No yard and a puppy or small dog? Start with the Fresh Patch Real Grass Pee Pad: real, hydroponically grown grass you toss when it's done. Dog over 15 lbs? Bigger sizes are on the same Amazon page, up to an XL for dogs 30 lbs and up. Puppy training? Amazon Basics pee pads, with a built-in attractant. Want something you can wash? Rocket & Rex reusable pads.
In this guide
For a puppy or small dog with no yard, start with the Fresh Patch Real Grass Pee Pad: real grass you toss and replace every 1 to 4 weeks. Training a puppy? Disposable pads with a built-in attractant. Done buying pads? Washable ones.
Watch out
Don't punish accidents next to the pad. Clean them with an enzyme cleaner so the smell doesn't pull your dog back to the same spot.
Grass, bark, disposable or washable?
Pick by the chore you'll put up with: replacing, tossing or washing.
Real grass: The closest thing to outside, so it's an easy bridge to outdoor potty later.
Real bark: Lasts up to 4 weeks for one dog. Keep a dustpan near it for the odd stray piece.
Disposable pads: The easiest start for puppies. You throw one away at every change.
Washable pads: No pads to keep buying, but you do the laundry.
Our picks
11.Apartment dogs without yard access: For a small dog with no yard: Fresh Patch real grass pee pad
Real, hydroponically grown grass with no soil. When it is done, the whole thing goes in the trash.
Skip it if: You can't keep up with the laundry. Go grass or disposable.
How to get your dog to use it
Put it in one spot and leave it there. Moving it restarts the lesson.
Take your dog to it after meals, naps and play.
Say a cue like "go potty" while they go, then reward right away.
With disposable pads, leave a slightly used pad under the fresh one. The smell points the way.
Clean misses with an enzyme cleaner. Never scold.
How to keep the smell down
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Change or clean it before it smells, not after: disposable pads as soon as they're wet, grass every 1 to 4 weeks, washable pads before they smell. Keep the potty corner from taking over the room with our litter and odor control picks for dogs.
Set it near a window or somewhere with airflow.
Use a tray with raised edges to catch overflow.
Wash reusable pads with an enzyme laundry product. Regular detergent cleans the pad and leaves the pee smell.
Will an indoor potty confuse my dog about going outside?
Not with a clear routine. Many dogs use both: the pad when they can't get out, outside at set times. A grass pad makes the switch easier because the surface is the same.
Our verdict
Small dog, no yard? Fresh Patch. Training a puppy? Amazon Basics. Done buying pads? Rocket & Rex. Whichever you pick, keep it in one spot and clean misses with an enzyme cleaner.