Do-It-Yourself Dog Potty / Doggie Litter Box / Pooch Porch Potty / Dog Toilet:
For many different reasons it can be useful to have a place for your dog(s) to relieve themselves either inside your house, garage, on a patio or just steps from your door. While there are dog potties available on the market, many are not adequate for larger breeds, nor are they of tough, rugged strength.
Building a dog potty is not difficult. The disadvantages to the following model are it's larger size and weight, and the fact that it can not be easily moved (unless you choose to add locking castors to the bottom - which is possible).
The advantages are ease of cleaning, durability and low odor (if kept up properly). For many, the size and weight could also prove an advantage over models that could become "toys" to a larger dogs.
For this project you will need a Shower Pan that will accommodate the size of your dog. For toy breeds, you can even find smaller utility-style sinks - but make sure the sides are low enough for your dog to get in comfortably.
The following picture is a basic model of Shower Pan - go with the cheapest one you can find. If you click on the picture it will link you to a cheap style I was able to find on Google.
You will also need some sturdy 4" X 4" wood to build a base..
...a rolling under-the-bed plastic (water-proof) storage unit (you won't need the top while it's in use)...
...and some gravel to fill your dog potty with - I suggest smooth river rock. Be sure to rinse it well before putting it in your dog toilet.
So: First - clean out the shower pan and make sure the metal screen is firmly in place on the drain.
Next, stack two 4"x4" boards, one on top of the other and secure with 3 - 5 brackets at regular intervals on both sides. You need two sets of these stacked 4"X4"s as they will become the "Legs" for the pooch porch potty.
Screw the shower pan securely to the stacked 4"X4"s and use calk around each screw to prevent leakage and rust. I suggest having the 4"x4"s on each of the long sides on a rectangular pan. Obviously it won't matter for a square pan.
Slide the under-bed-storage unit underneath the dog potty. This "catch-pan" will catch all the liquid. It is easy to roll into place, and easy to clean.
Fill your finished dog litter box with gravel - I suggest river rocks as they are smooth on your puppy's feet and easier to rinse off - but any mid-size gravel will do in a pinch.
If your dog is short in stature or elderly, you can put together 2 more 4"X4"s, lay it on its side and use it as a step to help Fido get into the potty more comfortably. The wood components of this dog potty should be either painted with exterior gloss paint or coated with a water sealant paint or stain to prevent rotting or the absorption of spilled urine.
Care and Cleaning of the Dog Potty:
Pick any solid waste off the rocks with a plastic bag or pooper-scooper and flush it down your toilet (or put it in the garbage - what ever works best for you).
On a daily basis, fill a bucket about 1/2 way with hot water mixed with a little bleach and pour it over the surface of the rocks.
Let it drain for a few minutes, then simply pull out the plastic "catch-pan" and empty the contents into a toilet. You may need to tip the pan and dump it into a bucket to prevent spills on your way through the house, or if you have kept the top the catch pan came with, put it on and roll it to the spot where you will empty it.
If you don't care to use bleach, there are other cleaning agents that are safer for the environment. As long as they kill the odor, they should be fine to use.
Now - to get your dog to use his or her new toilet:
Arm yourself with rubber gloves a paper towel, a plastic baggie and take your dog to where he/she normally urinates. When your dog relieves him/herself, absorb as much of the urine as possible with the paper towel and put it in the plastic baggie.
Back at your new doggie litter box, wring as much of the urine as you can over the rocks. Dogs are more likely to eliminate in a place where the smell of urine is present. In a pinch, human urine may work too (as gross as that may seem).
Take your dog to the potty every hour or so - and bring treats! If your dog "goes" in his/her new potty, reward him/her right away and offer lots of praise! Once a dog has actually used the potty, he or she is very likely to continue using it in the future.
Don't rinse out the urine from the dog potty until your dog has become comfortable using the potty. You can still empty the catch-pan during the training time, but leave the scent on the rocks for a day or two. Once your dog uses it regularly, you can thoroughly clean the dog potty without worrying about your dog needing the urine scent.
