I have been considering litter training my mini dachshund. There are a variety of reasons:
1. We live in Minneapolis Minnesota but are from Portland Oregon (this will be our second winter). Obviously, the weather is different. He has a very hard time in the snow (and HATES walking in it). I have tried to clear a patch for him but it doesn't seem to help much. I don't mind taking him out but it really seems to bother him. Sometimes when we have to go out, he sits on the edge of the porch and looks up at me mournfully as if to say, "Do I really have to?"
2. He is often left for up to eight hours. I hate to leave him this long but anyone who works outside the home understands the necessity. Though I know he can hold it for eight hours, I would feel better if he had access to a bathroom spot.
3. My boyfriend's mother frequently watches him. She loves the company and he certainly prefers her house over staying home alone. She is getting older and I am concerned about her having to take him out in the winter. Though he could just not go, they both enjoy it so much that I hesitate to terminate the visits.
I am interested in hearing people's opinions. However if your opinion is some version of "taking your dog outside is part of being a good owner," please know that I would never do anything to harm him. I am contemplating a solution that others have suggested and that seems viable. I would like to hear both the positive and negative aspects of litter training.
Things you should know: he is really easy to train and he eliminates on command.
Thanks in advance!
1. We live in Minneapolis Minnesota but are from Portland Oregon (this will be our second winter). Obviously, the weather is different. He has a very hard time in the snow (and HATES walking in it). I have tried to clear a patch for him but it doesn't seem to help much. I don't mind taking him out but it really seems to bother him. Sometimes when we have to go out, he sits on the edge of the porch and looks up at me mournfully as if to say, "Do I really have to?"
2. He is often left for up to eight hours. I hate to leave him this long but anyone who works outside the home understands the necessity. Though I know he can hold it for eight hours, I would feel better if he had access to a bathroom spot.
3. My boyfriend's mother frequently watches him. She loves the company and he certainly prefers her house over staying home alone. She is getting older and I am concerned about her having to take him out in the winter. Though he could just not go, they both enjoy it so much that I hesitate to terminate the visits.
I am interested in hearing people's opinions. However if your opinion is some version of "taking your dog outside is part of being a good owner," please know that I would never do anything to harm him. I am contemplating a solution that others have suggested and that seems viable. I would like to hear both the positive and negative aspects of litter training.
Things you should know: he is really easy to train and he eliminates on command.
Thanks in advance!