Litter Box Training Dog - Tips for litter box training your dog

Litter box training dog is a great article we have recently added that informs you that it is possible to litter box train your dog, and provides great tips for litter box training your dog.

Litter Box Training Dog - Tips for litter box training your dog

Sadly, too many dog owners do not realize the time commitments involved in bringing a new dog into the home. If you do not currently have the quality time to spend with your family members, including yourself, you should not take on the added responsibility of a dog. Dogs, in particular, need a minimum of 15 minutes per day individual quality time spent with their humans much more when in the process of potty training.

Do you think it would be neat to train your smaller dog to use a litter box? It is best to train a dog while still a puppy. It isn't impossible to train an adult dog, but the earlier that you develop good habits, the less likely the dog is to fall back to some previous behavior. If your dog is older, that doesn't mean he is a lost cause, and may in some cases only help to make your dog easier to train - providing that he has developed some level of obedience already.

Training a dog to do anything usually involves identifying a positive behavior - and then rewarding it repeatedly until the dog reaches a point where the desired behavior becomes associated with a good thing like a treat or praise. Puppies respond better to treats more regularly, so a food treat that you will associate solely with the use of the litter box is a key. Try to find something that is small, but very flavorful or with a distinct smell, not the regular food that the dog has in his bowl at meal times. ( Cheese, small bits of cooked liver, small slices of wiener, bits of carrot, or store bought dog treats should work - but be sure the dog likes the treat before you invest in a big bag.)

Second, we need to catch the dog doing the behavior in the right place. The best way to do this is to place the dog in an enclosed area with newspapers or a small litter-box in the corner and watch for the puppy to go. When the puppy goes, immediately praise him and offer the treat. Even easier is to crate-train your dog. Rather than the long wait, put your puppy in a small enclosed space right after feeding. Wait a short time and then watch to see if the puppy is doing ok, then take him out and place him in a spacious puppy potty that you have set up for him.

The timing of the meal and the fact that he's now restricted to the large litter box should increase the odds that he will be ready to go while you are watching him. Remember too that dogs are more prone to bathroom stops in the early morning when they wake or after you return home from work, school or shopping.

The reward you give your dog for going in the litter box is two-fold, offering mainly the treat at first, but also the praise. After a few days you will find that your dog will look forward to visiting the littler box and getting the good things that go along with it. (snack & praise). Soon you'll be able to let the puppy choose his own times to visit the potty, but be warned, some dogs have been known to "fake" a bathroom trip or two once they get into the habit. Keep a sense of humor and reward him for trying, it will only reinforce the idea that he's starting to understand. However if the fake trips become too frequent. You may wish to save the treat and just offer mild praise for false alarms.

The praise component is very important, don't neglect it! Remember that there will be many times that you may be elsewhere when the dog needs to go. It's a good idea to bring the dog to site and praise him when you get home or when you discover his earlier handiwork - make sure that you only offer special attention when your dog is on target.

Another consideration is the type of surface. Some dogs may already be used to going on a plain surface or on newspapers. You can leave your litter boxr bare, or line with a single sheet of newspaper - depending on the dog. Either way, clean-up is still easy. If you have a dog that is used to going on the grass, you may have a more difficult time switching, but it is worth a try, and you may find an organic or recycled litter that will act as a good substitute.

For smaller dogs, you may be able to use an absorbent litter, but do use some caution here as you'll want to test your dog's reaction to the type of litter that you use. If your dog is a "digger" then you may wish to avoid using a litter at all. You should try to avoid clumping litters - whether clay based or natural fiber - if your dog is curious about the "clumps" that form. Experimentation is the only way to be sure that your dog finds the litter box a comfortable stop, without also making it a site for exploration. Assume the worst and be wary of any litter that might cause problems if ingested.

When your Dog forgets:

If your dog happens to eliminate in the house but in an inappropriate spot (only while you’re home), clap your hands to interrupt her and take her quickly to the desired location immediately. You don't have to get angry, just disrupt the activity and establish that you wish the dog to stop. Many dogs will react to a firm "No", or a loud "AH, AH, AHHHH!"

In Summary:

Any elimination in the litter box should be enthusiastically praised and otherwise rewarded as soon as it happens. It also will be helpful to reward even mild interest and sniffing in the vicinity of the potty. Dogs are bright and will enjoy this activity as much as any other game that you might play with them. The extra attention to training early on will usually pay off with a life-time of easy clean ups and a contented pet.

Thank you to Kate Gordon for this article

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Dog Obedience Training Table of Contents:

Dog Obedience Training - Introduction and home page of Dog Obedience Basics. This page will introduce you to why you should start early when it comes to dog obedience, as well as why dogs misbehave.

Dog Obedience - Page two of Dog Obedience Basics gets into the theory behind dog obedience training, as well as the importance behind your pet dogs name.

Dog Obedience Tips - Page three of Dog Obedience Basics discusses the various steps to getting a dog to do anything, and the importance of positive reinforcement and why it works when it comes to dog obedience training.

Dog Obedience Training Tip - Page four of Dog Obedience Basics is currently the final page of this 4 page report, and is the conclusion of our findings. Find out our conclusion and the number one mistake people make when it comes to dog obedience training.

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