So, you found the most perfect little toy poodle or Yorkshire terrier and it’s so cute you can hardly stand it. Life is absolutely wonderful, right? LOL. It won’t take you long to realize that your adorable little furball has a bladder the size of a teaspoon, the holding power of a tea strainer, and the attention span of a mosquito. You’re lucky, it’s cute.

But don’t give up all hope just yet. Fortunately, you have certain advantages in dressage that owners of larger breeds do not. Small dogs are easy to confine and can also be litter box trained. Yes, that’s right, litter box trained. It’s not as easy as litter box training a cat, but it can be done. And that doesn’t mean your pup can never be potty trained outside.

As for a proper litter box, you can get a dog litter box at your local pet store or you can improvise. I use an old large dog crate. Helps keep them from kicking trash everywhere. I start with the granulated paper dog litter that has an attractant. The scent encourages the puppy to go there and it stays well in the box. I’ve tried kitty litter after the dog is well trained, but find it gets kicked out and tracked everywhere. You can experience yourself later.

Now, containment is absolutely critical. Free running the house or even a full sized room is out of the question. If there is enough room for your pup to go potty and then walk away, there is too much room. You will need to use a kennel or playpen of some kind to limit your space. You can also use a tie for some situations. A tether is a piece of rope or wire with a clip on the end that attaches to the puppy’s collar. It clips to a piece of furniture and is long enough for the pup to get up, turn around and lie down.

Next is the routine: As soon as the puppy wakes up in the morning, you need to take him to his litter box to go to the bathroom. When he leaves, he should be given treats and praise while he is still there in the litter box. After that, he may have about fifteen minutes of free time to play. Keep an eye on him though because some puppies don’t do all their business at once and he may have to do it all over again in just a few minutes.

After he’s been playing for a while, take him back to the sandbox and praise him for any successes. If nothing happens, give him a chew toy and put him in his cage for half an hour or so. Take him back to the litter box. Again praise him for any success.