Beginning Puppy Litter Training - 25 days old

Up to this point potty time for the puppies has not been much of an issue.  But now that the puppies are starting to eat solid food, it is time for their potty training to begin.   It is wonderful that nature has also provided the puppies with increased mobility at this time...and the innate desire to keep their sleeping quarters clean!   It is so important to wash and clean the puppy bedding often and also provide the puppies with an appropriate potty area. 

This is just one more area where good breeding practices make a huge difference.  If a breeder or petstore keeps a puppy in a small crate, the puppy has no ability to keep his crate clean.  He learns early on  that it is OK to soil the bedding, and that can create a huge potty training nightmare for the new owners.(one that may never be resolved)

So here is our LITTER BOX set up....

 For the very young litter we are using a large crate...

Note:  Don't buy this size for your 8 week Schnoodle puppy as it is suitable for a Collie, but too big for a Schnoodle....This size would be helpful for a toy breed if he were JUST beginning litter training at 8 weeks of age.

Next we remove the door and separate the top from the bottom and join them at the entrance...

On one side the puppies have their bed.  On the other side we  put the puppy litter.  We keep them in our family room (in front of the fireplace), so they are close to all the action, and we can check on them often.



Puppy Bedding:
For their bed, I have put a carpet sample under the puppy pad so the puppies will become familiar with the smell of the carpet in their bedding.  Then as they become more reliable about keeping their bedding dry, I will remove the puppy pad, and have them sleep directly on the carpet.  My hope is that by associating carpets with their bedding so early in life, that they grow up with the idea that carpets are  a NO PEE Zone!

Training Dogs at any age is about setting them up for success from the beginning and not giving them opportunities for bad habits!


By the way....I got a whole stack of 3'x2.5' finished edged carpet samples for just a dollar each at a local carpet store in their carpet remnants section.  They fit perfectly in the crate...and  I can just throw these samples away if they get dirty!  This is a great idea for any puppy bed.

Puppy Litter:  
 Our Puppy Litter does not come from the pet store.  The litter they sell is more expensive, and not as good as this.  What I have chosen are Wood Pellets, manufactured for use in Wood Pellet stoves.  They actually are just saw dust pellets.   They are inexpensive and come in a 40 lb bag, that will last a while.

IMPORTANT:  NEVER use Kitty Litter for a puppy.   Kitty Litter is clay based and clumps together when it comes in contact with moisture.  This will cause a dangerous blockage if ingested.   Wood pellets on the other hand are pellets of sawdust and will dissolve into fine sawdust when it comes in contact with moisture.  So it would pass through a puppy if ingested.






When you bring your puppy home you will want to start them with the wood pellets that they are use to so they are not confused.  But it will be a good idea to transition them to Second Nature Dog Litter, since it will not track sawdust around the house, like the wood pellets do.  To make this transition, add more of the Second Nature Litter to your Wood Pellets every day, until you eventually have no more Wood Pellets.  (You need to help the puppies get use to the different smell and feel.)  

In this last picture you can see how the puppies tend to sleep at the end of their crate.  Even though the litter is brand new to the puppies they will quickly gravitate toward the pellets to do their tinkling.  This set up will be perfect for our puppies, until they are big enough to jump out of the crate.

I don't know how to use my video camera yet...but here is a fun video of 3 week old Schishon Puppies using their litter box....Schichon Puppies