Is it possible to litter box train a dog?
I have a cat and I’ve had a large dog in the past. My neighbor recently got a small dog and I was wondering if it is possible to litter box train a dog. Cats are easily litter trained but not easily trained to follow commands. Dogs can be trained to follow commands but I’ve never seen a litter trained dog – why is this? Is there anyone who has a litter box trained dog?
September 17th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
It’s probably possible but hard. Cats are naturally drawn to “go” in gritty materials so they kind of do it naturally. I’ve seen people with piddle pad trained dogs though which is just about the same thing.
September 17th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Yes you can train them to do anything. My friend has a dog who ca get him beers… not open them of course
September 17th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Stop, now. Dogs aren’t cats. You really want shit and piss in your house all the time. Dogs like to go in grass.
September 17th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Just as you can litter box train your grandparent, newborn baby, or spouse it is possible to litter box train a dog. Every time the sit by the door move them to the box. Every time they take a drink move them to the box.
Its a wonder the world can marvel at!
September 17th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Yes, it is possible. In fact, I did a LOT of research on this because I thought I wanted to litterbox train my Chihuahua when I get one.
You train it the exact same way you would housetrain, but instead of telling it to “Go Potty” outside, you place it in the litterbox and tell it. It gets it eventually and it is very possible.
However. First of all, you CANNOT use cat litter for dogs. You have to get special dog litter or wood shavings. Secondly, I’ve realized now that having a litterbox trained dog is just being lazy. If you cannot get up and walk the dog outside, don’t get a dog. If you’re gone all day and want the dog to have somewhere to go other than the carpet, DON’T GET A DOG. You don’t need a dog anyway if you’re gone all day. Simple as that.
Dogs like being outside, they like being walked, and they like being with their “pack,” i.e. YOU.
But to answer your question, yes, it is very possible to litter train a dog.
September 17th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Yes it is possible, here is how you do it!
Step 1
You need to pick 1 stop in your house to set up the litter box, you can add boxes later, but better off to start with one. Also, dogs are not like cats in that if you move their box they will immediately find it and use it, so you need to keep it in one stop until completely trained.
Step 2
Decide on using either litter or potty pads. If you choose litter you need to make sure it is a paper litter, can not be clay. Dogs do a lot of sniffing, and all the dust from a clay litter could cause health problems. If you don’t want to mess with a bunch of litter all over the place you can opt to use potty pads. They are usually pretty inexpensive and make clean up very easy.
Step 3
Start your dog or puppy with his litter box training in the morning with their first potty of the day. It is easier to do this because you know they need to go vs. starting in the middle of the afternoon and taking your dog there 20 times hoping they need to go.
Step 4
Reward your dog as soon as he goes in the litter box. You want to reward him before he steps out of the box so that he fully understands what the reward is for.
Step 5
Keep track of when your puppy goes potty with a simple chart. It helps to log when he did what and what he did. If you are doing this training with a puppy he will more than likely need to go within 30 min of eating/drinking, 30 min after the start of playing, as soon as he wakes up from a nap, as soon as you get home after being gone for more than an hour, and on average you should take him to the litter box once every 2-3 hours depending on age. Older dogs are a bit harder to judge, so the chart is very helpful.
Step 6
Lastly, be consistent. Stick with it, you may have a few accidents, learn from them and pay closer attention to your dog’s or puppy’s signals.
September 17th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
it def is…… check out this product on ebay…. instead of teaching to go outside, teach to go here. As they are peeing or what not.. place them on this and reward them when they do go where you want.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Pup-Head-Mini-Portable-Indoor-Dog-Potty-/350373540368?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5193e3f210
September 17th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Yes, a small dog can be litter trained. There are even especially made “dog litter boxes” though any box will do so long as it is the right size. You can use dog litter, cat litter, newspaper, or even puppy pads in the litter box. Try them all and find your preference.
Training will be similar to potty training. Crate training is probably the easiest and most effective method (basically, keeping dog in their crate unless you are letting them out to do their duty. First thing you do is take them to their box. When the dog uses the box PRAISE them to high heaven. Positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative.
Here is a good link to an ehow article on litter training a dog: http://www.wikihow.com/Litter-Train-a-Dog
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