NOTE:I wrote this review a year ago on Amazon for a nearly identical product by the same manufacturer, then called "Porch Potty Standard with Synthetic Grass". It appears that this product is now offered in a smaller size and is called "Small Porch Potty Standard". The only difference I can see between the larger version (that I own) and this smaller version is just the size. My original review has been updated slightly to reflect this and to include a year's worth of observations.
MY REVIEW:
This is the first time I have ever reviewed any item on any web site but I felt compelled to convey some strong feelings I have after having our dog use the large Porch Potty for the last year. We were desperate for something like this and needed a doggie potty to put on a second floor deck, exposed to the weather. Our previous doggie potty used kitty litter but proved impractical with the exposure to rain outdoors. We needed something that could get wet and it would not cause any problem.
Good Points:
The drain system works nicely, just as advertised. The drain hose is plenty long too.
I think that, given the modifications that I have made (see below), this device will suit our needs.
Neutral Points:
We own the larger version of this product that is 2 ft by 4 ft in size. This smaller version is half the size, 2 ft by 2 ft. Our 28 pound cocker spaniel moves around a little bit when he does his business and he just would not fit on the smaller size. Since this smaller size is marketed for dogs up to 30 pounds, you might want to consider a larger doggie potty if your dog is near the 30 pound size.
This is nobody's fault, but our dog does not seem to like stepping on the artificial grass if it is wet. Maybe if we used real turf this would not be an issue.
Bad Points:
The plastic base of the larger size model is fairly flimsy. The company states that it can hold dogs up to 120 pounds. Our Large Porch Potty was very springy when our 28 pound dog walked on it, so much so that it sort of spooked him. I had to install support brackets under the Large Porch Potty to give it enough support so that it does not "give" so much when he walks on it. I don't see how a 120 pound dog can use this, both because of the flimsy plastic base and because of the size (2 ft by 4 ft). The smaller size offered here (2 ft by 2 ft) probably does not have as much "springiness" by virtue of its smaller size, but that is just my guess.
The artificial turf was not cut to fit the Large Porch Potty very well. I had to cut almost one inch off one side to get it to fit inside the plastic base.
The artificial turf backing has holes melted into it so it will drain. This is a really good idea for obvious reasons. Unfortunately these holes were not cleaned out very well so I scraped off all the loose and melted pieces on the bottom of the artificial turf mat before letting the dog use it. This is not mandatory but I did not want to deal with a lumpy turf backing or loose turf pieces after the artificial turf had been used.
We purchased the built-in sprinkler option for our porch potty. The sprinkler system does work to wet the grass but I found it impractical. If our dog does #2, I really need a hose to clean up what I cannot scoop up completely. If I use the sprinklers, it takes too long to clean the artificial turf in the one spot where it was soiled. A hose just takes a few seconds. If our dog does #1, I could wait and not water down the area, but then that area starts to smell bad. So once again I use a hose to wash down the area just used. Again the sprinklers take too long to clean things up. Also, the sprinklers spray outside the Porch Potty, getting our deck and house wet. Bottom line is that I found the sprinklers impractical. Since I quit using them completely I removed them, plugged the holes in the plastic tray, and purchased an extra square foot of artificial turf to plug the two holes in the turf, effectively converting the Porch Potty Premium into a Porch Potty Standard. I now have a garden hose next to the porch potty and use it as needed. That is the way to go in my opinion.
There are four little rubber "feet" on the bottom corners of the Large Porch Potty plastic base, presumably to elevate it off the surface it is resting on so that only these four points touch the floor/deck. The Large Porch Potty was flimsy enough that the whole thing sagged and these feet were ineffectual. In fact one of them fell off. I installed my own rubber feet. It took about a dozen of them to adequately keep the plastic base off our deck's surface.
The artificial grass provided has pretty well lost it "spring" and sort of lays flat where our dog normally walks on it. This is probably more a cosmetic issue than a functional one.
#1 Major Bad Point This item is way overpriced for what you get. It is basically a molded plastic tray with a drain hose attached and a piece of artificial turf on top. If I were retailing this, I would put a price tag of $99 on it. It is plainly one of those items that you get mail order and think, wow, I paid way too much for what I just got. I was really disappointed that I sort of got ripped off from a price perspective.
I have no opinion on the included fire hydrant. We did not use it because our dog does not need it to be compelled to go.
I would think long and hard about purchasing any Porch Potty with the built-in sprinkler. Like I said, I converted back to the Porch Potty without sprinklers. That was about a $50 mistake given all the costs involved.
In the end, after the fixes made, it does seem to be working to meet the needs of our dog in our situation. But the problems with it make me drop its rating 1-2 stars. And, in addition, because of such a clearly inflated price, it really deserves to lose 1-2 additional stars. Thus, I give it a two star rating. In the end, given all its shortcomings in design and manufacture and its inflated price, I am still glad that we got it because it is now meeting our needs. It was just sort of an unpleasant road to get to this point.
Buy Small Porch Potty Standard Now
I have a chihuahua mix dog and I have to tell you this is the only product I could get to work for me without any major issues. Before this, I had tried pee pads which worked but needed constant attention and if she got bored, my dog tore them up leaving a huge mess. I also tried dog litter but again she liked to rip up the paper pellets and leave a huge mess. I tried similar products but they were very flimsy and she didn't take to using them; they also smelled really bad even if I rinsed it every day. It was a lot of work. I eventually bought the porch potty (I use the standard without sprinklers since I didn't think there would be a point) for her and she actually used it without any problems. I've had it for a year now and still in great shape. She actually prefers the porch potty even when she has a backyard. Check out the actual website for the porch potty for more reviews as well. I am definitely happy with my choice.PROS:
* Very nice design
* A good size for smaller dogs (should watch your dogs bathroom habits because my dog likes to move around while she's doing her business as well but since she is only 8lbs there is ample room on this small size)
* Much easier to clean than many of the others
* Easy to use
CONS:
* Definitely the price for what you get but well worth given the right circumstances such as indoors, high apartment floors, hard to train dogs, etc.
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