Dog Toilets

Public "dog loo" (litter box for dogs) in a dog park in Vienna, Austria. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Almost any dog can be taught to use an indoor litter box, kitty-style, even large dogs. It’s easier to start with a puppy, but not impossible to teach an adult dog. Indoor dog toilets can really help out during house training, when a dog is sick or injured and when your schedule doesn’t fit with your dog’s toileting needs. Outdoor toilet areas for dogs go a long way to keeping the rest of your yard pristine. And finally, a real dog toilet – the septic tank for dogs – is the ultimate in disposing of dog waste from indoors or outdoors. For the septic to work properly your soil should be sandy or loamy, not clay-like; the soil must drain well.

The Indoor Dog Toilet

Step 1
Select a container suitable for your dog's litter box. The container must be suited to your dog's potty style as well as the dog's size. You don't have to use the doggie litter pans sold in pet stores. Some of them are very suitable for a small dog, while others are too deep or too small for many dogs. If you have the space, a plastic overflow pan for a washing machine is ideal. It will be approximate two square feet (some are up to three square feet) and shallow, about two to four inches deep -- big enough for a large dog and still suitable for a small dog. Extra large dogs may outgrow any reasonably sized indoor litter pan by the time they are adults, depending on how much they move around. Some dogs move around quite a bit and need extra space. Dogs who lift their legs should have a washable vertical surface, so attach plastic sheeting, fiberglass or Plexiglas panels to the walls beside the litter box.
Step 2
Decide on a location for the indoor dog toilet. Consider your dog’s needs for size and privacy. Some dogs do not care and others will not do their business without a bush or something to give them privacy.
Step 3
Choose the litter for your dog's litter pan. According to Stanford Cat Network, silica based litter can be toxic if ingested. Plain clay based litter is very dusty. For great, non-toxic odor control and cleanup with less dust, use a litter made from ground corn cobs. it also has a soft texture that is easy on the paws.
If your dog has already been using pee pads or newspaper, put that into the pan until the dog adjusts to the new pan, but you may want to switch over to a litter after the dog is used to using the pee pads in the litter pan. Keep in mind that dogs tend to develop a substrate preference for their toileting, so whatever the dog is used to using, whether grass, kitty litter or pee pads, the dog will want to continue using. Any switch must be made gradually.
Step 4
Scoop the solid and clumped liquid waste out at least once daily. Place the contents into a biodegradable baggy, a paper bag or a sheet of newspaper for the least environmental impact.

The Outdoor Dog Toilet

Step 1

Select the location; if possible, make the outdoor dog toilet somewhere the dog already has shown a preference for. Measure the perimeter of the area you want to use.

Step 2

Install edging around the perimeter to delineate the area so the dog can learn to distinguish it from the rest of the yard. Tap short garden edge borders into the ground lightly with a mallet. You can also dig a trench and place two by fours in the trench as edging. Or use decorative stones or rocks.

Step 3

Dig about two inches down to remove the grass and fill the inside of the outdoor toilet with sand or the corn cob litter, if desired. You can also leave the area plain grass and just use the indoor toilet when it is muddy. Mulch or pea gravel work well with some dogs, but many dogs eat both, which can become a serious health emergency.

Step 4

Scoop the solid and clumped liquid waste out at least once daily. Place the contents into a biodegradable baggy, a paper bag or a sheet of newspaper for the least environmental impact.

The Dog Toilet Septic System

English: Scheme of septic tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Step 1

Dig a hole in an out of the way part of the yard. The hole should be about 2 feet deeper than the height of the garbage can, and about a foot wider than the can.

Step 2

Fill the bottom of the hole with about 12 to 18 inches of rocks.

Step 3

Drill half inch holes in the sides of the garbage can and cut out the bottom of the can. You'll need about three rows of half inch holes that go all the way around the can.

Step 4

Insert the garbage can into the hole in the ground with the cut bottom pointing down. Leave about two inches of the can above ground.

Step 5

Fill the dirt back in all around the sides of the can, along with some more rocks, and press it down. Place the lid on the can. You can also add hay and newspaper along the sides.

Step 6

Dump the scooped the waste from the indoor and outdoor dog toilets inside the can daily; add water.

Step 7

Add enzymes about once a week to aid in the composting process.

Step 8

Clean out the septic can about once a year, or less often, depending on the number of dogs and their size. The entire system should last at least 10 years. When you clean out the can, do not put the compost into a food garden and be sure the system is not located near a food garden, as the liquefied compost seeps out into the soil from the holes in the can.

Materials Needed

Overflow pan or other litter container
Litter
Litter scooper
Plastic sheeting (optional)
Shovel
Garden edging
Galvanized garbage can with lid, large
Drill
Half-inch drill bit or hole bit
Rocks
Enzymes
Mallet (optional)

References

• Gun Dog House Door: How to Make a Sanitary Kennel With A Septic System
• City Farmer: Dog Waste Composter Step-by-Step
  
• City Farmer: Pet Waste [http://www.cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html]
• DogTime: Setting UP and Indoor Dog Toilet
  
• Stanford: Cat Network: Shopping List: Litter
  
• Perfect Paws: Dog & Puppy Training: Housetraining
• It's a Dog's World: Litter and the Environment
  
• The Cat Site: Cat Litter the Dust Settles

Looking for cat toilet solutions (click here)?

 

Comment
Tinnie
Healthy Eating to Lose Weight   Submitted on 2011/01/11 at 8:51 pm

Very detailed. I have been looking for help with dealing with my dogs’ potty business!

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