Indoor Dog Toilet Mat - Grass Training Pad with Tray

For when going outside is not an option, or is no longer easy.

An indoor toilet mat with a layer of artificial grass over a catch tray. Two households use it most: puppies who are not fully trained, and older dogs who can no longer wait through the night. It also earns its keep in a flat with no garden, and in the stretch of winter where nobody wants to be out at 6am.

GRASS, BECAUSE DOGS PREFER IT

Dogs are trained by surface. Artificial grass feels closer to the real thing than a paper pad, which is why most dogs take to it faster and why it helps rather than hinders outdoor training later.

FOR OLDER DOGS

An old dog having accidents indoors is usually not a training problem. It is a dog who cannot hold on as long as they used to, or who cannot get to the door in time, or who no longer reliably asks. A mat near where they sleep removes a long night-time journey they may not make.

It also removes the part owners find hardest, which is being cross about it. The dog is not being defiant and frequently does not know it happened.

Read this first, though. New incontinence in an older dog is a medical sign, not a furnishing problem. Urinary infections, kidney disease, diabetes and arthritis all cause it and all are treatable. So does canine cognitive dysfunction. See your vet before you accept it as permanent. This mat manages the consequence; it does not address the cause.

THE TRAY IS THE POINT

Liquid drains through the grass into the tray underneath rather than sitting on the surface or reaching your floor. Lift the tray out, empty it, rinse it, put it back.

NO REFILLS TO BUY

Unlike disposable pads there is nothing to reorder. Rinse the grass layer and reuse it.

SPECIFICATIONS

Three parts: artificial grass layer, inner grid, catch tray. Colour green. Weight approx. 1kg.

CARE AND CLEANING

Empty and rinse the tray daily. Lift the grass layer out and rinse it under a tap or shower head every few days, and let it dry fully before putting it back. Mild soap is fine; avoid bleach, as the smell puts dogs off using it.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What size dog is it for?
Puppies, small and medium dogs. A large breed will overshoot it. If your dog is bigger than a spaniel, this is not the right product, and that applies to an old Labrador as much as a young one.

My older dog has started having accidents. Will this fix it?
It will manage it. It will not fix it. Sudden incontinence in an older dog warrants a vet visit first, because a good proportion of causes are treatable and the dog is often uncomfortable.

Will it confuse toilet training?
It can, if you use it as a permanent substitute for going outside with a young dog. Used as a backup - overnight, bad weather, while a puppy finishes its vaccinations - most owners find it helps rather than hinders. For an older dog who can no longer hold on, that concern does not really apply.

How do I get my dog to use it?
Put it where they already go, take them to it after meals and naps, and praise them the moment they use it. Do not tell them off for accidents elsewhere; it slows everything down, and with an old dog it is simply unfair.

Does it smell?
Not if you empty the tray daily and rinse the grass every few days. Left longer than that, any indoor toilet will.

Which cleaner should I use on accidents elsewhere?
An enzymatic pet cleaner, not ordinary household spray. Most household cleaners contain ammonia, which smells like urine to a dog and marks the spot as a toilet.

GUIDES

Toilet training a puppy in a flat, when there is no garden
Dog dementia: what canine cognitive dysfunction actually looks like
When is a dog actually old?

DELIVERY

Dispatched from our UK warehouse. Delivery is typically 3-5 working days.