If you don’t have garden access, the two most reliable options are a real grass toilet patch set up on a balcony, or an indoor grass tray placed by the door. Both let your dog follow their natural toileting instinct without needing a trip outside, and both can be set up in minutes. Whether you’re specifically weighing up real grass against puppy pads or artificial turf, or working out what fits a small space, the comparison below covers both. Below, we’ve compared the main options so you can work out what actually suits your space, your dog, and your daily routine.
Why apartment living makes toilet training that little bit harder
Flat and apartment life brings a few extra hurdles that owners with a garden simply don’t think about. There’s the stairs or the lift between your dog and the nearest bit of grass. There’s the 2am dash down four flights when your puppy suddenly needs to go. There’s the weather, because nobody wants to stand on a freezing balcony at midnight coaxing a nervous puppy to do their business. And for renters, there’s often a landlord who isn’t keen on permanent outdoor structures.
None of this means apartment dogs can’t be happy, well-trained pets. Some of the best-suited breeds for flat living are also some of the easiest to house-train (have a look at our guide to the best apartment dogs if you’re still choosing your new best friend). What it does mean is that your toilet setup needs to work with your space, not against it.
Your main options, compared
There’s no single “best” toilet solution for every apartment. It depends on whether you’ve got balcony access, how much time you can spend on maintenance, and how important it is to you that the whole thing feels as close to real grass as possible for your dog. Here’s how the main options stack up, including where Piddle Patch differs from other real grass dog toilets and garden centre sod, because we’re not just cut grass in a tray.
| Option | Mess & odour | How natural it feels to your dog | Environmental impact | Maintenance | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piddle Patch (grown in a liquid-retentive mat) | Very low, no mud or mess, and the grass naturally absorbs and breaks down urine | Extremely natural, it’s genuine living grass, grown the way your dog’s instincts expect | No pesticides or toxins, fully biodegradable, no microplastics | A fresh patch delivered to your door on a schedule, no planting or replanting needed as it’s a living, growing grass. | Ongoing, subscription-friendly |
| Other real grass patches / garden centre sod | Messy and muddy, and needs to be planted quickly after it’s cut or it won’t survive | Very natural, genuine grass, but short-lived once lifted from the ground | Depends on sourcing, no guaranteed pesticide-free growing | Needs replacing more frequently than Piddle Patch, since it doesn’t hold up well once cut | Ongoing, and can work out more expensive than Piddle Patch if delivered, since it needs replacing more often |
| Artificial turf mat | Higher, needs regular rinsing and disinfecting to control smell | Feels artificial underfoot, some dogs are reluctant | Made from plastic, sheds microplastics over time, not biodegradable | Regular cleaning, occasional replacement | One-off, but adds up with cleaning products |
| Indoor tray / puppy pads (single-use) | Moderate, depends on absorbency | Least natural, closest to a litter box for dogs | Single-use pads create ongoing plastic waste, most aren’t biodegradable | Frequent pad changes | Ongoing, recurring cost |
Real grass consistently comes out ahead on the “how natural it feels” column, and that matters more than it sounds. Dogs are instinctively drawn to grass as a toileting surface, which is exactly why it tends to be the fastest option to train a dog onto, whether they’re a puppy learning from scratch or an older dog adjusting to a new routine. The difference between sod-grown grass and Piddle Patch comes down to what you don’t have to deal with: no mud, no mess, no rushing to plant it before it dies, and no pesticides.
Starter Pack: patch and tray, ready to go
Everything a no-garden flat needs on day one. £58.95, next-day mainland UK delivery.
Setting up a real grass toilet on a balcony
If you’ve got even a small balcony, this is usually the simplest option to get right.
Placement
Pick a spot that’s easy for your dog to reach at any hour, ideally near the door rather than tucked in a corner. A Real Grass Dog Toilet measures 66 x 48 x 5cm, which fits comfortably on most standard balconies and patios without eating up your whole outdoor space.
Drainage
Sit the patch in a tray so any excess doesn’t run onto the floor below you, especially important if you’re renting or sharing a building. Our Starter Pack bundles the tray with your first patch, so you’re not hunting around for the right size of tray separately.
