Litter Training for Dogs
By Roxanne Willems Snopek
When Jean Sumption of Tucson, Arizona and her husband Gerry dropped their daughter off at college, they made a temporary move to a furnished apartment. No pets allowed. But the void of the empty nest needed to be filled. In spite of their building’s restrictions, they decided to purchase Maggie, an apricot toy poodle, and hide her as best they could. “I am a stubborn Norwegian who never learned the word can’t,” says Jean. “I knew I couldn’t let her out for her bathroom needs, or she would be discovered. I thought if you can paper-train a dog, why not a litter box?”
That was 11 years ago and Maggie has been using the litter pan ever since, even on vacation.
But some owners don’t want to use newspapers or absorbent training pads. They like the idea of litter, but don’t know if their dogs can be convinced likewise. Enter Ralston-Purina. The mega-successful pet-supply company recently introduced their new litter-training system especially for dogs. Called secondnature™, it’s comprised of three elements: litter, a specially designed pan and a training guide. Designed for puppies and small dogs, the secondnature™ pans come in three sizes: toy – for puppies and adult dogs up to six pounds, miniature – for puppies and dogs up to 15 pounds, and standard – for puppies and dogs up to 35 pounds.
Scientists and veterinarians at Purina created a super-absorbent pellet of recycled newspaper and wood pulp. Non-tracking, non-staining, and environmentally friendly, the secondnature™ litter is also designed to provide highly effective odor control.
Backed by Research
Litter training is not new; it’s just another a form of substrate training, like paper-training. “A substrate,” explains Dr. Nicholas Dodman, “is a substance on which the dog is supposed to eliminate inside.” In a special research project at the Tufts University department of Behavioral Studies, Dr. Dodman observed groups of dogs of various ages to see how readily they would eliminate in a litterbox. He found that, for the most part, adult dogs would not use them. Some of the younger dogs - three, four and five month old puppies - would use it, but still not many. “But we had one litter of nine-to-ten-week old puppies”, he says, “that used it just like paper.” And this is one of the keys to litter-training dogs: start early!
Until a very short time ago, paper or litter training was only a temporary situation. Now, more and more dog owners are giving the litterbox a permanent place in their lives. And why not? At least 37% of the 58 million dogs in the United States weigh less than 17 pounds. That’s not much bigger than the average cat.
But it’s important to understand the difference in elimination behavior between dogs and cats. Cats instinctively seek to cover their waste; dogs won’t cover theirs, but can be trained to prefer whatever surface you want them to use. Most of us teach our dogs to use grass, gravel, bark mulch, or whatever surface we allow them to use for elimination. Training them to use a box inside the house isn’t much more difficult, provided the same patience and consistency is used.
Making it Work
Litter training a puppy is basically the same as paper training. Keep in mind that a puppy has very limited bladder control and will usually want to relieve herself upon awakening, after eating, playing and before bedtime.
Karen Overall, VMD, Ph.D., is at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “At about 8½ weeks of age, dogs develop substrate preferences,” says Dr. Overall, referring to the texture of surface the dog prefers for elimination. “It’s also when they develop the neuromuscular ability to control their bladders, and the mnemonic ability to connect learning and memory.” These three things must all be in place, she says, for housetraining to be successful.
When you see her begin to sniff and circle, it’s a sign that she needs to eliminate. Pick her up and carry her to her papers and praise her when she uses them. “Don’t forget,” says Dr. Overall. “You’re not rewarding them for urinating. That’s self-rewarding. The reward is for urinating in the right place.”
Use a key word or command when your pup eliminates in the right spot – eventually she’ll be trained to eliminate on command. Jean tells Maggie to “be a good girl”. Other dogs are trained to “go pee” or “go potty”. This comes in handy when traveling or visiting, or even when you have limited time and want to be certain the job has been done.
Clean the litter as it’s used, leaving a tiny soiled portion to carry the scent to the fresh litter. The smell of their own urine and stool will reinforce and associate elimination with the area and substrate you’ve chosen.
This also underscores the importance of thoroughly cleaning up after “accidents” with enzymatic odor neutralizing cleansers. To catch accidents before they occur, Jean suggests carrying the pup at the first signal that she has to go. “She may not be able to hold it and walk at the same time,” says Jean. “But if you miss the signal, simply raise your voice and say NO. Quickly grab her and put her into the box.” Then praise her lavishly. Do not spank in response to accidents and never rub a puppy’s nose in urine or stool.
You know your puppy is reliably trained when he will use only the box, will use it both under supervision, and when alone, and goes directly to the box without hesitation.
Although your puppy wants an olfactory reminder of where the bathroom is, you don’t, so keep the pan clean! Be sure to remove soiled litter daily, discarding according to manufacturer’s directions. Never flush litter down the toilet unless the directions clearly indicate it’s safe to do so, and be warned: even “flushable” litter has been known to cause plumbing problems. Scrub, disinfect and refill the pan with fresh litter at least weekly.
The Need for Socialization
The big pitfall of litter training is the possibility – even inadvertently - of cloistering the dog during the critical socialization period. From 8 weeks to several months of age is the best time for puppies to learn about their world and develop confidence to deal with new situations. Without these experiences, happy puppies can quickly grow into fearful dogs. Jean knew it was important for Maggie to have playtime outside, so they made regular trips to the park, smuggling the tiny dog in and out of their building inside her purse!
Not all owners understand the importance of socialization. “Some of these owners,” says Dr. Overall, “will NEVER take their dogs outside.” She’s treated dogs with no knowledge of the world outside their apartment. “One owner didn’t want to put her dog down onto the floor, because it was white,” says Dr. Overall. These dogs become agoraphobic, terribly anxious in unfamiliar situations - which is almost everywhere - and with unfamiliar people or other animals. However, she emphasizes that litter training as an add-on to going outside for walks, puppy kindergarten or day-care, car-rides, trips to see friends, is perfectly fine.
Which is good news for people who want to use litter training in conjunction with outdoor elimination. Jean remembers when she first asked Maggie to “be a good girl” outside. “She looked at me like I was nuts,” she says, “but she quickly learned it was okay to go outside as well as on her box indoors.”
What About the Boys?
Contrary to popular belief, not all male lift their legs to urinate. “Most male dogs don’t cock their legs without social stimulation,” says Dr. Overall. “Marking is a social behavior, facilitated by hormones.” Most marking behavior will be established by about 2 years of age, and occurs less often in neutered males. Many male dogs will use litter pans with no difficulty. But Dr. Overall suggests setting up a plastic drape around the box, just in case the dog lifts his leg.
Building the Bond
The big, unspoken advantage of litter-training, according to Dr. Overall, is how it helps minimize what is often the most frustrating part of puppy ownership – housetraining. “Behaviorally, most dog abuse starts around the same time child abuse starts – during toilet-training.” Reducing the frustration around this event can help owners over a very difficult hurdle, and help cement the bond between them and their dogs. “If this can prevent one dog from being beaten,” says Dr. Overall, “then I’m a happy camper.”
