Traveling Nurse Porch Potty Story

By Maria Posted in dog care, Porch Potty / No Comments »

Being a traveling nurse, I see a lot of different apartments and corporate houses. Some of them can be a little small, but it always seems to be enough room for me and my Sue. She’s my little traveling companion, and being a Shih Tzu, she doesn’t take up much space at all. So wherever my business takes me, she happily tags along.

photoBecause I can’t take her into the clinic with me, Sue has to stay at the apartment during the nights. Since I can’t be there to let her out during those hours, I went ahead and invested in a Porch Potty so that she doesn’t have a bursting bladder by the time I get home from my shift. She is well housetrained, and actually didn’t like the idea of doing her business inside the room at first. After a bit of finessing, she began using it rather than waiting for me to let her out. We still go on our daily walks before I head off to work, so she can sniff the sights and I can get  a breath of fresh air (without the smell of a doctor’s office surrounding me!).

As it turned out, getting out and getting hold of that fresh air actually let me notice something. Spending a lot of time inside, you don’t realize the difference, but the potty actually has a bit of smell to it after a while. I guess that would be normal, but I looked online to see what to do with the smell.

It turns out, the Porch Potty actually has something to specifically address the smell and get rid of it. At first, I was a little worried that it might discern Sue from wanting to potty there, and she’d end up holding it until her little bladder burst. Turftastic said it was specifically designed to avoid this problem, so I gave it a try, and it worked. The smell was gone, and I always get my pet deposit back now.

Now when I have to pack my Porch Potty up, it won’t smell too funny and stink up the car while Sue and I are out on the road.

Stairs are Hard to Manage

By Maria Posted in dog care, Porch Potty / No Comments »

I’ve been looking into grass litter boxes for my pup for a while now and finally went ahead and bought one. I was skeptical at first, but I’m quite pleased with the results. I’m still quite active, even though I’m retired now. I live in a three story apartment complex, but luckily I have a second floor room. I don’t mind the stairs too much, and I still spend many hours of the day researching online for my daughter’s small business. Since I’m retired, it’s fun and it beats sitting around and doing much of nothing.

photoUnfortunately, when it rains, the stairs do become a little slippery, and even though I have an umbrella, getting up and down them to let Donavan do his business can be a little scary sometimes. Since the complex has a leash law (and they enforce it) I can’t let my pup go potty outside on his own. He doesn’t much care for the rain either, and we end up walking around for a while before he finds a bush dry enough to accomplish his mission.

I still enjoy the daily walks with Donavan, my Dachshund, and I’m sure he enjoys saying, “Hello” to the ladies on the block. But during the daytime, it can be hard for my joints to walk up and down the stairs to let Donavan out when nature calls. So I went ahead and invested in a Porch Potty which both of us like very much. I preferred the synthetic grass, and it’s easy enough to keep clean. Even Donavan has enjoyed his new indoor plumbing and doesn’t have to wait for me to make my way down the stairs. He just hops on and hops off whenever he needs too.

It’s definitely saved me some inconvenient exercise, and I can focus on work without worrying about a puddle on the floor. He’s a good pup and house trained, but on occasion he has been known to saturate my carpet. Now that the Porch Potty is there to help out through the day, I don’t have to worry about getting out in the rain or finding any surprises on the carpet.

Benefits of Housebreaking your Dog

You love everything about your dog except the fact that he keeps leaving urine and poop inside the house. If you have accepted that this is how dogs are, you might want to reconsider that thought. Dogs are naturally playful and can be really messy, but with the right training they can develop habits to your advantage.

photoBefore you consider teaching him any tricks, you want to housebreak him first. Teaching him to urinate and defecate in a spot most convenient for you is something any dog owner aims for. Imagine the convenience at your hands when your dog knows where to go when nature calls. You no longer have to worry about leaving your dog alone and coming home to the smell of dog urine.

Having a housebroken dog will let you fully enjoy your pet. You will have more playtime together instead of spending time cleaning up the mess he did inside the house. There won’t be any need to cover your furniture with plastic or newspaper to safeguard from your dog’s urine or feces. Also, your home will be more accommodating to guests if you are someone who expects them every now and then.

