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Ah, the joys of getting a puppy! You and your family select your new little furball and get to enjoy the excitement of preparing for the pooch to come home. Heading to the pet store, you grab a little doggy bed, some cute, wee toys and a litter box. Wait, what?
Yes, you read that right. For the small breeds, a doggy litter box might just become your best friend. And thankfully, teaching a pup to use their box is about the same amount of work as teaching them to “go” outside.
Most of us have seen a kitty litter box, but doggy litter boxes are far and few between. They're similar in size and shape, although they usually have one side lowered for easy entry. You can fill them up with a variety of things, although word on the street is puppy pads or newspaper are the best options. Some even put down a little square of sod every few weeks to help their dog transition between indoor and outdoor bathroom breaks.
It's easier to train your little furball to use their box from birth, but mature dogs can learn too! It can take weeks or even months of persistence, but if you succeed, your pooch will have a convenient place to go without wrecking your home.
To help your pup make an easy switch to the litter box, it's good to be prepared. Remember, it can take some time to perfect, and even adult dogs may make the odd accident where they shouldn't. Good things to have for this task include:
- A Litter Box: This one is obvious, but deciding which one to buy may take a bit more thought. Make sure your dog can get in and out of it with no problems.
- Treats: Especially at the start, every successful trip to the box deserves a treat and lots of praise!
- A Liner: As previously mentioned, you're going to want to put something inside the litter box to help contain the mess. Paper, puppy pads or even a patch of grass are great options.
- Cleaning Supplies: There will be pee! And poop! At the start, be prepared to find messes on your floors. As your pup progresses, you'll have to get used to cleaning out the box.
- Patience: Scrubbing nastiness out of your carpet isn't fun. But by setting a realistic expectation for the box-training process, you'll be more likely to stick with it.
Keep in mind, small dogs simply can't hold it as long as their larger cousins. Puppies are notoriously bad for this, but even fully grown minis have a hard time with accidents. A litter box can be the perfect solution to this problem, saving both of you from the unpleasantness of puddles and piles on the floor.
Below are some great methods for getting your pupper used to their box. If at first, you don't succeed, try another method! Different dogs respond to different things, so hang in there!
The Regimented Method
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Adopt a strict schedule
As soon as your pup wakes up, head to the box.
Plunk them in
Be sure to keep them there until they start to sniff and eventually pop a squat.
Make it rain treats!
Go over the top with praise so your dog sees it's fun to go in the box.
Set your watch
Bring the pooch back to the box every hour.
Be aware
Go even sooner if the canine has had some food or water.
Be consistent!
A few days of strict routine can be the perfect start to a life of litter boxing.
The Convenient Method
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Choose the right spot
Place the box near your puppy's bed, crate, or play area so that it is easily seen by the dog.
Get him there
Encourage your pup to go there often throughout the day, and praise them for successful trips.
Make it fun
When your dog approaches the box on their own, praise them some more!
Keep it tidy
Clean up the box after each pee or poop to keep things smelling half decent.
Move the box
As your doggo catches on, you can slowly move the box to a more private location.
The Stinky Method
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Get things ready
Set up your dog's new litter box.
Plant a smell
Take a towel that was used to clean up a previous pee and place it in the box.
Use poop
If your dog left a little log on the floor, throw that in there as well. (Use gloves or a bag!)
Allow some smelling
Let the pooch sniff out the box. They'll begin to associate it with relieving himself.
Clean it up
Once he's consistently “going” in the box, begin to clean it regularly. They won't need his own stink anymore to show them where to eliminate.
Written by Abby Clark
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/20/2017, edited: 10/07/2022
Training Questions and Answers
I put his litter box which is very easy to gonin and out from all 4 sides i put in the box some new cat litter thought it would work according to researches i praise him when going in and out and when sniffing i put some of his poop and pee in it and he will never use it he will either pee next to the box or somewhere else but not in it
Sept. 6, 2021
Casper's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Elias, I would start with dog litter, which is more paper based, and preferred by many dogs to the texture of cat litter. You might be able to switch to cat litter later if pup doesn't try to eat it, once pup associates going potty with the liter box, if you prefer cat litter. A disposable real grass pad in the little box is another option if pup continues to struggle. The disposable real grass pads, like www.freshpatch.com tend to be the most natural option for a dog. Most dogs won't go in the box, or even on a pee pad, at first. Many tend to go beside them. When this happens there are two options. The first is to crate train pup and use a leash to take pup to the litter box, crating pup when they don't go potty to limit freedom when their bladder is full, so you can ensure pup goes potty in the box each time and is learning. I would do this until pup shows they can go to the box on their own without the crate, confining pup to just one dog proofed room or exercise pen at first, to help pup see the box and remember to go there, and keep pup safe from things they would chew. Crate Training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy The second way I recommend doing this would be to create a very large litter box using a shallow plastic storage container and confining pup in an exercise pen whose entire floor is filled with that large storage container with litter in it. When you see pup go potty there (because they have no other place to go potty), then reward with praise and a treat and by letting pup out of the pen until their bladder gets full again (supervising pup in the home still). Once pup is used to going potty on the litter and associates it with going potty, decrease the litter box size again and see if pup chooses to go in the box when put in the exercise pen. Reward pup with a treat if they do. If they go next to the box instead of in it, go back to the larger box again for another month. Exercise Pen method (modifying this method to include the extra large diy litter box storage container). The best types of storage containers for this are generally the shallow clear plastic type ones that fit under short spaces like beds. https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Sept. 7, 2021
I got her from a friend that I would visit very often throughout the year, so i've had her for 2weeks now and she was litter box trained with very few pee accidents on the floor, now that she is here she will poop and pee in the litter first thing in the morning when I take her from up stairs where she sleeps to down stairs where the litter box, food,water,and another crate is setup, but I've noticed while down stairs throughout the day,she always go to see on the carpet, no matter how many times I say go potty, she will jump in the litter box and just sit there and I keep saying good girl stay! and she come out and won't be done done nothing at all, I have kept the morning poop and pee in there for scent purposes and still nothing,also I have bought the Go Here spray and still nothing. What do you suggest I do? Please help Cookie
March 31, 2021
Che''s Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Cookie, The two story home and carpet could be different than your friend's place so that may be something new to teach. Even if it's not new, pup likely needs a refresher course on potty training until they get into the habit of going in the box in your home too. Check out the article I have linked below. For your set up I recommend the Exercise Pen method, but you can try the other two methods also. The Exercise Pen method will keep her close to the box until she goes though so you aren't struggling with her jumping out and wandering off. If you choose one of the other two methods, like the crate training method, you can double the amount of time between potty trips in the article, since your dog isn't a puppy anymore. Exercise Pen method. https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 1, 2021
Bentley is litter box trained but has recently began to take a toy into her box and lay down in the litter box. How can we keep her from playing in her box? Thx.
May 29, 2020
Bentley's Owner
Darlene Stott - Dog Trainer and Groomer
102 Dog owners recommended
Thank you for the picture of Bentley. Gotta love those ears! Sleeping in her litter box sometimes means that a dog just feels safe and secure in the confined area. Are you crating her and is the crate nearby? Or can you find a nice dog bed around the size of the litter box and entice her to sleep there? Place treats often on the dog bed when Bentley is aware and also when she is not. Finding these surprises in her bed may be an incentive to go there more often. If she really prefers the litter, try switching her to a real grass pad - that won't be as comfy as the litter. Then, when you are transitioning her to peeing outside, she will find it easy to switch from the grass pad to the outdoors. Good luck!
May 31, 2020