How to Train Your Dog to Use the Kitty Litter Box

A dog quickly loses his status as man's best friend when he starts using your clothing, carpets, bedding, floors and furniture as his own personal toilet. The smell of dog urine can linger for months or years. If you live in an apartment or condo without a yard, or if you spend your entire day at work, the solution may be training your dog to use a kitty litter box.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter box
  • Dog litter pellets
  • Puppy pads
  • Attractant spray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose an appropriately sized litter box for your dog. If you choose a covered litter box, make sure you get one large enough for your dog to get inside and use. If you choose a lidless box, choose a one that measures a minimum length and width that matches your dog's length from neck to tail. This ensures adequate room for the dog to make use of the litter box.

    • 2

      Fill the litter box half full of dog litter. The litter sold for dogs looks like small pellets or tubes of wood and cork that many people burn in pellet stoves. The scent of the pellets attracts the dog to use the litter for eliminating.

    • 3

      Train your dog to get into the litter box. Set your dog inside the litter box and offer him a treat. Repeat this process several times until the dog gets into the litter box on his own for the treat. At this point, begin to say "potty," "pee" or another keyword you want the dog to associate with the litter box. Start saying your keyword and sitting the dog into the litter box and offering a treat--you want to work your way up to the point where you simply say the keyword and your dog steps into the litter box on his own.

    • 4

      Monitor your dog's water and food intake and take him to the litter box every 15 minutes after he eats or drinks. Make him sit in the litter box for 2 to 3 minutes each time and say the keywords to him again.

    • 5

      Place a puppy pad near the litter box to catch spillage and to encourage the use of the litter box. Spray attractant spray in the middle of the puppy pad and allow your dog to eliminate on the pads. After each elimination, move the puppy pad an inch or two closer to the litter box until the pad eventually sits inside the box.

    • 6

      Leave the pad inside the box until the dog grows used to eliminating inside the litter box, on the puppy pad. Then remove the puppy pad and spray the attractant spray in the middle of the litter box.