Having a dog around is indeed beneficial to your well being, and housebreaking him will further improve the way you live with your dog. Making your home free from any dog mess will also prevent any disease that you might get if there are residues left inside your house.

Dog Litterbox To Potty Train Your Puppy

You just got yourself a cute puppy and now there is urine on your favorite carpet. You read about housetraining puppies but your living condition makes going up and down a building too much for you. There is another way to housebreak a dog; by using a grass dog litter box.

The benefits of using a dog litter box are mostly for convenience. If you live in high-rise buildings or where lawns are not accessible, using a dog litter is your best bet. You want to start training your puppy as soon as possible and before he marks a spot in your house where he eliminates.

photoHere is what you need to housebreak your puppy using a dog litter box. Choosing a dog litter box is essential. Consider your dog’s breed and how big they get when they age. You want to get a litter box that is large enough to walk around on and one that will last a lifetime. Consider the potty’s surface lining.

Using one that has a grass lining is good because it imitates that of real grass. With this lining, it is easier to clean up after the puppy. Once the puppy is familiarized with the material, your puppy won’t have any problems of eliminating once you’re outdoors. Make sure to have cleaning materials at bay to clean the dog potty area after they eliminate. It is best to always keep your litter box clean.

After you have all the materials to potty train your puppy, you can now start training him. Consistency is key to successfully potty training your puppy. You can start by introducing your puppy to the dog litter box, let him sniff around it. Schedule your puppy’s meals to get an idea when he eliminates. Dogs eliminate minutes after every meal. Best practice is to follow your schedule closely. After meals, bring him to the potty and wait for him to eliminate. Get in the habit of praising him when he does something right, especially when he does his business on the dog litter box. If you catch him doing it on the wrong place, just give him a firm “no.”

When potty training your puppy, remember that you have to be consistent in training him. Make sure you have your full attention on him to avoid and prevent any “accidents.” If you think that your puppy is about to go, bring him to the dog litter box until he gets familiar with the spot. Consistently praise him when he does a good deed to help him develop the right habits.

Dog Bladder Problems

Some of the more usual dilemmas that pet owners encounter are dog bladder problems. This is usually a cause of concern and anxiety for many pet owners and lovers.

The very first thing you will need to do once you observe that your dog/puppy might be having bladder issues is to immediately consult your veterinarian so you can rule out any possibility of the bladder problem as a symptom of a medical problem like bladder stones, UTI, urinary incontinence or even bladder cancer which can lead to your dog’s demise if not treated right away.

Here are some of the more common dog bladder problems usually encountered:

Excited Puppies

Puppies are very excitable and tend to miss their owners a lot most of the time. This involuntary urinating usually happens when the puppy’s owner goes out for a while and when they return, the pup urinates in a frenzy of excitement when it sees its owner. Be patient of the puppy, it may just outgrow this behavior or you may find a way to control it. Don’t scold your puppy for this as it is still learning to adjust.

Aging Dogs

Dogs get old and this might be a reason for the dog bladder issues you might be having with an old dog. Again, be very understanding and patient of your pet. At this point in his life, he will need your love and care. What you can do, is to take your old dog to your vet so you will already know if his bladder problems have something to do with his age or if he has some medical conditions that can still be addressed with treatment.

Abused Canines

Dogs that have been subject to animal abuse might urinate involuntarily when faced with certain situations in his every day routine. Be sure to be really patient and be gentle with these dogs and soon they will get over their “fears” and become faithful companions.

Whatever the reason for the bladder problems your dogs are encountering, due diligence is really needed on your part as the pet owner so you can spot these problems on and help your dog live a longer and healthier life.

Training Your Dog to Use the Porch Potty

By Maria Posted in Porch Potty / No Comments »

Yes siree, Bob! Now even apartment and condo dwellers can have a dog without having to worry about bathroom trips outside. There is a great alternative to daily walks to the park or around the block. I’ve done my research, and this is the best of them all.

I’m talking about the Porch Potty! This is the ultimate solution for urban dogs and their owners. Why? Well, the Porch Potty is:

photo* Easy to use. It’s the only self-cleaning canine potty box on the market.
* Convenient. Your dog will only have to walk to the balcony or porch to do his business.
* Affordable. Say goodbye to costly pee pads or replacing your lawn due to urine burns.
* Proven. Hundreds of happy customers have confirmed how quickly their dog started to use the Porch Potty.

