Doggie Litterbox and Filler
 

so this all started the other day when my husband said he can't take it any more.
edgar is really good about not going in the house, but sometimes he just can't make it. so for us it's like playing a horrible game of "what will the house look/smell like" when we open the front door.
as much as i try to help other yt'rs with their training, i think i must be lacking somewhere.

then he pulled out the g.r. bomb on tuesday. you know, "get rid..."!!
ooo i got really mad about it. so after i thought about it and had calmed down, i came to him with a sort of solution.

a doggie door. i told him i'd be willing to train him to use it. (not my husband, edgar :) )
but there were a few problems.
1. how to install it
2. a/c and heat leakage
3. cats coming in and out
4. dirt, mud, and wet paws all over the house

so i told him that it should be easy to install. they have them at home depot!
then i said they are supposed to be sealed well...
but the last 2 made me pause. i didn't think the cat would use it, but the neighbor cats might. and they will spray on a car tire...
number 4 also got me. because we have a lawn service. what if edgar decided to investigate and the gate was open? he's as fast as a little dog could be and i don't really think they would chase him up the street.

the 2nd part of my solution was to consider a puppy litterbox. but i had no idea where in the house to put it. because when a dog poos it smells way worse than cat poo!

then the :bulb: came on! we could leave the garage door closed, put the litterbox in the garage, and put a doggie door on the door from the house to the garage.

i know we are supposed to have a special door between the house and garage, but we don't park in there (doors aren't wide enough to get in). and when we move we could replace the door for the dogs with a regular door.

so the entire reason for this post is to find out:
1. DO YOU LIKE YOUR DOGGIE LITTERBOX?
2. WAS IT HARD TO TRAIN YOUR 2 YEAR OLD FURBABY TO USE IT?
3. DOES THE "LITTER" ABSORB MOST OF THE SMELL?
4. HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHANGE THE LITTER? (i'm thinking every day)
5. ANY OTHER LITTERBOX ADVICE YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR ME?

yt'rs thank you!

and the puppy wont use the puppy pads? they love them. and especially when they know they will get a treat. that just seems like a lot of work

Eric doesn't want to use pads, he feels it "encourages" Edgar to go in the house. and most of the pads i had when edgar was young he would tear apart, so they really aren't the best thing for us...

we use a litterbox when we are away for long periods of time....we fill it with plain old newspaper because she has been paper trained from puppyhood so that works for her. Otherwise she goes outdoors when we are home. Petsmart sells a nice large litterbox what has a bit of indentation for them to walk in...that's what we use and like it.

I use the large Purina litter box, but I put pee pads inside. I just like being able to toss the pad when it's dirty, instead of changing litter. I think you could train him to go in the garage in a box (you could use litter or pads), but it might take a lot of work. You might want to confine him to a small area like a bathroom or kitchen with the box and his bed and food, get him used to going in the box. Then you could slowly move it to the garage. We live in a 2 bedroom condo and my guy is trained to go in one of the bedrooms in a closet (I just leave the closet door partially open). I also have a box at work that he uses. Hope this helps, good luck!:)

I do the same. It's working out so far, but I had to place it in his favorite spots. He hasn't had an accident today yet. *crosses fingers*

there is really ONE place he goes. it's in the dining room, back near the wall. i have cleaned it and mopped it.
i am blessed he goes on the tile and not on the carpet. maybe i should put it there?

i looked up "doggie litter boxes" on google. got a good laugh at one of them. they actually have sod!! they will send you sod on a regular basis.

i was thinking i'd get a larger litter box. our lab is getting older too...she's a senior citizen! (13yrs) but i read that it's hard to train an outside going dog to go inside.