For many different reasons it can be useful to have a place for your dog(s) to relieve themselves either inside your house, garage, on a patio or just steps from your door. While there are dog potties available on the market, many are not adequate for larger breeds, nor are they of tough, rugged strength.
Building a dog potty is not difficult. The disadvantages to the following model are it's larger size and weight, and the fact that it can not be easily moved (unless you choose to add locking castors to the bottom - which is possible).
The advantages are ease of cleaning, durability and low odor (if kept up properly). For many, the size and weight could also prove an advantage over models that could become "toys" to a larger dogs.
For this project you will need a Shower Pan that will accommodate the size of your dog. For toy breeds, you can even find smaller utility-style sinks - but make sure the sides are low enough for your dog to get in comfortably.
The following picture is a basic model of Shower Pan - go with the cheapest one you can find. If you click on the picture it will link you to a cheap style I was able to find on Google.
You will also need some sturdy 4" X 4" wood to build a base..
...a rolling under-the-bed plastic (water-proof) storage unit (you won't need the top while it's in use)...
So: First - clean out the shower pan and make sure the metal screen is firmly in place on the drain.
Screw the shower pan securely to the stacked 4"X4"s and use calk around each screw to prevent leakage and rust. I suggest having the 4"x4"s on each of the long sides on a rectangular pan. Obviously it won't matter for a square pan.
Slide the under-bed-storage unit underneath the dog potty. This "catch-pan" will catch all the liquid. It is easy to roll into place, and easy to clean.
If your dog is short in stature or elderly, you can put together 2 more 4"X4"s, lay it on its side and use it as a step to help Fido get into the potty more comfortably. The wood components of this dog potty should be either painted with exterior gloss paint or coated with a water sealant paint or stain to prevent rotting or the absorption of spilled urine.
Pick any solid waste off the rocks with a plastic bag or pooper-scooper and flush it down your toilet (or put it in the garbage - what ever works best for you).
On a daily basis, fill a bucket about 1/2 way with hot water mixed with a little bleach and pour it over the surface of the rocks.
Let it drain for a few minutes, then simply pull out the plastic "catch-pan" and empty the contents into a toilet. You may need to tip the pan and dump it into a bucket to prevent spills on your way through the house, or if you have kept the top the catch pan came with, put it on and roll it to the spot where you will empty it.
If you don't care to use bleach, there are other cleaning agents that are safer for the environment. As long as they kill the odor, they should be fine to use.
Now - to get your dog to use his or her new toilet:
Arm yourself with rubber gloves a paper towel, a plastic baggie and take your dog to where he/she normally urinates. When your dog relieves him/herself, absorb as much of the urine as possible with the paper towel and put it in the plastic baggie.
Back at your new doggie litter box, wring as much of the urine as you can over the rocks. Dogs are more likely to eliminate in a place where the smell of urine is present. In a pinch, human urine may work too (as gross as that may seem).
Take your dog to the potty every hour or so - and bring treats! If your dog "goes" in his/her new potty, reward him/her right away and offer lots of praise! Once a dog has actually used the potty, he or she is very likely to continue using it in the future.
Don't rinse out the urine from the dog potty until your dog has become comfortable using the potty. You can still empty the catch-pan during the training time, but leave the scent on the rocks for a day or two. Once your dog uses it regularly, you can thoroughly clean the dog potty without worrying about your dog needing the urine scent.
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What's the estimated cost for this project?
ReplyDeleteCould this be installed like a real shower in a garage or basement? So you could directly use the floor drain for the urine and use a shower head to spray clean the fake grass?
ReplyDeleteThe river rocks are an awesome idea, I've been thinking of course fake grass and the idea of cleaning that seems massively labor intensive for a good sterile cleaning, the rocks are a simple rinse and at worst soaking. With the cost so low on rocks at home improvement stores, could even easily have enough to soak some while full amount in the 'potty' awaiting use. Great tutorial/info
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this is a wonderful article. Please keep posting so that we can acknowledge ourselves. keep it up with good work.
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