the Potty Patch Ad. I was very excited to purchase as the weather where we live is crazy- from below freezing to severe thunderstorms. When I clicked on the Ad it opened up in a new window (red flag 1) and when I scrolled down to order, it immediately asked for my payment information without showing the price of the item (red flag 2). I was interested in the large size but the site did not list the price (red flag 3). I searched for reviews and came across doggies.com. I’m glad that I did!
I found Pedi Paws at Walgreens.com for half the price ($9.99) and it’s eligible for free shipping. It is also available in store. The Potty Patch is available at PETCO.com and is on sale for 20% off the regular price. What I’m gonna do is go to our local PETCO and see how it looks up close. If it looks good and is on sale in store, I’ll get it right away. But if not, I’ll purchase online.
Honu is a 10 week old purebred boxer puppy. I hope she likes it.
I will be posting this horrible incident at my blog to warn more people about such an incident. I am glad to have found this information.
I am so glad I read this info before I ordered. I was just filling out the info and I searched to see if I could find a cheaper one and I think I will try the sod idea. I have a little dog 3.1 lb choodle that tends to have accidents. How do you get the urine smell out of carpet? Sandi
Thank God I Found this web site.. I was going to orde the product. But I looked strange.. so I search for review.
I did notice that the page didn’t have any contact info
and
It ask you inmediatly to put a credit card with out knowing what is the total cost. This was an alert for me.
also I say you can order it from Bath& beyond. So If you really ready want to order this prodect.. maybe you can do it here.
Thank you all !
Hey Zoe – My baby was a bit intimidated too when I first brought it home. I initially sat on the floor next to it and placed her gently on it. I quickly praised her and gave her a lot of love. After that, I left it in the area where I knew I would keep it and just “ignored” it. After about a day or so, she began to “explore” the area. Once I knew she wasn’t so afraid of it, I left her gated in the room with it while I worked a 1/2 day. To my surprise, when I came home she had used it!
Hope that helps…
BTW – My baby is 1/2 Chuihuia!
Hey Elizabeth Grey – I’m NOT lazy.. As a matter of fact it’s the opposite. I HAVE A JOB. Ever heard of that?? Or perhaps you are just a jobless bum?? Perhaps you have never heard of duel training your dog??
I have just purchased a puppy patch for my Chug and she is doing VERY well with it. She only uses it when she is left in a specific room while I’m gone at work. The rest of the time she does got out, so she did gravitate to this very quickly! It’s clean and has not confused her at all about going out. I recommend it for anyone wanting a solution for your baby during long periods, other then keeping shut in a small kennel all day!
I have two of the indoor pet zoom potty pads and I did receive them rather quickly I just cant seem to get my chuihuia to use them he is scared of the grass what do I do
I have a 4 month old Maltepoo Thor, and he uses the potty patch to pee and poop at night. Only at night though, during the day he goes outside like normal. It’s a great product if you have the paitence for training. Sometimes when it’s stormy outside he can’t go out doors and then he’ll go use the potty patch. Everyone morning I wake up and he has used it. It is by no means a substitute for actual potty training just a helpful tool for those times when going outside isn’t possible. I recommend it for small and young dogs. Thank you Potty Patch your a life saver!
Kachine
i just bought the small potty patch at a local petco for 49.95 haven’t tried it yet but its now available in stores
Elizabeth, it has nothing to do with laziness. I’m a single parent in an apartment that is not about to leave my baby unattended at night to take the dog out to pee. It’s a solution for people who don’t have yards, who work, who have older dogs that can’t hold it and other scenarios. Thanks for judging without asking any questions – that’s the ideal laziness.
My Comment posted: “Trish on October 28th, 2009 1:40 pm” I had to move my posting… here’s the new permanent address: http://trishparr.com/potty-pan-for-dogs/
Thank you for your understanding and am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
I don’t get why any one orders the “As Seen On TV” stuff to begin with! Every item ends up at Walgreens or CVS. Why pay all those extra costs??
I read through all of the reviews and plan to go ahead and buy one this morning, only for rainy days. I have a sunroom so I can just put it in there and I doubt I would need it more than a day or 2 at a time. For $40 I have nothing to lose and if I don’t like it, I can return it easy enough.
Seems no matter what there is out there and you google review…you will find a lot of negatives and a lot of positives, so as long as there is a return policy, and there ALWAYS is if you throw a big enough fit…then I say go for it. I sure am!
To the people wanting the Potty Patch most of the local Petco Pet Stores now have it in stock. The price starts at $39.99.
Thank you
I purchsed this item from Walgreens. I live in an apt and thought this would be great since the neighbors don’t pick up after their dogs like they should. I put mine on the balcony and it worked like a charm. It has only been a week and he loves it.
Oh My God! I have heard and seen it all now! Good grief get off your lazy duff’s and take the poor dog outside. Yuck! This is gross! The most ridiculous idea I have heard of! Who wants to clean a tray of dog pee up? Train the dog to go outside! Lazy people!
You can buy this product in stores and I feel like that is the only way people should be doing business now anways. Spend your money locally and know that you’re getting your product. My mom and her bf just bought this today and I was trying to find some reviews. I didn’t find this helpful whate soever
I saw that my local Walgreens is now selling them for $29.99 I think. It was right inside the front door. I walked by, realized what I saw did a double take & laughed. No way I’d purchase off tv, especially after what I’ve read here but I have 2 small dogs that go through spells of going in the house especially when we go through big changes like my husband being deployed. This could (maybe) help save our wood floors so I’d consider since I can buy it locally.
BEFORE YOU BUY and all those who have bought:
Ask what the LEAD CONTENT of the grass mats are.
A reputable, dog-caring company will tell you the results of an independent lab analysis of the synthetic grass.
If they don’t, wont’t or can’t. Don’t buy. And if you have a dog potty, you should call who you bought it from and ASK THAT QUESTION.
I have a phone number for the Potty Patch.
1-866-518-2294.
I had ordered it, but now will cancel it, due to
everyones comments
I have had the Potty Patch for 2 days now, and have had our 8 week old Pom puppy for just as long. The reason I got it, is beacuse he just LOVES to pee on our living room rug. Well, I put the Potty Patch in the living room, and he went on it right away! The next morning, my wife said he got up, and went straight there to poop!!
Anyways, just love this thing for night time when we’re all sleeping. Great product. I bought mine at Canadian Tire in Canada, btw.
Oh, and btw, I already read the comment about washing the turf in a pillow case in the washing machine….I’m a little hesitant about that because we have a brand new high efficiency washer that uses very little water…I wonder if something that saturated with pee will come clean? I may just need to buy some heavy duty rubber gloves and get used to the shower method.