# Training your dog to use a litterbox?



## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

Has anyone tried to litter train their cockapoo(s) (or any dogs)?

I plan to crate train my puppy but I've also come across articles online about training your small dogs to use a litter box. 

http://www.kturby.com/litter/litter.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Purina-second...TF8&qid=1342124961&sr=1-1&keywords=dog+litter


What are your thoughts? What are the cons? 
I hope you don't think I’m crazy...


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

why exactly do you want your dog to toilet in the house rather than on a walk?


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I knew two small yorkies that were litter box trained. 
I would not want to litter train my cockapoo tho...they really are not that small. they are on the smaller side...but not so small that you don't need to walk them.

is there a specific reason you think this would suit you?


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## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

kendal said:


> why exactly do you want your dog to toilet in the house rather than on a walk?


Kendal, it would be in a litter box that serves as a toilet, not on the floor. 
It might be just me but I'm thinking: "well, humans use a toilet inside a house we don't go outside to do it".

Maybe it's just me who thinks it's not weird or unnatural?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

the dog toilet were invented so people in high rize apartments didn't need to walk their dogs. 

cats are different you either keep them indoors all the time and never let them out or the rome free. dogs you cant do that with, they need the walk. am sorry but even puppy pads can hold back toilet training. 

you could end up the the problem of if you want to go in somewhere with your dog they will want to toilet in their rather than outside before you go in. 

sorry but i see no reason for needing a toilet for your dog in the house.


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## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

lady amanda said:


> I knew two small yorkies that were litter box trained.
> I would not want to litter train my cockapoo tho...they really are not that small. they are on the smaller side...but not so small that you don't need to walk them.
> 
> is there a specific reason you think this would suit you?


I found out about the litter box method from researching house breaking. I thought that the litter box method although unpopular makes more sense than it sounds. Your dog would learn that the litter box is its toilet and can still enjoy walks.
I'm just asking what everyone thinks.


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## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

kendal said:


> the dog toilet were invented so people in high rize apartments didn't need to walk their dogs.
> 
> cats are different you either keep them indoors all the time and never let them out or the rome free. dogs you cant do that with, they need the walk. am sorry but even puppy pads can hold back toilet training.
> 
> ...


Thanks for bringing up puppy pads. Some people have actually suggest that I use puppy pads. I would welcome opinions on this. 

You're right I never thought that this could give the dog the ok to toilet inside any box not just a litter box.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I wouldnt like my dogs to wee or poo in the house. Mine like to save their poos for the park and woods. Its also so easy to open the door and let them wee in the garden. I can't see the point of doing it indoors. Cockapoos are very clean dogs I don't think they would like their toilet smells in the house.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

For one it will stink! Yuck. Good luck, let us know how you get on.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Hi Cockapup.

Interesting thread. This is something I had never considered but after this post, thinking about it, cockapoos are not that small (not like a chiwawa for example. Nacho fully grown is on the smaller side to most cockapoos but still has big poos. He is on a good diet but they still stink. Imagine having visitors and your house stinking of dog poo.

I think your best bet would be to train your pup to go outside. When they are younger they obviously can't hold it for as long but any new dog owner should prepare to put in the work. Nacho is now a year old and will hold it overnight from around 10pm - 8.30am in the morning. I usually go down in the morning and have to wake him up - so i know he's not desperately holding it in - meaning that a litterbox just wouldn't be necessary.

I'm fortunate enough to take Nacho to work with me. However he may go to the toilet twice in a day (wees) and will do his poo once in the morning first thing and then on his walk in the evening. I just think a litterbox is unnecessary if you are going to look after your dog properly and give him the outside time and exercise a cockapoo would need.

Let us know what you decide and if you do go ahead, be interesting to know how you get on.


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

Sorry but I'm with Kendal here, I don't understand why you would want to toilet train a dog to use a litter box. I know this is a black and white view of it but humans poop in the toilet, cats poop in a litterbox and outside and dogs poop outside. Humans are not dogs, dogs are not cats. 

It's all part of owning a dog, you walk them, let them relieve themselves and clean up after them!


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## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

Interesting thoughts! I guess dogs are not meant to use a litter box after seeing how everyone reacts.

S.Claire, I wish I could bring my dog to work! 

