How to Make an Indoor Bathroom Potty for a Dog

Dog lovers live in townhouses, condos and high-rise apartment buildings. Taking the pet out at least twice a day̵2;frequently more often than that̵2;and making it outside before the animal needs to defecate is difficult for pet owners relying on slow elevators. Learning how to make an indoor bathroom potty for a dog is a good alternative to taking the pet outside for elimination. The materials are easy to locate, and training the dog to use the indoor potty is simple.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Writing pad
  • Plastic tray
  • Puppy pad
  • Substrate
  • Zipper storage bag
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the area in the bathroom where you will place the potty for the dog. Write down the measurements on the pad. This information is crucial when shopping for the materials that make up the dog potty̵7;s frame and filling.

    • 2

      Purchase a sturdy plastic paint tray or shallow tub. The tray needs to be as long as the dog̵7;s body. It should not be so deep that the dog has to strain to get in. Three inches is usually tall enough to hold all the items that complete the dog̵7;s indoor potty.

    • 3

      Place a commercially available puppy pad into the tray. This pad is absorbent and prevents any urine from escaping the tray. It also acts as a non-skid base for the toilet substrate of your choice. Even better choices are the pads that also feature a chemical attractant, which makes the potty more interesting to the dog to explore. This is especially important for the dog that has never defecated inside the home before and might have an ingrained aversion to eliminating indoors.

    • 4

      Add a toilet substrate and place it on top of the puppy pad. Choose a substrate that will be similar or identical to the kind of substrate the dog will encounter when defecating outdoors. For example, a dog with access to grass should have a piece of sod in its indoor bathroom potty, while a canine that will mostly encounter soil or gravel should find these items on top of the puppy pad. This makes it easier for the animal to switch off between indoor and outdoor elimination.

    • 5

      Maintain the indoor potty. Learning how to make indoor bathroom potty for a dog is only one step in training the animal to eliminate inside the home; maintaining it properly is the second step. Avoid cleaning the potty so frequently that the natural scent of urine is completely lost. The dog may need the scent to remember what the item in the bathroom is used for. Remove solid waste with a zipper storage bag as soon as you notice it, but only replace the puppy pad after a few uses.