Thank YOU Doggies.com! Back in October 2009, my local Showcase (aka: As Seen On TV) store advertised the Potty Patch for sale for only $49.99 and $89.99, so I decided to “Google” the Potty Patch and see what I could learn BEFORE purchasing the product. Am I ever glad I took the necessary time to research the product!
Having found the doggies.com blog, and reading through all the comments (and there are several, so don’t go skipping any!) I decided to save my money AND frustrations, and NOT purchase the Potty Patch. And it looks so wonderful too.
The Tinkle Tray was mentioned in one of the comments, so… off to my search engine I went, and found Marj Kruger’s website straight away. Having read through her entire web page, I became sooooo impressed that Marj’s product is being made in America that I emailed her asking if she could export her product to Canada. Disappointingly, I never did heard back from Marj… so, off to my local Lowe’s store in Whitby, Ontario I went, equipped with a printed picture of Marj Kruger’s Tinkle Tray and measurements of 21” x 27” written on it… along with my dog’s present potty tray measurements, 20” x 34”.
Andrew (in the windows and doors department) at Lowe’s is in his last year of studying to become a structural engineer, so I KNEW I could depend on his ingenuity, along with his knowledge of parts that might be available within the store that would allow me to create my own version of a Tinkle Tray for my dog. I was right!
 Potty Pan |
 Label from utility tray |
18429 2×4 white egg crate styre(ne) $10.98 (used for ceiling light louvers) PLUS, 293486 22×34 modular utility tra(y) $9.98 (better known as a boot tray)… all for $20.96 (CDN) plus $2.73 taxes for a grand total of $23.69. I even pressed on the white egg crate styrene with my hand to make certain it would not hurt my dog’s paws… and it is fine.
All I needed in the way of tools to create my own Potty Pan was a pair of side-cutters and a marker pencil!
side cutters
Carefully marking EXACTLY the squares to cut with a marker pencil, I the cut the “egg crate styrene” to fit the utility tray. Then I lined the tray with newspaper and placed the trimmed piece of “egg crate styrene” on top… and voila! My dog now has his very own Potty Pan.
Homemade Potty Pan
This new Potty Pan now sits where a previous metal pan sat, in my laundry room… and it looks soooo much neater, considering I no longer need a towel just under the edge of the tray for my male dog to “wipe” his paws on.
If not for the post published at doggies.com, I too would have been an unhappy camper within weeks of purchasing the Potty Patch, considering the stench many pet owners complained of regarding the artificial grass top!
Indoor potties with artificial grass, I would NEVER recommend. But for those of you who do NOT have the time to make your own doggy potty, I fully understand and offer you THIS suggestion along with a comparison:
| WizDog | My homemade version | |
| Features | - Plastic tray and grate - All liquid is absorbed by newspaper under grate on Plastic tray - Newspaper stays under grate and cannot be shredded - All liquid waste is channeled through the grate to the bottom of the tray and absorbed by newspaper (optional), preventing paws from coming in contact with the urine - Keeps your dog’s paws clean and dry |
|
| Price | $39.95 USD | $20.96 CND |
| Tray size | Exterior measurement – 28″ L x 21″ W Inside measurement – 23.5″ x 15.5″ |
Exterior measurement – 33″ L x 19 ½” W Inside measurement – 29 ¼” x 15 ¼” |
| Pros | - Free dog training ebook with purchase (a $29.95 USD value) - 100% satisfied for any reason whatsoever within 30 days of receiving my product |
- No shipping & handling - No waiting for delivery |
| Cons | - Shipping & handling extra - Canadian purchasers pay $ conversion - Canadian purchasers need pay duty fees |
- Must have tools - No guarantee |
For those of you who prefer to simply purchase the WizDog click here. And, please, do come back and let me know what YOU think of the WizDog, once your puppy has had the chance to use it.
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Related post: Gourmet Dog Treats: Make Your Own Healthy Yam Yummies
It's interesting to see how easy it is for pet products to be over sold. Especially when you can do it yourself for less….and probably come out with a better product and a happier pet. Your instruction seems very straight forward and easy to follow. Great idea
thank you and thank you to the dog lady just about to buy a petzoo indoor doggie litterbox (dont know what to call it) for my little havaneese he hates the yard in our new house, must be too big for him now i hope this will solve our constant messs Heidi-NY State
Good article for others that want to make their own!
I purchased a Tinkle Tray from Marj's site and it is pretty much the same thing as above. (and it could be made for less in my opinion.. but where is the profit in that)
I don't mind spending money on a well made product.. and enjoy purchasing from people from my own country as Marj's Tinkle Tray is made in the USA! However, I really expected more than a DIY product.
Does your male dog ever pee over the edge of the potty pan? That is my concern with any of these type products, but I am going to try it anyway. I took in a very sweet little Yorkie boy that's 10 years old and I don't think he can hold it all day while I'm at work so I need to try something. Thanks for your help.
Your question is a good one Terry… and I have to say yes, my Nugget DID pee over the edge just yesterday…. and this is THE first time he has done this. I simply showed him how he has to keep four paws on the Potty Pan or this is what happens… and I showed him what he had done. I did NOT yell at him.
I truly believe that as owners, too many of us think our dogs too stupid to understand. I have NEVER accepted that of any of my pets, be they dogs, cats, or birds… and many of my friends and family thought I was "nuts" until they themselves witnessed the results I get from my pets when I treat them as intelligent creatures… that they are.
