Litter Box training a puppy

[yuckaduck]

I have decided since it is cold and wet to litter box train Flurry, [6 week old gsd/dobe] but am having a few issues. I really am not sure what proper steps to take to achieve this goal so maybe the issue is me and not the pup.

On Friday morning she came into the house and used the box which was then a tray, without a problem. On Saturday I changed over to the box and again she used it religiously. On Sunday she used it but only put her front two paws in and then ended up peeing on the floor, I jsut scooped her up and placed her in the box. Rewarding all things in the box as very good and anything found on the floor or started on the floor I scooped her up right away and moved her to the box. On Monday she totally stopped using the box just squatted wherever she happened to be. I still scooped her up and placed her in the box. Last night I tried the crate her and every hour take her out and put her in the box, she just jumped out right away, so I re crated her. I followed this routine all night and instead of using the box she peed in the crate and pooed in the crate and slept in it until I got up the next hour and took her out and cleaned her up.

She did not fuss or anything about being dirty. I did not leave her in the mess because that would be to gross. How do I get her to use the box as her potty.

I have a puppy pad and some shavings in the box, because in the kennel I use shavings for them to mess on and in the kennel she used it. Now she is not using it. I just am not sure how show her that the box is her potty. I really do not think keeping her crated all the time is working either and it is not healthy for her to stay in the crate. I do not want pee all over the place though.

Now this morning I leashed her to me and had her follow me everywhere and every 15 mins I stuck her in the box but she still did not use the box but instead peed on my foot.

Sorry so long but just trying to get all the information out so you can help advise me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

[AmberwayGSD]

I know this might sound gross hon but just like litter training cats,try putting some of the pee dabbed up with paper towel or poo in the box to try to get the scent there.That might help her get the idea of what to do there.They like to where where they can smell they have already gone.It might be yucky until she gets it though.Have air freshners on hand.I hope someone else can help you a little more.

[yuckaduck]

I know this might sound gross hon but just like litter training cats,try putting some of the pee dabbed up with paper towel or poo in the box to try to get the scent there.That might help her get the idea of what to do there.They like to where where they can smell they have already gone.It might be yucky until she gets it though.Have air freshners on hand.I hope someone else can help you a little more.
I have done that from the start but she is not using it at all now. It is almost like she is afraid of the box or something but she did not show any fear before.

[AmberwayGSD]

Maybe try another box,maybe a bigger one.I dont know much on litter box training dogs though so I cant offer much help.

[Meggie]

No suggestions for you, but I just have to ask. Is litter box training a large breed dog common? I mean, I've heard of doing it with the very small breeds, but a not anything as big as a GSD/Doberman. Won't that make it more difficult for his future owners to housebreak him? Or did I miss something, are you keeping him?

[yuckaduck]

She is so young and so tiny and she has a nasty cold the vet suggested litter training her for the winter to get her all nice and healthy again. No normally I would never litter train any dog, I think outside is much better but she is not to go outside so kinda hard to train her if she is not allowed out. She was yanked from her mom at 3 weeks of age and she never really got what she needed, she is a sickly little thing. Yes we are keeping her, how could I adopt out a sickly pup?

[Giny]

how could I adopt out a sickly pup?

You keep her if you wish but just to point out good rescuers do NOT adopted out sick dogs. They nurse them back to health wait till an appropriate age then adopt her out. Just want to clarify that since you are a rescue yourself.

[Meggie]

Ohhhh my, happy scooping?

You know, if you're going to rescue you're going to have to learn to step back a bit and not get your heart so involved. There will be lots of sickly dogs passing through. Good luck! :)

[yuckaduck]

You keep her if you wish but just to point out good rescuers do NOT adopted out sick dogs. They nurse them back to health wait till an appropriate age then adopt her out. Just want to clarify that since you are a rescue yourself.


So if I decide to make her a family pet I am a bad rescue? I never ever had the intention of adopting out a sick dog. We have fallen in love with her so yes I was going to burse her back to health and then keep her. I see no problem with that but hey if that makes me a bad rescue then she can go back out to the kennel right now. Only our family pets come into the house.

[yuckaduck]

Ohhhh my, happy scooping?

You know, if you're going to rescue you're going to have to learn to step back a bit and not get your heart so involved. There will be lots of sickly dogs passing through. Good luck! :)


That is true and that is why they stay in the kennel. I have been saying no to alot of people to because I am just to busy with this one to deal with more. I am not anything more then a dump off kennel trying to help out. I am not non profit or even registered so I have no obligation to take in anything and honestly had I known she would not have been taken in either.

