Litter training?

[BarbV]

I'm still trying to understand if I should continue this or go straight to crate training.

I can see advantages to both, but I've always been on the page of the earlier the better for outside training.

I'm truly rethinking everything that I learned 6 years ago in training Bacca. It seems like there are now diferent ideas out there regarding house training.

 

[Jess041]

I'm still trying to understand if I should continue this or go straight to crate training.

I can see advantages to both, but I've always been on the page of the earlier the better for outside training.

I'm truly rethinking everything that I learned 6 years ago in training Bacca. It seems like there are now diferent ideas out there regarding house training.

I would go straight to crate training if I were you. It sounds like the litter training is just an alternative to puppy pads while they're still at the breeder. It teaches them a certain area to "go". I think ultimately you want them to learn to hold their bladder and go outside only.

 

[BarbV]

That's what I thought too. but really want to hear for others who are litter training.....how long do you do it?

 

[k9kreationz]

Just playing devil's advocate here--I wonder if dogs who are on turf quite a bit (for agility, training etc.) would get confused?

To answer your question, no. Koji's daycare and training facility used the same mats throughout. The dogs would obviously just go on it in the daycare. Koji would let me know when he needed to go potty while we were in training. Miko used to go on astroturf, but would use the grass when outside, no accidents indoors.

I think they associate where they go, not just by what they go on. If that makes sense.

All this is assuming your dog doesn't need to REALLY go and will go anywhere because he's had to wait too long. In that case, all bets are off. LOL.

 

[k9kreationz]

Honestly, I think it depends on the dog if you transition away from it or not. Shelties are smart, for the most part, so most of them will get it.

Miko was papertrained from the day I got him. He took to it almost immediately. At age 1.5 years old, I had to housebreak him. I was told it would never happen because he was too used to going indoors on paper. It took two weeks and two accidents and he was housebroken. As he got older, I put puppy pads down and he basically ignored them. Which basically told me he was housebroken and not paper/pad trained anymore. Miko rarely, if ever, had accidents in the house.

Koji, on the other hand, I don't know how long it would have taken him to housebreak if I went that route. He learns slower than Miko and isn't as "clean" if you will. Miko didn't like to get dirty, Koji didn't care (meaning, he'd go lie in his own urine and it wouldn't matter).

Either way, good luck. My uncle has been litter training his dogs for over 20 years. I tried with Miko, but after he got litter up his nose after sniffing it, I decided against it. I don't think they made pellets back then.

 

[Caro]

So that's an interesting question... especially since I know dogs occasionally "go" on fields when it's real grass. They're not supposed to and they get disqualified (in disc dog at least), but it happens.

That's true - the majority of dogs don't go on the grass in agility, flyball or obedience rings (on grass).

I trained Tully with litter and turf - a piece of turf laid over a tray of kitty litter. Never confused her outside toilet training. And she knew to only use the indoor one if she couldn't get outside.

 

[BarbV]

Sounds like I go with instinct and go straight to crate training.

I have an xpen and will put the crate inside that but crate will be closed when I'm away from the house. I'm fortunate that I can put myself on "pupternity leave" for the first week or so, and only have to leave him a couple of hours. And if longer, then I will bring him to the store with me.

Thanks for the feedback! My senile brain is tring to remember puppy training. Bacca was so darn easy. I have no illusions that this one will be as simple.