Your Yorkie is one lucky dog to have you as his caretaker. Most owners expect their pets to hold a full bladder for hours… when they themselves cannot do that. I wish you the BEST of luck.
Hello Andrea… my homemade potty pan works wonders, which is why I posted this on my personal blog… soooo, forgive my confusion but what exactly is it you are asking? At the very start of my posting here, you will see an active link to doggies.com's website so you can view all conversations there too.
Although, I found comments regarding animals behaviors as worthy. I found nothing to answer my questions as to whether these pet potties actually work. Can anyone give me some insight to this as I thought that was what this blog was about?
I have a 6 lb Toy Fox Terrier that has been using a potty tray indoors for the last 3 1/2 years. I used to have a water cooler next to it, it broke and I threw it away every since my dog will no longer go on the potty tray he will go in front of it. I do take him out 3 times a day with an older and larger 13lb Toy Fox Terrier that will hold it and go outside. The older one was not trained on a potty tray the smaller younger one has since he was 6 weeks old. I don't know why for the last 2 weeks he will not use the tray he has used for the last 3 1/2 years. Any help will be appreciated.
My Nugget was trained to go outside originally too.
Then…. one winter day when he was not even two years old, he decided the 6' x 4' swath of uncovered grass in the back yard (from snow) wasn't good enough to go on, so unknowingly to me, he decided to wander on down the street do his duty. I had made it a habit to sit by the side entrance, waiting for him to return once he was finished going. He was taking far too long this one day, so I immediately went out to the back yard, and no Nugget… and, the snow banks at the front were very high, and he wasn't readily seen from the end of my driveway.
Needless to say, I was frantic, dreading the worse, that he'd been dog-napped …and I immediately called a friend who lived nearby. I threw on a winter coat, as the friend was driving over to see if she could spot him from her end… and then, as I was heading out my driveway to walk north, Nugget appeared around the front edge of the house. I scooped him up rather quickly, hugging him thankfully, and tearfully telling him he was a bad boy. I told him he scared mummy!
After that incident, I told him he'd have to learn to go on the newspaper tray that I then setup for him to use. I had a metal tray from a rather large, previously used dog cage… the tray used to sit inside the cage. It was perfect for holding newspaper for my two female Maltese dogs I USED to have… so, now Nugget was being forced to use it.
At first, he'd hold his pee for long periods of time. Each time he'd ask me to go outside, I take him to the laundry room where his newspaper-lined tray was waiting, and I explained that he has to go pee on the try. It was only a few days later that he started using the tray without my having to tell him.
It helps to praise your dog when they do something they're supposed to… which I did on many occasions.
The potty-pan I created simply replaced the newspaper filled, metal pan.
At first, Nugget felt awkward about pooing on the plastic grid, but this year he's had no problem, just so long as I remove the poo as soon as he's left it.
Nugget has made a game out of his pooing now. Every morning after he's eaten his breakfast, he'll come and sit pretty, and when I ask him what he wants, he leans his head a little though to say "you know"… so I say, "you gotta' go poo?"… and then he's off like a shot, for the potty-pan.
Just as soon as he starts to poo, I tell him what a good boy he is, and then say "I'm going for toilet paper and I'll be right back." When I return, he's sitting just outside the laundry room door, waiting, and then I say "Good boy!" as I head into the laundry room to pick up his poo.
He does the same thing after his dinner at 9PM nightly.
And, if a piece of poo sticks to him, he's smart enough to wait beside the tray… and until I figure it out… so I can remove the piece of poo, so he can be free to wander from the laundry room again.
The main thing is to watch your dog's body language. It truly is a matter of THEIR training us.
This is a long way around answering your question… but I truly do NOT think your Toy Fox Terrier stopped using the potty tray JUST because the water cooler isn't there any more. Maybe the area it's more open now? Did he have privacy to pee before?
Nugget has sometimes peed beside the tray… and though I'm not certain because I haven't actually caught him doing it, I THINK it's the male dog habit of lifting one leg, while he's on the potty-pan that may have caused this to happen. Though too, this happens most often if I've failed to provide fresh, dry newspaper in the potty-pan… you know… the newspapers are extremely wet.
Hope this info helps you LB.
That’s not just the best answer. It’s the ‘bestest’ answer!
LOL! Thanks Raynes!
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Terrific read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually purchased me lunch as I uncovered it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thanks for meal!
You're very welcome Kowal… and thank YOU for directing your friend to my blog post!
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Thanks John! And I hope the DVD Decrypter post was helpful to you too.
This has to be THE best idea I’ve seen for making this product homemade. Wow! And, I love saving money! Thanks for sharing!
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WOW your page came up first in Google for potty pan. And this is exactly the what I was looking for. Cost savings… thaaaank YOU!
I’m impressed, I must say. Really hardly ever do I encounter a blog that’s both educational and entertaining. So many rants where you have hit the nail on the head too. The many issues you rant about, well, not enough bloggers are speaking as intelligently about. I am very glad I stumbled upon your blog.
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I’m excited about this cost saving idea for my dog’s indoor facilities. And, I especially like the no need for artificial grass. Thanks for posting this!
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Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to buy one of those commercial pans for our dogs. Thought we’d save by buying two at the same time from the same store. But your idea is even better. I’m very glad to see such great information being shared freely out there.
Cool idea, thanks!
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