Potty Grass for Apartment Doodles - Are there cons to using them?

[Samantha & Charlie]

We live on a 3rd floor of an apartment complex with no elevators. To help with potty training, we put potty grass on the balcony and Charlie does wonderful with it. But I'm wondering if the grass is actually not helping with his training. He's 4.5 months and goes to pee every 30 minutes to an hour. Our balcony overlooks the community and I'm wondering if he just wants to pee so he can check out the area. He always has to see what is going on when he goes on the balcony.

I'm questioning this issue because I need to buy another potty grass product because I don't like the one we are using now. But the product I'm looking at is around $150. What do you all recommend I should do? Continue training this way or try and see if he can hold it (which I know he can't). He holds it in his crate for up to 5 - 6 hours when I'm running errands but still goes so frequent when he is out of his crate.

[Gail and Bailey]

Just some random thoughts........

Is there a reason you don't want Charlie "checking out the community" so often?  He is probably just being social and if it entertains him...why not let him out every hour?  You already know he can hold it for 6 hours and he will not lose that capability. Once you get him walking well on a leash it would be nice for him to be able to walk around the complex several times a day.  Then you could try letting him out on the patio without the grass and hopefully he will just be out there to "check out the community" and not to pee. How long do you foresee living on the third floor?  If you are not able to make the trip down and back as often as Charlie wants to go out...then my opinion would be buy the new patio grass and keep things the same.  If going out on the patio is fun for him and it is not a problem for you then keep things the same.  

Again...only my opinion!  Hopefully others will chime in.   Charlie is a major cutie!

[Samantha & Charlie]

I do not mind at all for him to go on the balcony. But every time he wants to go, he pees and goes right to looking at everything or vice versa. I can't tell if he just wants to go out to see the community because he pees every time he goes on the balcony.

So I was starting to think...is Charlie just peeing so he can check everything out? I mean, I don't mind, but I really wish he would hold it longer because I know he can.

We are living here at least till January. We are searching for homes now but we may be living on a second floor again (we are purchasing a duplex). But the second floor is much better than dealing with the 3rd floor and close to 40 steps.

But thanks for the "cutie" compliment! :)

[Joanne and Preston]

Hi Samantha,  Preston can hold his pee from 11pm to 7am everyday but when out of his crate he goes outside every 30mins to 1hr. and pees every time, looks around and comes back in.  I'm just happy he's going outside to pee. 

[Gail and Bailey]

If you are sure there is not a chance of his pee smell being on the patio then give it a try without the grass and see if he is just responding to the grass being there (most male dogs will not walk past something to pee on if they smell pee already there....just a "boy thing" I guess!)  LOL   Sounds like Charlie is the neighborhood watch dog and he really likes his job!  :)  

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I have a friend in Canada, who last winter, was going through the same dilemma. Rather than invest so much money on the potty grass products, she bought a few pieces of sod and laid that down on her balcony. Yes, the grass died, but the dog didn't seem to mind. She did replace the sod periodically.

[Karen & Maple]

Same dilemma. New puppy coming in December. We're on the third floor. I'm prepared for the additional exercise. But what about those really bad weather days? I too was going to purchase some actual sod. I figured even if I didn't use it on the patio, at least I'd have a grassish, albeit frozen, place for the puppy to go in the middle of Winter. I was going to throw a tarp over if it snows, and keep it under the patio. Some days here in the Boston area, there's nothing but big piles of snow and slushy pavement. But then a friend was able to get his hands on a couple of pieces of artificial field turf, brand new. The quality is better than any fake stuff I could buy, and is very 'grass like'. It would be nice to put one piece on the patio, but I'm afraid the pee will stain or damage the patio, made of composite material (fake wood). Anyone have thoughts on this?

[Samantha & Charlie]

[Samantha & Charlie]

My husband built that since most replicas cost over $150. He got the mat from Home Depot and built the box with a hollow inside (where cat litter can be placed). The grass is above the litter so the waste doesn't harm the grass and make it soggy.

[Pat and Traveler]

What a nice doggy potty!