Question:
Has anyone litter trained a dog(yes they make them for dogs)? I could use some advice. My 8-9 month old(he's a rescue so I'm not sure of his exact age) is semi doggie litterbox trained. I say semi because I have to put him in it for him to use it. He won't go to it on his own. He is pretty consistent on going pee in it but I am having trouble with poo. I fed him about two hours ago so I am pretty certain he was ready to go but he went pee and thats it. I spent at least 20 minutes putting him back in the box every time he came out without going poo before I gave up this round. Normally He will pee then come out of the box and I have to put him back in it once or twice before he will go poo.

To give some background I trained him to use it by carrying it (from my condo on the third floor of the building) outside with us on his potty breaks and when he started to go to the bathroom I would put him in it. Eventually he understood and when I would take it out with us he would automatically go both pee and poo in the box one right after the other without me having to put him in the box, he would walk in on his own. Then once he was consistent with that I would try to get him to use it inside if he did not succeed I took it out with us and moved it out of the grass and a little closer to home every day. Until he would finally use it inside. However once inside he wouldn't do both like outside. He would pee and then I would have to keep going back for him to poo. Now getting him to poo is (pardon the pun) a crapshoot.

Help!

Answer:
hi Lump of Kohl

I litterbox trained our 7 months old cocker spaniel.
I feel your pain about having to potty train your dog in a condo. We live in an apartment so this is what I came up with. Here's a picture of how I set things up.

The foldable gate did wonders. The balconi is blocked so he only gets access to the litterbox. This was when he was little. Now, we have it setup differently..

Answer:
He's adorable. Does that mean he doesn't pee or poop outside? I always understood it was one or t'other. And what about when he starts lifting his leg?

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Mine was litterbox trained. Last thing I'd ever recommend. We thought it was easier because we lived on the 6th floor of an apt building. A 20 pound dog equals a far larger poop than one ever should have inside. Plus the added confusion of where the proper place is to go potty. Generally the point of litter training is the convinience of the dog getting to go without having to ask. Just what the relatives want when you come to visit. You, the dog, and a giant litterbox.

Badger, forget lifting of the leg, What about backing the butt up to the side of the box so the poop lands outside, or half in half out of the box.. In reading cat litterbox problems, they are only part of what you can have of dog litterbox issues.

And depending upon where the litterbox is, the dog may never get the right and wrong of pooping inside the home being bad.

It pretty much is one way or the other. Outside or in, trying to get them to do both upon your convinience is ultimately a never ending disaster of a confused dog.

Answer:
Really?

Our dog Royce is so good with pottying inside AND outside.

(1) We walk him shortly in the morning, and go for a long walk, around 2 hours in the afternoon, but remember the puppy phase when he needed to go 30 times a day? The potty pen worked great. We couldn't possibly take him out, and down the elevator to a grassy yard every hour. I also heard it was good to train your puppy to go on different kind of surfaces, so he goes out in the grass too. When we go outside. He also knows to potty as soon as possible before going to play.

(2) Also, our potty pen is actually OUTSIDE the house, in the balcony. It is 2'by 1' and surrounded by a wire fence so there is no place for him to make mistakes. The dog litter was a bit expensive at first, but he doesn't go in the potty pen as often as he used to, so it got a lot better than buying the wee wee pads. We pick up the poop with a plastic bag (we got tons of those) and drop it into the covered poop trash can which we empty every 2-3 days or so.. when we take out the garbage.

(3) We also taught him to scratch the door when he has to go... so he let's us know.

(4) When we're not home he's confined to the bathroom, and he holds it till we come. No problems whatsoever.

(5) Royce doesn't lift his legs... He got neutered a week ago.. and hasn't picked up the habit. I heard that if you neuter your dogs early on they don't lift their legs... hmm I'll watch out for that and let you know~~

Answer:
He still will go outside so I don't know that he is confused I am begining to suspect he thinks he will get to go outside if he holds it long enough. I do take him on walks most days, especially now that the weather is better. Well my Kohl doesn't lift his leg and getting him to peein the box is not the problem. He is 7.5 maybe 8 lbs so the size of the poop won't be an issue either. How do I get him to go poo in the box!!

I don't have a lot of company over so the box is off in a corner of the condo that once I get a table and chairs you won't really see it. And if they do come for dinner or something I will just put it outside on my balcony. The whole point of litter box training is so that we don't have to go out for him to go potty. He doesn't like cold or rain anymore than I do( I could tell you a really funny story of him peeing on my welcome mat or leaving me outside and going back to the door).

Someone suggested sod for the box but it is not time for the home improvement stores to sell it yet. I thought about planting some grass with seeds. Does anyone know how long it takes for grass to grow?

Answer:
Grass needs light to grow, so unless the box is in a very well-lit place, this may not be an option. Also the temptation to dig!
For me one of the pluses of having a dog is getting outside, rain or shine. Good for you, good for the doggie.

Answer:
Badger we do go outside, now that its warmer daily. When I am off he goes everywhere I can posibly take him and we go on really long walks. However he doesn't like the rain or cold any more than I do(I am from Panama, and he is technically from Mexico) and I wanted an alternative. I would also like to graduate him from only being in the crate when I am gone. He is not a destructive dog. He doesn't chew on my things so I feel that if I can get him to use the box, when I am away he can be loose in the front room of my condo. When I first got him he would escape the crate and I would find lots of "presents " when I got home. Now that it is warm I can leave him on the patio, in his big crate. I haven't been able to screen off the porch and he can fit through the slats. He doesn't seem to want to jump but I can just see him hearing one of the neigborhood cats and deciding its not that far down. When its cold he is inside with only the tv for entertainment. What I am asking for is help with the training. Got any suggestions?

Answer:
That's the thing.

I had his litterbox surrounded by a gated fence and locked him in there in the morning until he pooped. How that's the first thing he does when he gets up head to his box pee and poop.

Answer:
Thanks for your help Joanna that idea may come in handy I haven't been able to get him to use the box on his own I have to put him in there. I will have to think of something else though--maybe tying him up. He is a jumper and a consumate escape artist .

I was able to get him to go today. After three meals and no potty I figured he was a little constipated so he got a little Colace and that fixed him right up-- this morning. We will see how he does tonite...

Answer:
Okay Joanna I really hope you check this thread again. I penned him into the corner with the litter box periodically putting him in the box but no luck. He did pee when I first came home but no poo. He ate about 8:30. We cuddled on the couch then I put him to go potty at about 10:30. Thats when I penned him in the corner. He just lays down and gives me the puppy face:( . I am about to put him in his sleeping crate. He is very much a lapdog and I don't know that it really bothers him that he is stuck in the corner until I try to make him go in the box. Ooooooh he is SUCH a Chihuahua!! Do you think I should make him stay in the corner next time(I have seen him hold it for 12 hours) or just put him in the box when it should be time for him to go and not worry too much whether he goes or not?

Answer:
Hi!
Is your dog on a feeding schedule? I have fed Royce three times a day when he was a puppy, now I feedhim twice a day, and I can anticipate the times when my dog needs to go poop now. He goes first thing when he wakes up and about an hour after dinner. I also let him out every 2-3 hours, or he scratches the door to be let out if he needs to.

When he was a puppy I'd put him in the litter box out in our balconi every hour!!

I also had another puppy who was so little she couldn't even climb over the litter box, but with strong encouragement and treats and plays she quickly learned that going into ther litter box means pee and/or poop and really exciting things to follow.

Oh, did you trying to treat him as soon as he did his business in the box??

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