Litter box training puppies makes so much sense!
From birth until about three to four weeks, mom is doing the clean up on her puppies. I know, kind of gross, but it is instinctual for the mama canine (whether she be domestic or a coyote in the wild) to keep the puppies and the nest (or den in the wild) clean for obvious reasons.
When each of our litters reach about three weeks of age, we introduce them to their first litter box. It’s the perfect time! At that age the pups are using their shaky legs to toddle away from their sleeping area to relieve themselves. It’s so cool to watch the natural instinct in action. So why not take advantage of that natural instinct to keep things clean and give them an appropriate place to go potty?
At the toddler age, those legs aren’t really coordinated so we want to make things as easy as possible. The puppies are in a puppy pen with their mom at that age. We use a big, fleece bed which takes up about half of the puppy pen. Then we add a commercial litter box called a UGOdog for the other half of the pen. The UGOdog is a plastic tray with grates on top. It is about the same height as the bed which makes it easy for puppies to totter off the bed onto the potty box.
When our Cavapoos reach that three to four week age, mom is starting to back off a bit on the clean-up. Puppies are adding puppy food to their diet so the poop is more solid. Which means it’s time to switch litter boxes. If I’m not there to clean up each poop when it happens, it gets smashed into the grate and makes cleaning more difficult. Plus it stinks!
So now is the perfect time to make that transition.
The next litter box is what we will be using with the puppies until they leave for their new homes. It’s a plastic container which is about the same length as the puppy pen. The height is about six inches tall and since we want this to be an easy transition for the puppies to use, we cut the side down on the box. Later the pups will easily be able to climb or hop over a normal side without the cutout.
Litter box training helps keep things cleaner, more sanitary, and uses a puppy’s natural instincts to encourage them to relieve themselves in an appropriate place. It also makes the transition to outdoor potty training easier, since the puppy already understands the concept of having a designated potty spot. And yes-litter box training can continue to be used as a convenient backup option while your puppy learns to go outside.
This method is especially helpful for those living in apartments, townhomes, or places without easy access to a yard.
We love litter box training our puppies to make your life (and your puppy’s) easier!