Weather
An exposed balcony means sun, wind and rain will all affect how long your patch lasts. In hot weather, grass dries out faster and may need changing sooner. In winter, take a look at our guide on taking care of your Piddle Patch grass in the winter for tips on keeping it fresh through the colder months.
Changeover
Most owners find a fresh patch every one to four weeks works well, depending on how many dogs are using it and how often. A subscription takes the guesswork out of remembering to reorder.
Setting up an indoor grass toilet (no balcony access)
No outdoor space at all? An indoor setup works just as well, it just needs a bit more thought on placement and airflow.
Placement. Choose a spot with some airflow if possible, near a window or door that gets opened regularly, and away from carpeted areas if you can. Utility rooms, hallways and bathrooms tend to work best.
Flooring protection. Use a proper tray underneath, not just the patch on its own. A non-chew metal Piddle Tray is a good option if your dog is the type to nibble on plastic edges. A Piddle Protector floor mat can be placed under the tray to catch any stray drops of dog pee.
Odour control. This is the biggest worry owners have about going fully indoors, and it’s a fair one. Real grass naturally absorbs and breaks down urine far better than artificial turf, but in a smaller indoor space you may still want extra help. Piddle Pellets and the Piddle Purifier are both designed to keep things fresh between changes.
Routine. Indoor dogs still benefit from a consistent schedule, first thing in the morning, after meals, and last thing at night are the times your dog is most likely to need to go.
Training your dog to use A REAL GRASS DOG TOILET
Once your setup is in place, the training process itself is the same whether you’re indoors or on a balcony, and we’ve covered it in full in our complete guide to house training a puppy. If you’re finding night-time is the sticking point, our guide on toilet training your puppy at night covers the routine that makes the biggest difference to sleepless nights. If you’ve got an older or rescue dog adjusting to a new toilet setup, our older dog training guide walks through the transition step by step.
Real grass by the door, not down four flights of stairs
Living grass, grown in the UK, harvested to order. Set it up in minutes, swap it every one to four weeks, and let your pup toilet on the surface they’d have chosen anyway.
From £28.95 a week, cancel any time. New subscribers discounts available.
FAQs
Can dogs use an indoor toilet full-time, or is it only for puppies?
Indoor and balcony toilets are a flexible, long-term solution for dogs of any age, far from initial puppy house training.
For urban dog owners, having a dedicated patch at home offers peace of mind when dealing with unpredictable schedules, guarantees safety during late-night trips, and takes the stress out of the first and last toilet breaks of the day.
They are equally valuable for senior dogs with mobility issues, pets recovering from surgery, or simply for anyone who wants a weather-proof routine that skips cold, wet, or late-night treks outside.
What makes Piddle Patch different from other real grass dog toilets?
Most real grass patches, including sod from a garden centre, come with all the mud and mess you’d expect from a freshly cut piece of turf, and need to be planted quickly after it’s cut or it won’t survive. Piddle Patch is grown in a liquid-retentive mat instead, with no pesticides or toxins, and a fresh patch is delivered to your door on a schedule, so your dog always has clean, living grass without the mess or the rush to keep it alive.
Are puppy pads or artificial turf bad for the environment?
Both typically contain plastic. Single-use puppy pads create ongoing waste since most aren’t biodegradable, and artificial turf sheds microplastics over time and needs eventual replacement. Real grass, grown without chemicals, breaks down naturally and doesn’t leave that kind of footprint behind.
Is a balcony big enough for a dog toilet?
Most standard balconies comfortably fit a grass patch and tray. A typical setup measures around 66 x 48cm, roughly the size of a large doormat.
Will my dog toilet-train faster indoors or outdoors?
Neither is inherently faster. What matters most is consistency of routine and how natural the surface feels to your dog, which is why real grass tends to outperform pads or artificial turf regardless of whether it’s set up indoors or on a balcony.
Is real grass actually better than puppy pads or artificial turf?
For most dogs, yes. Real grass is what dogs are instinctively drawn to as a toileting surface, so there’s no habit to unlearn later if you ever move to an outdoor routine, unlike puppy pads. It also avoids the ongoing plastic waste of single-use pads and the microplastic shedding of artificial turf. The table above breaks down exactly where each option comes out ahead depending on your priorities.