Typically most people tend to see housetraining your dog or puppy as teaching them to wait to go outside to relieve themselves. Some people even add to that by teaching the dog to bark to go outside, ring a bell, or even bring a leash to the owner when they need to go outside. While these are all great options sometimes it doesn’t make sense to teach your dog to only go to the bathroom outside.

Some situations that may require a dog to be comfortable eliminating in the house or designated bathroom area are:

• Toy or miniature dogs that cannot be let outside because of larger dogs in the yard or run.
• Toy or miniature dogs in very cold or extremely harsh climates that simply could not tolerate going outside. A Chihuahua in the middle of winter in Canada is a good example of this.
• Dogs that are handicapped in some fashion, usually either visually or physically.
• Owners that have to leave the dog’s unattended in the home for very long periods of time and want to provide the dog a designated area to use the bathroom.
• Owners that are physically handicapped themselves and find walking the dog a problem.
• Owners that live in apartments and cannot always take the dog for a walk in emergency situations or who want the dog to learn to use the patio or other location in the small space.

Dogs, believe it or not, can be trained to use a litter box just like a cat. This requires a bit of patience on the part of the owner, and is usually easiest to accomplish if you start this process with a puppy rather than a dog that has previously been housetrained. Simply take the puppy to the litter box as you would take them outside. Place them in the litter box, with appropriate amounts of kitty litter, shredded paper, or odor absorbing pellets and praise them when they go. Since dogs and puppies tend to return to the area because of the scent, you may need to leave some waste material behind for the first little while to encourage the puppy to use the box again. Remember, dogs will not cover their waste as cat’s do, so there will be some unpleasant odor associated with the litter box, but it can be cleaned completely once the dog has the understanding. Dogs and cats will usually not use the same litter box and be aware that some dogs will develop the nasty habit of eating cat waste, which is both unhealthy and rather disgusting.

If you are litter box training a small dog be sure the puppy can easily get in and out of the litter box on their own. If the litter box sides are too high, you may want to consider potty pads that are highly absorbent cotton pads, much like diapers, which can be placed on the floor. They have an attractant already in the pad to encourage the puppy or dog to urinate on them. A plastic backing protects the floor area from excessive moisture.

Alternatives to housetraining can be a great way to accommodate for living conditions, physical health issues with either the dog or the owner, or to provide a bathroom area for your pet if you are away from home for long periods of time and cannot leave the dog outside. Start your puppy training in these methods as soon as possible for best results.

By Hank Robertson, writer for Oh My Dog Supplies - the biggest online source for raised dog bowls, over 40 designs available!

Dog Training