Hello. I have a miniature daschund that is about 8 months old. We have him housebroken pretty well (he never makes mistakes). However, we are gone for a large portion of the day for work and we are usually unable to make it home to let him out. I heard that it is possible to litter box train small dogs. Has anyone tried this? What would you suggest as a good method to teach him this? I'm concerned because I am not sure how easy it is to train a dog to go in a litter box after he is housebroken. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Jim

If you are gone for long periods in the day you might want to consider a crate as opposed to letting him have free reign of the house.

I am a strong believer in crates too. All day is no worse than all night for a crated dog. It is also the best solution for chewing and may help with barking. Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.

If you do want to try the litter box, I would start with it outside. Follow what I would do with a little puppy. Once he catches on to using it outside, move it inside.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

I have a male Miniature Daschund that's a little over a year old now. I tried to litterbox train him for months but without much success. He knows that's where he's supposed to go potty, but he won't get in there on his own. If I set him in there he will go, but if I don't do that every few hours he will find somewhere else to go or he will go right in front of it. I have seen him many times put just his front feet in the litterbox and go potty which is pretty funny but frustrating.

I have given up on the whole litter box idea. It just seemed easier than taking him outside every time since we live on the 3rd floor in an apartment, but I have learned to live with it. He will cry at the door now if he has to go and I just take him out.

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Originally Posted by guildar

Hello. I have a miniature daschund that is about 8 months old. We have him housebroken pretty well (he never makes mistakes). However, we are gone for a large portion of the day for work and we are usually unable to make it home to let him out. I heard that it is possible to litter box train small dogs. Has anyone tried this? What would you suggest as a good method to teach him this? I'm concerned because I am not sure how easy it is to train a dog to go in a litter box after he is housebroken. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Jim

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You could use the pad, but my pup uses Feline Pine in an extra large litter box. Feline Pine comes in pellets that are made of ground up pine tree shavings. The litter does not smell and does not track around on the tile or the carpet. It does not tend to get in their toes either. Plus, it is great fertilizer. I haven't had a problem with my pup eating it either. He tends to eat the pads. He especially loves the spray that is supposed to prevent the dog from pooing in a certain spot. He has yet to poo on the grass. I have spent many a day sitting outside in a chair waiting for him. The person that I got him from kept him inside because he was the runt of the litter. I didn't get him until about 9 weeks or so because he was small. So, I am still working on the whole grass thing.