# Litter Box Training a Puppy?



## Skippy4Us (Feb 20, 2006)

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had heard of this? A few people told me that because Skippy is so small I might try using a Doggy litter box for him instead of the wee wee pads on the floor. Training is proving to be difficult because we live in a high ranch and I have to carry him downstairs constantly. I thought I would have him pee on the pads and then eventually take the pads outside. Skippy does NOT want to go outside at all..He runs everytime I open the door. He does pee on the pads but when it comes time to poo he does it all over my foyer. It's proving to be really messy not to mention smelly. Last night I bleached the floor to get rid of the smell and I'm also using a product with enzymes to help eliminate the smell.  

So I thought If I put the wee wee pads in a doggy litter box in my bathroom Skippy would eventually just go in there on his own. Also he seems ot be peeinga lot..about every 2 hrs..is that normal? he's 5 1/2months. Thanks in advance for any help


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

We use wee pads in a doggy litter box.
It works great for us...


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## Skippy4Us (Feb 20, 2006)

Really? that's wonderful..so there's hope then..Skippy is starting to identify the pads so If I get a box and use the pads he shouldn't have too much of a problem right? What kind of box do you use? 



> We use wee pads in a doggy litter box.
> It works great for us...
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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Sassy uses pads in a doggie litter box. But she hates using soiled pads. I change them after every use....pee or poo. 

He is still very young, so I would keep him confined to a small area of the house for the time being until he is more trust worthy. I used a baby gate and confined Sassy to our kitchen/breakfast area until she was better trained. Also, take your baby to the box at special times.....ie, before play, during play, immediately after play, when he first awakens, before bedtime, etc. The more you reinforce the "box" and "potty" the quicker he will catch on to the idea. Also, use rewards for a job well done. Treats, hand claps, praises...whatever it takes. 

Good luck! It can be done, and it is a real time/life saver to have your baby take him/herself to potty.


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## blulegend (Jan 14, 2006)

> Really? that's wonderful..so there's hope then..Skippy is starting to identify the pads so If I get a box and use the pads he shouldn't have too much of a problem right? What kind of box do you use?
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We currently use the mid-sized Purina litter pan for dogs. We actually use litter too. It's the Swheat Scoop brand. Yuki is almost 15 weeks old and 4.5 lbs.

We started off getting her used to the Arm & Hammer pads with the special scent. This she pretty much used the first day we got her home, however she was confined to a 4x2 exercise pen. We started with 2 full pads size for a few days. Then when we learned which pad she went to first, we added the litter pan there with the pad inside of it. After a day or two, we took the pad off the floor and only left the pan with the pad in it. Then we poured litter on top of the pad after a few more days of her regularly using the pan. Finally, after a few more days we took the pad out and left only the litter.

We were concerned she would eat litter from the pan when we was hungry but this wasn't really a problem. She would sniff it with her wet nose and it would stick since it clumps when wet. She would get annoyed by the litter on her nose and stopped. But it she kicks litter on the floor she will try to play/eat the single bits when she's bored. We also have to limit the types of toys she has in her pen since she sometimes plays or brings her toys in the pan and depending on the type of fur or whatever, the litter will stick. Sometimes she will just go in the pan and lie down. When we see this, we quickly make her get out. She's doing it less and less now.

The trick has been getting her to go back to her ex-pen and into the box when she needs to go and she's out in the living room. We started by putting a baby gate in the hall that leads to the room with her ex-pen to give her a limited play area without giving too much freedom. With pooping, she has no problems but she will still pee in the hallway about 10% of the time. The accidents are getting less and less. The next challenge was allowing her some free time in the living room. Again, with pooping, she will drop what she's doing and literally run back and poo. With peeing, it's hit and miss based on how far she is from her pen. She's getting better and we are trying to pay close attention to the signs and walk her back and watch her pee which she will do if I stand there long enough.

Hopefully, she will get better with time.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> Really? that's wonderful..so there's hope then..Skippy is starting to identify the pads so If I get a box and use the pads he shouldn't have too much of a problem right? What kind of box do you use?
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I think mine is the large size dog litter pan.
I believe it was 19.99 at Petsmart.
When the new puppy came and I needed more pads around, I didn't want to go buy those expensive boxes, so I bought the cheap 2.00 cat litter pans at Dollar General. The are a perfect fit for 1/2 a wee pad, so I just cut them in half for those boxes. Both of the dogs use the little boxes as much as the big ones.
I hope to cut those out here soon...ha ha...but don't want to mess up potty training progress.


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## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

You know what I was always curious about? I was wondering if its possible to train a dog to use kitty litter. We had a kitten for a short time last year and I was very impressed with their potty habits. They tinkle, and bury it and then since the litter is biodegradable, we just flushed it down the toilet. Same with poop. So clean... No little wet feet we sometimes get with Miko. So, has anyone trained their doggie to potty like kitty???







If so, I would love to know how you did it.


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## colonel (Sep 27, 2005)

I use both. For Emma I trained her to go on the wiz dog with a pad in it (or just buy a cat grate that goes in front of a cat litter box so they don't track litter all over and put the pad in there). For my havanese, I use a litter box with second nature litter in it - but also have a cat grate with a pad in it in front because he seems to think if his front paws are in the box, then he's in the box (and he's not). I don't like using pads alone because you have to change it everytime they use it or they walk in the pee and get their feet wet. Yuck! It also avoids the problem that alot of puppies have -- they like to shread things! Emma doesn't go in the litter box but likes to use the cat grate in front of it - another reason Wickham probably doesn't like her! I would think that the problem with using actual cat litter is that these babies are so furry and its like sand getting in their fur. (Growing up I had persian cats and the litter got stuck in their fur and they tracked it all over the house.) 

Alex


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

We have ordered one of those Poop Houses for Scooby so he can use that in the garage on bad weather days when it's either storming or snowing out. This is going to be one big challenge for us to get him to use it though because he has never been pad trained, but I feel so bad when he goes out at night when it's below zero and the ground is covered in snow or ice. He refuses to wear boots and I know his little feet get so cold. Wish us luck with teaching him to use this new toilet, it sure is going to be fun but I am sure once he gets the idea he will appreciate not having to go out there in the cold. WE HOPE


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## blulegend (Jan 14, 2006)

> You know what I was always curious about? I was wondering if its possible to train a dog to use kitty litter. We had a kitten for a short time last year and I was very impressed with their potty habits. They tinkle, and bury it and then since the litter is biodegradable, we just flushed it down the toilet. Same with poop. So clean... No little wet feet we sometimes get with Miko. So, has anyone trained their doggie to potty like kitty???
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I use the swheat scoop brand cat litter. See my post above.


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

> You know what I was always curious about? I was wondering if its possible to train a dog to use kitty litter. We had a kitten for a short time last year and I was very impressed with their potty habits. They tinkle, and bury it and then since the litter is biodegradable, we just flushed it down the toilet. Same with poop. So clean... No little wet feet we sometimes get with Miko. So, has anyone trained their doggie to potty like kitty???
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The first post on this page talks about that.



> You know what I was always curious about? I was wondering if its possible to train a dog to use kitty litter. We had a kitten for a short time last year and I was very impressed with their potty habits. They tinkle, and bury it and then since the litter is biodegradable, we just flushed it down the toilet. Same with poop. So clean... No little wet feet we sometimes get with Miko. So, has anyone trained their doggie to potty like kitty???
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It's the 5th posting...sorry.


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