I plan on crate training my puppy. I'm planning to take a week off and going home at lunch everyday after that at the beginning to take future pup out and then go from there. 

How long does it take until a puppy can hold it for 8 hrs? 6 months? a year? 

I hope I can get some realistic answers here. Whenever I ask people online I usually get the "don't get a dog unless you stay home all day or have a part time job". 


Thanks, everyone!


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I think you will just have to see what happens, some dogs are ok to be left that amount of time, some are not, it depends on the personality of your dog. Also although holding toilet for 8 hours is entirely possible, my main worry would be boredom and stress on the dog being left for so long. Cockapoos are smart dogs and a smart, bored dog can and will find destructive ways to amuse themselves.
There are ways around it, if you can give your dog a nice long walk before you leave for work and leave some toys/ bones/ stag bars to chew, that may be enough to keep your dog happy while alone.

Would doggy daycare or a walker be an option for you?


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

8 hours? I don't think that's a reasonable time at all to leave a dog on their own (so sorry if I sound harsh). But can you keep it in for that long? I know I most certainly can't!!

We thought long and hard about getting a dog and decided to rearrange our schedules to make sure we could, I work 9-5 weekdays, my boyfriend works weekends and a few weekday evenings. We never leave Vincent for longer than 4 hours at a time. To an extent it is ok to go home at lunch time if you work close enough to home to let your dog out for bathroom relief and some cuddles. 

I'm afraid to say the people you've already asked are correct, you shouldn't get a dog unless you can honestly spend the time, and money looking after it fully. This includes changing schedules which can be hard!

The best option if you can't be home is to use either a doggy day care (we use one once or twice a week) or hire someone to come into your house and either dog sit for a few hours or take them on a nice long walk.


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## cockapup (Jul 10, 2012)

I will look into doggy daycare then. I don't know anyone who lives close to me who doesn't go to work during the day. I am not comfortable with having a stranger coming into my house when I am not home. 

Changing my schedule is not really an option for me.


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

cockapup said:


> I will look into doggy daycare then. I don't know anyone who lives close to me who doesn't go to work during the day. I am not comfortable with having a stranger coming into my house when I am not home.
> 
> Changing my schedule is not really an option for me.


I understand it is hard, I have wanted a dog for about 10 years and it's only recently since I've been able to have one. 

Our day care costs are ~£15 (UK) a day


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

cockapup said:


> I will look into doggy daycare then. I don't know anyone who lives close to me who doesn't go to work during the day. I am not comfortable with having a stranger coming into my house when I am not home.
> 
> Changing my schedule is not really an option for me.


I know i'm so lucky and it's great. To be honest I wouldn't have got a dog unless my situation was this way although I have plenty of friends who have dogs that are left between 8am - 6pm but they all have dog walkers who come in once or twice a day to let them out for a walk and play with them. When I said Nacho can hold it from 10pm - 8am (a good 10 hours) this is when we are both asleep. He actually doesn't get a lot of sleep during the day as i'm wondering around all the time - unless of course i'm at my desk (he's currently chewing on a bone, lying on my feet). 

If you got a dog that was left 8 hours during the day from 9-5pm that only leaves a few hours of social interaction with your dog until you go to sleep and then the dog is on its own another 8 hours plus. The dog will get ridiculously bored and I think it would be a must to get a dog walker. I think you will need to consider that it will be a stranger that you approach and this may have to be an option if you are serious about getting a dog. However you could always meet a person who offers this service and spend sometime walking your dog with him/her first, cups of tea, chats etc to get to know them first! You're right, I'd like to know exactly who is looking after my dog and who was in my house well before plunging in.

Perhaps find someone before your puppy is even bought.... there's nothing like being well prepared!


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I use a dog walker/sitter on a daily basis but had to wait years before I could afford it. I still feel a little guilty about leaving mine as much as I do during the day - please think carefully about making the right decisions for you and your dog xx


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

8 hours is too long to leave a dog on its own. Lots of us work, we either use dog walkers, pay for daycare or come home at lunchtime and walk them ourselves. (I do a mixture of all 3 and never leave them for more than 4 hours) it's just not fair on a dog to leave it all alone every day in my opinion, especially a cockapoo who are people dogs. They need company, exercise and stimulation.


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