My Review of the Porch Potty

If you did not read the previous post, let me fill you in on which Porch Potty this review is about. I purchased the Large PorchPotty Standard. This is the larger 2’ x 4’ (grass area) size, without the sprinkler system. It shipped with both the drain hose and catch basin, as well as with the little fire hydrant and an instruction booklet. I also opted for the Training Sod at 40% off with the idea that it would make training a dog who was used to going potty outdoors a little easier. They sell another model called the Porch Potty Premium, which is the addition of pop-up sprinklers. I just use a watering can – works fine.

The shipment arrived in two boxes, one very large box with the plastic base (one piece – no assembly required), synthetic grass, drainage hose, catch basin and instruction booklet. The second box, which was pretty heavy, contained the real “dirtless” sod. Set-up was as simple and as quick as it takes to unpack the box, put the catch basin under the hole in the center of the base and roll out the sod – just a few minutes.

I was disappointed in the condition of the sod – it was green around the edges but beyond that, it was brown and limp. I tried watering it and waiting a few days for it to spring back, but it was basically dead. I emailed Porch Potty Customer Care about the problem and they quickly responded, sending out a new piece of sod.

The sod ships via UPS and takes about 5 days to get to where I am in Florida. It had shipped on a Monday and did not make it here by Friday, so it sat in a UPS Hub until Monday. I am sorry to say that the second shipment’s days were exactly the same, so we received another piece of wilted, basically dead sod. I inquired about a faster shipping method other than Standard Ground service, but was told that it would cost approximately $80. No way!

Since I was training an older dog who was used to going potty outside, I tried to work with the sod since it smelled like the outdoors. The dog (a Scottie mix about 25 lbs) jumped right up on it, sniffed around and lied down like it was a new bed! I worked with her for about two weeks, even using the leash like we were going for a real walk, but nothing would get her to do her business on the new potty. I tried using Skip To My Loo attractant 125ml so that she might get the idea it was okay to go pee there, but that also failed with this dog. I tried both the half-dead sod and the synthetic grass, but neither worked.

So, in order to determine if it was the product, or the dog, I decided to bring the Porch Potty over to our condo balcony to use on my Pug, who has been trained to go on newspaper inside, as well as going outside. Before throwing away the sod, I decided to give it one last shot. After taking my dog to the porch, it took less than 5 minutes for her to go pee on the Porch Potty. Instant success!

The next test was to see if she would go on the synthetic grass – since getting good live sod seems to be out of the question. She did not hesitate to go on the synthetic grass either! I was so excited to see her use it that I started praising her like crazy – she was prancing around, so proud of herself – it was a funny scene.

So, to sum up the good and bad in my opinion:

The good -

The size is bigger than any other I could find (small dogs like room too).

The drainage system is nice – even the catch basin is large and sturdy.

The synthetic turf was nice and soft, with pre-punched drainage holes – very easy to clean.

Easy to set up.

Good Customer Service.

The bad –

The base is a bit flimsy towards the middle, so I do not see it working well for a 120 pound dog (as they claim). The 25 lb dog I tried it on got a little spooked when walking over the middle. My 15 lb dog though, was just fine.

The real training sod is on the expensive side, and may not arrive in the best condition depending on where you live.

The price seems a little high for what you get. (I would have been very upset spending that kind of money and having it not work for my dog. I am just glad I purchased it for my father’s dog, knowing my dog would probably take to it if it didn’t work out.)

I am glad I purchased the Porch Potty, since it is working out so well for our dog. I would recommend this product for those who are planning to train their puppies go go indoors or anyone who has a dog already indoor potty trained, however I have my doubts about the success rate with adult dogs who have always gone outdoors. I never needed the fire hydrant – and not sure how much good that little thing would do.