Background

My 1.5 year old Italian Greyhound, Teagan, has been using the Pup-Head dog potty for about a month. She was already house broken and used to using other indoor potty solutions before we got the Pup-Head potty. In the past we have used the UGODOG potty as well as “pee pads” and a litter box. Most recently we were using the UGODOG potty, which worked well for us until one day when Teagan got her toenail stuck in the grate. After that she was afraid to step on the UGODOG potty and as a result would go to the bathroom elsewhere. This forced us to look for other solutions and we picked the PupHead potty.

What is the Pup-Head

The Pup-Head potty is manufactured by PupGear Corporation, a company specializing in “travel and recreation products for dogs.” In 2003 they began selling the Pup-Head potty as a doggy bathroom solution for your boat (get it, head=bathroom!). The Pup-Head design is very simple – it is a heavy duty plastic tray with a sheet of special synthetic “Pup-Grass” on top. The dog goes to the bathroom on the grass as if they were outside. The poop sits on top for easy pick up and the pee filters through the grass into the drainage tray. I promise this is not as gross as it sounds. The Pup-Grass is made of some special synthetic material that is antimicrobial and helps keep smells to a minimum. It is also has a special scent that dogs can smell that attracts them to the grass. I don’t believe humans can smell the odor though. The Pup-Head comes in two sizes, the regular is 20″x30″ and the large is30″x40″.

Dogs Reaction

My dog took to the Pup-Head right away. As I mentioned she already had experience using indoor potties so this was not much of a stretch for her. She does however really seem to like the potty and seems to run over to use it more than necessary just because she can.

Cleaning

The Pup-Head needs to be cleaned regularly. Whenever the dog poops I pick the poop up with a tissue and flush it down the toilet. I clean the potty itself about twice a week. First, you need to rinse the grass. Then you soak it in the sink for 5-10 minutes and hang to dry. PupGear sells a special cleaning solution for the Pup-Grass or you can clean the grass with a bleach and water solution [Update: I would not recommend using bleach, when bleach reacts with urine the gas is toxic. Stick to an enzyme cleaner.]. To clean the plastic base you just empty the pee into the toilet and wipe the tray down with your preferred bathroom cleaner. The potty is about 5 pounds making it easy to lift but it can be a bit awkward to carry.

Whatever this grass is made of is magical as it seems to block almost all the urine odors. I do not start to smell the pee in my house until it has been sitting 4-5 days.

Comparison to other solutions

When Teagan first came to us she was litter box trained. This was easy to clean as you could simply scoop the litter like you would a cat box. However, this solution is not practical with a young hyper dog. During the day Teagan would jump in and out of the box sending litter all over the house. The upside to the litter box is that it is cheap.

The second solution we tried, “pee pads,” were also a cheap solution. Unfortunately, The pads did not work out very well for us because the pads would move around the room as the dog stepped and ran over them. The pads also were not that absorbent and if the dog stepped in the peed on spot it would get on her feet and track through the house. The third problem with the pads were that they are level with the floor and the dog could not discern whether she was on or off the pad. She often peed on the very edge or just off the side of the pad by mistake. With the Pup-Head it is very clear to her if she is on or off the grass.

The third solution we tried was the UGODOG potty. This is similar to the Pup-Head potty but instead of the grass it has a plastic grate on the top. The solutions worked well for us until Teagan got her toe nail caught in the grate and was scared off from the potty. The UGODOG is about a third of the price of the Pup-Head and is easier to clean. You simply have to empty the pee into the toilet and wash the plastic – no grass to soak. However, without the grass to cover the pee it is exposed to the air and will quickly smell if not emptied daily.

Conclusion

Overall the Pup-Head potty has been the best solution for our lifestyle. In an ideal world I wish my dog could have constant access to the outdoors to do her business. Unfortunately, this is not possible for our family. An indoor potty has become a must for us and it has simply been a case of finding the right solution. The Pup-Head is the most expensive solution we tried and may be the most time consuming to clean. Ultimately, though, Teagan made the choice for us as this is the potty she has taken to quickest and has become almost entirely accident free.

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Prior to the Pup-Head we used the: UGODOG Potty
Looking for a potty solution for your cat? How about the CatGenie.