How One Idea Became the First Artificial Grass Built for Dogs
My name is Theresa Marler, and Pup-Grass® wasn’t a business idea or something I set out to invent. It came out of necessity. While developing another product, the lack of a suitable substitute became a problem—and like many problems I’ve faced over the years, it was simply one that needed solving.
A Problem on the Water
Back in the early 2000s, I was developing a portable dog potty for boaters to complement the doggydocks® Floating Dog Ramp I created in 1997. I didn’t want to be a “one-product company,” and a portable dog potty felt like a natural fit—an idea that was actually suggested by one of our customers. We listened, and we explored it.
The criteria we set was the dog potty had to be a safe, surface that dogs would use with little to no training — something lightweight that was easy to stow away, sanitary, odor-free, and would not scratch a boat’s gel coat. My first thought was fake turf. But the moment I began testing the artificial turfs available at that time, I quickly realized something : They were anything but Pet-Friendly.
none of them were actually made for dogs.
Instead of draining they trapped urine, held odors, and were built with long, sparse blades and heavy rubber backings. This type of fake turf was designed for sports — not for dogs on boats, balconies, or in backyards.
When a Simple Solution Turned Into a Mission
After discovering that no existing artificial turf drained well enough for dogs, I began searching for a solution. The available products had long, unevenly spaced blades and rubberized backs that acted like sponges — absorbing moisture, harboring bacteria, and creating smells that no dog (or human) wanted to be around.
Several phone calls to suppliers led me to a manufacturer in Dalton, Georgia — the heart of the U.S. turf industry. One dog-loving engineer listened, understood my problem, and was willing to explore something no one had tried before: a new permeable acrylic backing that could lock fibers in place without blocking drainage.
Together, we experimented with blends and perforation patterns, making structural changes until the backing allowed liquids to drain instantly while keeping the surface dry and floors clean.
Three weeks later, the first samples arrived. They were promising, but not perfect. We refined the fiber density, improved cooling properties, and added antibacterial features — and eventually, the artificial grass I needed didn’t just work for my design, it finalized the Pup-Head® Potty concept and expanded our our business direction.
From Boats to Nationwide Trust
When the Pup-Head® Portable Dog Potty debuted at the New York National Boat Show in January in 2005, it quickly gained national attention. What started as a solution for boaters expanded into something much bigger.
Pup-Grass® and Pup-Head® dog potties became trusted, purpose-built products used indoors and out — in backyards, balconies, airports, veterinary facilities, dog kennels, training centers, and even with Homeland Security and their K-9 units. The Pup-Head Portable Dog Potty won the Pinnacle Award for Best New Product in the Stain and Odor Category in 2007.
Twenty-one years later, Pup-Grass® remains the only artificial grass engineered by a pet-product company specifically — and uncompromisingly — for dogs.
The Pup-Head® featuring Pup-Grass® has solved problems for dog owners that had been struggling with, Potty and House Training. That was our mission and we believe we got the job done! It doesn’t get any better than this!
Warmest Regards,
Theresa Marler and Michele Malm
Founders