If you live in a condo or apartment, not having a yard for your dog can be frustrating. You have to take him out several times a day down the stairs or an elevator. With the Porch Potty, it’s like having a piece of yard on your porch, deck, or balcony.

The Porch Potty comes in two models: Standard and Premium. The former has a drain system, while the latter has the drain plus an automated rinsing system. Choosing between the Porch Potty Standard and the Porch Potty Premium is easy. If you don’t have a hose connection, go for the Standard version, which you can water manually. Just pour a gallon of water over the grass one to two times a week.

Whether you go for the Standard or the Premium model, the included synthetic grass is great for years of use; it stays fresh and odor-free with clean water poured over it. The synthetic perforated waterproof nylon grass looks and feels like the real thing. To flush urine, simply water the grass with a watering can or the Premium built-in sprinkler. The liquid waste will go down the 14-foot drain tube, which you can lead to a nearby rain gutter, floor drain, or planter area. No flimsy pans that need emptying here!

Still, the best way to train your dog to use the Porch Potty is with real grass. You can use the special soil-less training sod for the first three weeks of training, then switch to the synthetic version for years of maintenance-free grass.

Which Dog Potty Does a Famous Dog Star Use?

By Maria Posted in Porch Potty / No Comments »

A certain portable dog potty has received the paw print of approval from a famous dog star! Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog just loves his – in fact, he thinks it’s the best canine litter box he’s ever seen (at least, his owner thinks so)!

photoThis bulldog on wheels has been using the Porch Potty not just at home, but also when he’s on the road for shows and special events. The Porch Potty is a new portable dog potty, and Tillman had his with him at this year’s Rose Bowl Parade, where he was invited to ride a float and show everyone his skateboarding skills. If you saw the parade, you may have noticed that there was a skateboarding rink on the float, and in the middle of the rink was his Porch Potty.

Why does Tillman and his owner love the Porch Potty so much? First of all, it’s lightweight and portable, so they can bring it with them anywhere. It can also hold real or synthetic grass, which dogs have a natural instinct to potty on. And probably the most important factor of all for dog owners is that it’s easy to clean! The automatic sprinkler system and drain makes maintenance a breeze. Who wouldn’t be impressed by the Porch Potty?

Most canine litter boxes only have a catch pan or tray to collect and hold the urine. This means that you will have to clean up the mess! And regularly, too, or else it will start to smell. On the other hand, the Porch Potty features a complete, patented drainage and sprinkler system that is built in and does pretty much all of the cleaning up for you. Plus, the Porch Potty is made of plastic with UV protectant, so it won’t fade or yellow even after more than a decade. It also won’t mildew, rot, or absorb odors, bacteria, or moisture. That sure sounds like my kind of potty!

The Porch Potty has all these features and more, all for one of the most competitive prices on the market today. You also get a bunch of freebies with each purchase. Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog definitely has good taste!

Porch Potty Review: What Makes it Different?

The Porch Potty has only been out in the market for over a year, yet it has already gained much popularity among dogs and their owners!

Pet owners who live in an apartment, high rise, or anywhere that doesn’t have easy access to the outdoors are going to love the Porch Potty. Just imagine, you don’t have to go down flights of stairs or take the elevator whenever your dog has to go to the bathroom! Fido only has to head to the balcony to do his business.

photoThe Porch Potty is a great housebreaking tool as well. Because it has a grassy area and dogs have a natural instinct to pee and poop on grass, the Porch Potty makes it easier to toilet train your pet. It’s a real life saver – or a carpet saver. Either way, you won’t have to spend time, money, and energy cleaning your carpet every now and then to get the stain and smell out.

So by now you’re probably wondering what makes the Porch Potty different from all the other doggie litter boxes out there, right?

There are four factors that make the Porch Potty stand out above the rest:

1. You can use it with live training sod.
2. It is the only grass potty box with a built-in drainage system so you don’t have to worry about overflowing catch basins!
3. It is capable of watering and draining itself – all while you sleep!
4. The price is competitive; you get value for your money.

