Many people who live in high rise apartments use litter boxes and/or ‘piddle pads’ for their dog–esp[ecially smaller dogs and they work wonderfully!
I have used them for 9 years now, and my dog has never peed/pooped off the piddle pad—never. When it rains/snows outside, he doesn’t like to go out, and the piddle pads are perfect.
I use a corner of one room, put down a plastic, waterproof rug protector. Then I have a waterproof pad, like they use in hospitals on the bed for older patients.
On top of that, I put 2 piddle pads, which I order on-line in bulk–as i use them all the time.
Initially when I got my dog as a puppy I had the same idea as you–to grow grass on our balcony and teach him to "go" outside. But we got him in winter, and he was afraid to go out in freezing weather! I was using the pads to housetrain him anyway–so I just continued with it, after my mom went to visit a friend in a New York high rise apartment. Mom told me that tons of people have dogs and live in apartments–and they use the pads for inside–and also walk their dogs, and the dogs ‘go’ outside.
I am living proof that it works.
I don’t know what size dog you have–it works perfectly with my small dog. I keep toilet paper nearby the pads, and small plastic bags–to dispose of the poop (I flush it), and the wet pads get rolled up and put in plastic bags and thrown outside–as you would a disposable diaper.
best of luck to you!
Congrats on your new little furbaby!
References :
Dog mom for 9 years.