How to build a courtyard dog toilet?

Question

Hi I have a 3m x 3m tiled courtyard /balcony with a drain and a tap that I want to landscape suitable for my dog to use when needed. I am thinking of a Japanese style theme, so with a suitable edge where the balustrade is, perhaps topping with pea gravel or perhaps astro turf on a suitable substrate could work? The doorway has a threshold that allows a bit of scope for extra height. What would you suggest? Thanks Jack

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @jackbuilt ,

I was thinking about this project the other day and was curious whether you ended up moving forward with the balcony toilet setup.

There were some interesting ideas raised, so I’d be keen to hear which direction you ended up taking.

If the project’s still evolving or you’ve discovered a few lessons along the way, I’m sure others with smaller courtyards or balconies would find the update really useful too.

Mitchell

EricL · Answer

Hello @jackbuilt

Yes, the timber tiles can be laid directly onto your existing ceramic tiles.

In regard to the potty area for the pooch, I propose using a more modular controlled approach. I recommend looking at investing in a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/real-grass-puppy-potty-grassifier_p0861670

or

https://www.bunnings.com.au/the-pet-loo-dog-pet-toilet-large_p0551182

. There are smaller units, but it depends on the size of your pup.

I believe that by using a pre-made pet loo you'll have less odour, the covered waste bin and wee sponge powder work together to trap smells and help keep the potty odour-free. You'll have convenient clean-up as the pee-pod slides out of the base and the wee sponge powder turns the urine into a gel on contact to easily dispose of the waste. The easy-to-clean grass mat, which is synthetic grass can be easily cleaned with water; simply remove from the base and rinse.

This will in effect limit the spread of the pet's urine and poo smell and will not anchor onto the decking tiles or your ceramic tiles.

The Grassifier's distinct advantage is that with real grass dog toilets, there is no smell as the turf absorbs and breaks down the dog's urine. If the turf is properly cared for it could last a fair bit before you need to replace it.

However, if you are looking for a low-profile set, I also suggest looking at

https://www.bunnings.com.au/provecta-indoor-dog-potty-training-grass-mat-with-tray-large-63x50cm_p0990116

.

Building the pet's potty area from scratch is possible - How to improve this D.I.Y. balcony dog potty? by @tryds. But I believe it would be more convenient using a purpose-built device.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

jackbuilt · Answer

Thanks so much Mitchell.

2 questions:

Can the timber tiles can be laid directly on the existing ceramic tiles?

Also what substrate would be required on top of the ceramic tiles for the grass?