[Giny]

So if I decide to make her a family pet I am a bad rescue? I never ever had the intention of adopting out a sick dog. We have fallen in love with her so yes I was going to burse her back to health and then keep her. I see no problem with that but hey if that makes me a bad rescue then she can go back out to the kennel right now. Only our family pets come into the house.
I didn't imply you were a bad rescuer. I simply stated from what you stated "how could I adopt out a sickly pup?" Which led me to believe was the reason for you keeping her and not adopting her out. Like I said, keep her if you wish. Please do not turn my words around. :)

[yuckaduck]

I didn't imply you were a bad rescuer. I simply stated from what you stated "how could I adopt out a sickly pup?" Which led me to believe was the reason for you keeping her and not adopting her out. Like I said, keep her if you wish. Please do not turn my words around. :)
Sorry sure sounded like you were implying that.

No our reason for bringing her in the house was because she has really captured our hearts. My trainer asked us to keep her for him, but he is away on vacation..........so we decided to make her our family pet instead and not ever adopt her out. Not just because she is sickly but because she is a really sweet dog. I think she will be a great family pet and Yukon and Hope both seem to love her. She is actually snuggling up to Hope all the time. SHe nestles into her belly searching for the nipple that is not there and Hope snuggles into her. I think Hope has accepted her as her baby even though she is not. It is really cute to see how much they have gotten along and how protect they both are of the pup.

I jsut need to litter train her because I do not want messes all over the place.

[yuckaduck]

I am pulling my hair out.

She uses the box religiously in the morning even if she out running around she always uses the box. But at noon when I take the other two outside if I leave her loose she will mess all of the house, If I crate her with her box she will mess beside the box not in it like she does all morning.

SHe will actually sleep in the box with her mess and if I clean the box which I do, she sleeps on the floor of the crate with her messes. I do put a blanket in there too but same thing she messes on it and then sleeps with her mess.

She will continue being a pig the rest of the day and all night yet all morning she is perfect.

I reward her goody all morning long but she still reverts back to being a pig. How do I get her to be clean all day and night too.

[yuckaduck]

My husband has informed me that we will not be keeping Flurry. She will be adopted out when she is ready to go. She is not ready yet but he says we just cannot afford to keep her and look after her properly. We have two dogs that are just family pets already and my hubby told me the only way Flurry can stay is I get rid of Hope or Yukon and I cannot do that. Since Flurry is a mutt she is not good to add to any breeding program and that is the only other reason my bubby would keep her, and she has had a rough little life so far so no way is she going through breeding espically when she is a mutt. So she will be adopted out on a spay contract when she is older and ready to go, about three weeks.

Ok like 30 mins ago he said the above, now he says maybe we will keep her so who knows what will happen. Kinda hard for me if he does nto make a choice and stick with it though.

[thewhitewitchone]

Yuckaduck....do you have a garage you can train her to go potty in? Not the best solution but not as bad as her doing it in your house. How old is she? Maybe she is just too young to be potty trained in any way right now.
BTW..what happened to Storm??

Pam

[yuckaduck]

Yuckaduck....do you have a garage you can train her to go potty in? Not the best solution but not as bad as her doing it in your house. How old is she? Maybe she is just too young to be potty trained in any way right now.
BTW..what happened to Storm??

Pam


Flurry is barely 4 weeks old according to the vet's estimation. She is a rescue not one of mine! She cannot go out into the garage [of which I do not have anyway] no outside for her until she is not sick anymore. SHe has pnemunia.

Storm has been neutered and re homed with my best friend from high school. I already have new pictures of them together and so far so good.

[yuckaduck]

Now all morning FLurry uses that box religiously. Even if she is out playing she will run back to that box and hop in and use it. In the afternoon she seems to forget to use it espically if she is in the crate with the box she uses it as a bed.

The crate she is in is the 48 inch one so lots of room for box and her.

I added an old worn t shirt into her crate because she cries alot so I thought it might help her some. She is sleeping on the shirt instead of in the box. I also took everything out of the box, washed it out and then put extra newspaper in and alot more shavings in it. Maybe she smells it and does not want to use it but then when she uses the crate she figures it is better to sleep on shavings. I cannot say for sure because who really knows what she thinks, but it may at the very least make her more comfy because I hate to get up at night and finding her sleeping in pee and poo. It cannot be healthy for her either and I always clean the crate the second I notice anything in it to try my best to keep her clean. THere are times though that I sleep all night and therefore it is 6-8 hours before I am up so if she would use the crate only or the box only and sleep in the other spot it would be much better for her. There is a tray in the crate so it is easy to clean so whichever place she wants to use is ok with me at this point.

[yuckaduck]

Ok last night I out in a worn t shirt and I added extra shavings to the box. SHe used the box all night as potty and slept on the t shirt. Maybe it was all my mistake, maybe she just like more shavings then I was giving her. Hopefully this will not jinx me though but I will see what happens but no accidents in the actual crate everything is in her litter box. Celebration time at least for this morning.