What really impressed me about the Porch Potty is how easy it is to clean. The Premium model has a sprinkler system that sprays a gallon of water all over the grass. After a minute of soaking, the water is drained. And it’s all automatic! How neat is that? There is no need to worry about any odors, and you don’t have to empty catch basins full of urine. This is definitely good news for all dog owners.

The Porch Potty can accommodate canines of all sizes. For bigger breeds, the larger version covers 8 square feet of grass area and can hold up to 120 lbs. It also has two sprinkler heads so cleanup is not a problem!

Why Every Dog Owner Needs the Porch Potty

Imagine for a minute that you live in an apartment. With a pet dog. On the ninth floor. Today, it is snowing, and freezing outside. While you can go to the bathroom whenever you need to do number one or number two, what about your canine friend?

On a day when the weather is nice, it is already quite a hassle to go down nine stories whenever your dog has to relieve himself. What more during winter? Before you can step out the door, you’ll need to put on your coat, scarf, and snow boots first. Then you’ll have to carry your dog outside and freeze your butt off while you wait for him to finish his business. You get the picture.

photoLet’s envision a different scenario. You’re still an apartment dwelling dog owner who lives on the ninth floor. And it’s still winter. But now, whenever your dog has to pee or poop, he goes to his litter box called the Porch Potty. By himself!

I don’t know about you, but I prefer the second scenario. Life as a dog owner is a lot easier and more convenient with the Porch Potty.

The Porch Potty looks like an elevated area of grass on a white plastic platform. The grass is synthetic, but you can order a live training sod if your dog is still in the middle of the toilet training process. Also included in the kit is a cute scented fire hydrant to attract your pet and give him something to aim at.

So where does all the liquid waste go? The urine and water (for cleaning) goes through the grass and down the built-in drainage, which is then either collected in the indoor catch basin or flows straight through the drain hose, the end of which can be placed by a gutter or flower bed.

The Porch Potty Premium features an automated rinse and drain system so it pretty much cleans itself. You can even set the time when the sprinklers will come up to rinse the grass. Nifty, no?

When it comes to dog litter boxes, the Porch Potty is unmatched in terms of convenience, sanitation, and style. And it’s not just for apartments – the Porch Potty is a great addition to any dog owner’s home.

Potty Training An Older Dog With Porch Potty

You may have read or heard several tips on how to potty train a puppy, but what if you have an older dog who still hasn’t perfected dog potty training and who thinks your whole living room is a dog litter box? Well, the best thing to do is to let your older dog go through the same techniques that you would use with a puppy.  You may have to be more firm and yet patient with your older dog, because he may not welcome the idea of forming new habits.

photoWhether you are house breaking a puppy or training an older dog, consistency is the key.  You should not expect results if you keep changing the rules, or if you, yourself can’t keep the training schedule for potty training.  If you think you will have a hard time keeping the schedule, perhaps it will do you and your dog more good if you will hire a special dog trainer who can help you train your dog.

Most dog owners find that using crates as a dog potty training tool can teach their dogs to go outside when they feel they have to go. Dogs will not pee nor dirty the places where they live, so this is one way of letting your dog know that he should go outside the house to relieve himself.  For older dogs that were never in crates when they were puppies, putting them in one may be a surprise to them, and they may consider the crate more of a punishment rather than a training tool.

In such cases, it will be easier to use a Porch Potty to train your dog to go to a specific area when he feels he has to relieve himself.  The Porch Potty is made of artificial grass which can be easily cleaned by connecting it to a water source.  It has a self-cleaning mechanism, which makes it easy to clean and maintain.  Once your dog gets used to the idea of using a Porch Potty, reward him every time he uses it.  This could be in the form of a hug, sweet words, or food.

You can make dog potty training a lot easier if you follow a routine which your dog could get used to.  Never scold your dog when accidents happen.  This will cause him to be anxious, and he may start showing signs of anxiety by putting his nose on his pee or poop.  Whenever he visits his Porch Potty dog litter box or goes outside to relieve himself, praise him for doing a good job and then give him a treat, like a hug or a toy or even food.

Older dogs may be harder to train than puppies, so you would have to be more considerate towards your dog.  You can make dog potty training enjoyable for your older dog by showering him a lot of love and affection as he goes through the learning process.