Here at Holler's Inn, all our puppies are litter box trained. We start the puppies are starting to move around better on their feet we place in with them a litter box of newspaper pellets at 3 1/2-4 weeks old. The puppies naturally figure out how to use it. Dogs by natural instinct typically do not wish to eliminate themselves where they sleep, so the puppies will adventure off their bedding and use the box. In the beginning they are not very good at it. They may only get it right 50% of the time. However, by the time the puppies are 8wks old, they have it down almost perfectly! It’s the solution to anyone that is away from home for several hours at a time or while you are at work. No more having to keep them in a crate when a young pup can’t hold it’s bladder for more than a few hours at a time.
The main key to litter box training for puppies, is to keep their space very small. There should only be room for thier bed, food dishes, and 1 or 2 litter boxes. As they get better at using the litter boxes, their space is increased in size.
We recommend that once the puppies leave us that they continue on with the litter box method. Puppies have no bladder control until after they are 16 weeks old. They typically need to go out to relieve themselves every 20 minutes to an hour at 8 weeks old and up. Although, they may sleep for 4-6 hours at night or you may get lucky and they sleep thru the night.
If you are like me....you may not have time to take your new puppy out as often as they need, or you may have to leave home for a longer period of time. This is where the litter box training comes in really handy! If you can set up your puppies home space with a litter box, you will not have to worry as much about if they need to go potty.
I have found no issues with housebreaking after using the litter boxes. We still take our puppies outside to potty as often as we can, this way they still get rewarded for using the bathroom outside. Once ready to transition off the pellets to a crate just take the litter box up and start crate training. Make the crate a safe place to be at.
The main key to litter box training for puppies, is to keep their space very small. There should only be room for thier bed, food dishes, and 1 or 2 litter boxes. As they get better at using the litter boxes, their space is increased in size.
We recommend that once the puppies leave us that they continue on with the litter box method. Puppies have no bladder control until after they are 16 weeks old. They typically need to go out to relieve themselves every 20 minutes to an hour at 8 weeks old and up. Although, they may sleep for 4-6 hours at night or you may get lucky and they sleep thru the night.
If you are like me....you may not have time to take your new puppy out as often as they need, or you may have to leave home for a longer period of time. This is where the litter box training comes in really handy! If you can set up your puppies home space with a litter box, you will not have to worry as much about if they need to go potty.
I have found no issues with housebreaking after using the litter boxes. We still take our puppies outside to potty as often as we can, this way they still get rewarded for using the bathroom outside. Once ready to transition off the pellets to a crate just take the litter box up and start crate training. Make the crate a safe place to be at.
Once you take your new puppy home, we recommend you set up something like this. In our home we use a 36-48" exercise pen with a litter box and a dog bed. This way the puppy can still use the potty even if I can not get him/her outside.
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Things you may need :
Depending on which litter you choose to use is up to you. I highly recommend the “Yesterday’s News” from chewy or anywhere else that maybe cheaper that’s newspaper pellets. It’s $19.99 for a 30 lb bag. This isn’t as messes as the pine pellets from tractor supply. The pine after use becomes a powder like and it gets EVERYWHERE. That’s where it’s handy to keep a small shop vac handy for vacuuming any stray parts. Litter box Pellets: Option 1: Yesterday’s News from Chewy.com. It’s $19.99 for a 30 lb bag. Option 2: Equine Pelletized Bedding bought from Tractor Supply Co. $6 for 40lbs. Oh and don't forget the kitty scoop to clean out the box. Walmart or Dolor Tree has them for $1.00. Litter Box: Option: 1. Rabbit trays from Travtir Supply is what I use. They are perfect for their little legs to get over. They are $15.99-$19.99. I use the 24 in x 24 in, 30 in x 30 in, and/or the 36 in x 30 in trays. My favorite size at 8 weeks old for just one pup is the 24 in tray. Honestly, will work for a while. Option 2: Under the bed storage containers. They come in small, med and large most can be found at Walmart, Lowes, or Bed Bath & Beyond. They start at about $5 for the small, and $19 for the larger ones. Keep the side height around or under 6 inches. If you have a very small puppy you may wish to cut a doorway into the box, as shown above in our crate. -A puppy play pen, or a crate. Best prices are found on Amazon, Walmart, or Ebay. REMEMBER the larger the area the more likely your puppy will have accidents. If this should having make the exercise pen a little smaller. Having a litter box DOES NOT mean you never have to take your puppy outside. Please take your new puppy outside to potty as much as possible and reward them greatly when they go!! Please feel free to call or text me with any questions! 606-627-1703 |
