Potty Training Your Puppy Using a Litterbox

Ah the joys of puppyhood and being a new puppy owner. Tails wag, little tongues lick you with happiness, and little bodies leave pee and poop all over your house. The first few weeks can be tough, I speak from recent experience. You and your puppy are getting to know each other, the puppy is figuring out the ground rules and the lay of the land. This includes...where to eat, sleep, play and of course go potty.

I was determined to litterbox train my Yorkshire Terrier puppy who on arrival to my home weighed a whopping 1.9 pounds. I purchased a specially made plastic doggie litterbox and decided to use newspaper instead of pea pads. I hear they stink, so I decided against that route. Do NOT use Kitty litter, the puppy will most likely try and eat it. In my opinion, newspaper is the way to go. The great thing about newspaper, you can always take it with you, and once trained the puppy will know where to "go."

There is a lot of opinion about whether to house train a puppy indoors before learning to go "wee wee" outdoors. I personally did not find this to be a problem.
Along with the plastic puppy litterbox I also had the foresight to purchase a large spray bottle of "puppy cleaner for accidents." I am personally a big fan of Nature's Miracle spray bottle, it's safe to use around pets, eliminates stains AND nasty smells. Your puppy will have lots of accidents during the learning curve, so be prepared. Again there are many opinions about how to work with a puppy but here is what worked for me and puppy Soffee.

When the puppy would "go" in the wrong place, I would say, "no" and pick the puppy up and place her in the litterbox and say, "do business." I also kept her in a confined area in the beginning where she had, her puppy bed, food, water and litterbox. A dog does not like to "go" in it's sleeping space, so it will get the idea to jump into the litterbox fairly quick. The key is not to leave much space in the initial area.

When I brough the puppy out to play with a few toys, I would periodically lift her into the litterbox and say "do business." You can also take a paper towel and dab it onto where the puppy went on the floor and then dab it into the litterbox. The scent in the box will also help your puppy know where to "go."

Once she had all her shots we began taking walks, and she seemed to sniff where others had been and occasionally give it a go. These days, at ten months old, our walks are more about exercise then a bathroom break, but she knows she can go on the grass if need be while we are walking.

Never ever "shake" your puppy or put their nose in the mistake. This achieves nothing. The biggest tool you have is praise and some people choose to use treat rewards when the puppy "goes" in the correct place.

Keep in mind the puppy is going to have accidents even once they have the hang of it. The key word here is , "puppy" and remember that is what they are. Soffee is now 10 months old and rarely has accidents, though on the rare occasion while playing she will not make it on time to the box, but it's rare. With time, patience and love, your puppy with catch on and be "doing business" in the right place.