Litterbox Training
I thought a litterbox was only for cats. What do you mean you can litterbox train your dog?
Poo…. And more Poo. And yet…even more Poo!
This is the one thing that all breeders can agree to. Its the single most hated thing about breeding. When the dam no longer eats her babies’ poo (around 4 wks at weaning), it begins to get really messy and stinky in the whelping box. And in your house. And at this age, the puppies are starting to jump, play, and explore. This is a deadly combination when mixed with poo. Not really deadly but you will have wish you died when you get a whiff. And since most Pomsky breeders have indoor whelping areas, it makes it worse.
Some breeders use pee pads, but at 4 weeks of age, the puppies begin to think that pee pads are a toy and begin to tear at it. Plastic pee pad shreds are dangerous for the puppy and causes quite the mess. So what are the alternatives?
Litterbox train your puppies. By using rabbit pellet trays, make these most of the area of your whelping or weaning pen. The key will be to start off big and end up small. So cover 90% of the play area with these trays.
Fill them with the litter of your choice:
Pine Pellets - Equine stall pine pellets are an economical choice. You can get them at most farmer/feed stores for $6/40lbs. They absorb urine and odor well. They are noisy and can scatter, so some breeders will place pee pads underneath of the pellets for noise dampening and for easier pellet removal. Remove solid poos frequently throughout the day and then when the pellets get wet, they turn into sawdust. Replacing the litter will depend on how large your litter is. Some breeders have to refresh the pellets daily. Other breeders can go 2-3 days before replacing the pellets. As a word of caution, do not place spent pellets in your yard unless you have a good composting system. They can draw termites if left in your yard without the ability to quickly compost.
Some breeders choose paper pellets instead of pine due to personal preference. Use in the same way.
Pine shavings. Look for large flake pine shavings that you would find in a farmer/feed store. They are generally wrapped in plastic and the size of a hay bale. Poo rolls into the shavings and can be easily removed.
Artificial grass. Have 2-3 pieces cut to fit the trays and swap daily. Have pee pads underneath. They can get stinky very quickly and if poo is too soft it can get stuck in the fibers.
Sod. Real grass is an option. Many breeders have tried it and decided it was not for litters, just too much for the little patch of grass. It’s perfect for single dog homes though.
As the puppies begin to regularly use the potty area instead of the play area, then you can begin to slowly remove the litterboxes until only 1 is left. Choose the last one to be the most popular choice for the puppies.
By the time the 8 weeks rolls around and puppies are ready to go home, they are often 90% trained to use the litter box. Then the new parents can choose to keep this as an option in their indoor exercise pen areas for overnight or for inclement weather situations.
Another positive is that litterbox training prepares your puppies for house training. Reports have been positive in that it helps puppies to house train more quickly and easily with less accidents.
