Doggie litter boxes are indoor toilets for dogs. Dogs who do not have free access to the outdoors at all times can greatly benefit from having their own indoor doggie litter box. Doggie litter boxes reduce mental and physical stress for dogs. Assistant professor Susan Nelson from the Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital states, "when dogs have to hold in urine, it may predispose them to bladder infections." She recommends the use of doggie litter boxes to reduce the possibility of bladder infections.
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Age
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Make sure your dog has developed bladder control before litter box training. Different breeds of puppies develop bladder control at different ages. Some breeds develop bladder control at three months of age; others do not develop bladder control until six months of age. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure of when your puppy will develop bladder control. You can start litter box training your puppy before full bladder control is developed--as long as you are realistic and do not expect a lot out of your puppy. Do not expect potty training compliance from a puppy who has not developed the physical control necessary to be reliably trained.
Size
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Choose an appropriate sized doggie litter box for your dog. Consider the size of your dog when purchasing or building the litter box. The box should be large enough for your dog to fit into. The litter box should also be shallow enough for the dog to easily access. This is especially important for small dogs and for dogs who have mobility issues.
Placement
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Place the doggie litter box in an area that your dog is accustomed to going to the bathroom at. If the litter box is in an area where your dog usually goes to the bathroom, your dog will be more likely to understand the litter box is meant for going potty.
Substrate
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Line the litter box with a substrate your dog is accustomed to using. If your dog is wee wee pad trained or newspaper trained, place a wee wee pad or newspaper in the litter box. If your dog is accustomed to going potty outside on the grass, consider lining the litter box with a piece of sod. If your dog has not been previously potty trained, use doggie litter, wee wee pads, newspaper or sod.
Scent
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Scent the doggie litter box so that your dog recognizes the box as a place to go potty. Scent the litter box with your dog's own urine or feces or with a urine-attractant spray that can be purchased at a pet supply store. You will have the most success by using your dog's own urine or feces. To scent the box with your dog's urine, soak up urine with a paper towel and pat the litter box with the urine soaked paper towel.
Training
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Train your dog to use the doggie litter box. Start by placing your dog in the litter box. Praise your dog with verbal praise and treats to encourage the use of the box. Keep an eye on your dog. Each time you notice your dog is looking around to go potty, bring him to the litter box and praise him. If your dog goes to the bathroom somewhere other than the litter box, pick up the urine or feces and put it in the litter box. Show your dog the excrement in the box and verbally praise him. Whenever your dog successfully uses the box, praise him verbally and with treats to let him know that he has done a good thing.
Patience
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Be patient with your dog at all times. Dogs are not as naturally prone to use litter boxes as cats are. Training a dog to use a litter box requires patience, persistence, gentle encouragement and lots of praise. Do not get mad at your dog for failing to use the doggie litter box. Anger will only discourage your dog from using the box. Instead, be persistent and continually encourage your dog to use the box by gently reminding her about the litter box. Remind your dog to use the box by showing it to her often and praising her verbally whenever she is near the box or uses the box.
Cleanliness
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Keep the doggie litter box clean. Dogs often will not use a litter box filled with urine or feces. Just as you do not want to touch your own excrement, your dog does not want to, either. They generally will refuse to step in their own excrement. Regularly clean the litter box so that your dog will want to use it.
Consideration
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If litter box training is unsuccessful, take your dog to a veterinarian to rule out any health problems that could be causing bladder control problems. If no health problems exist, your dog may just need more time to get the hang of using the doggie litter box.
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