# Can litter box trained puppies be trained to go outside instead??



## sigrids (12 mo ago)

I've found a great breeder, but problem is that all the puppies are being litter box trained. They're around 6 weeks old now. When I bring them home at 8 weeks, will I be able to retrain them to potty outside? Or should I find someone else to get puppies from?


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Yes, this is actually wonderful to have the breeder doing this.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Litter- or grates, or whatever- is really only good for the first 8 weeks, maybe 9... but it fixes in the mind of the puppies that they potty in a certain area. It also keeps the mess down for breeder.


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## sigrids (12 mo ago)

nolefan said:


> Yes, this is actually wonderful to have the breeder doing this.


Can you explain why?


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## sigrids (12 mo ago)

Prism Goldens said:


> Litter- or grates, or whatever- is really only good for the first 8 weeks, maybe 9... but it fixes in the mind of the puppies that they potty in a certain area. It also keeps the mess down for breeder.


That's what I thought too, but wouldn't it be a bad thing because now the puppies are used to going potty in one area? How will they adjust to going outside?


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I'm sure they WILL be going outside @ some point daily- they'll potty while there- but when in the house, feature how it would go- bladders hold less than a teaspoon and the instant they fill they pee... if puppies are trained to potty in one place, pellets or litter or grates, that translates to 'I feel this, I go here to relieve it'... litter or any potty training is a job, it's not a passive chore but an actual one. 
If puppies are not trained to potty somewhere particular, what happens is they pee/poop with no thought but relieving their bodies. Learning to relieve in a spot that takes brain being involved, and that's what will keep puppies from getting covered every day in pee, poop, whatever, and also making that brain get involved in an action body-wise (feel bladder filling, go to litter) is so important to your future house training. You'll just have to trust it that puppies are much less work later if they are trained this way.


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## GoldenDude (Nov 5, 2016)

Prism Goldens said:


> I'm sure they WILL be going outside @ some point daily- they'll potty while there- but when in the house, feature how it would go- bladders hold less than a teaspoon and the instant they fill they pee... if puppies are trained to potty in one place, pellets or litter or grates, that translates to 'I feel this, I go here to relieve it'... litter or any potty training is a job, it's not a passive chore but an actual one.
> If puppies are not trained to potty somewhere particular, what happens is they pee/poop with no thought but relieving their bodies. Learning to relieve in a spot that takes brain being involved, and that's what will keep puppies from getting covered every day in pee, poop, whatever, and also making that brain get involved in an action body-wise (feel bladder filling, go to litter) is so important to your future house training. You'll just have to trust it that puppies are much less work later if they are trained this way.


All truth!!

When I had my first litter, the organization and my fellow volunteers told me all about litter box training. I remember thinking, “These people have lost their minds. There is no way young puppies figure this out.” But, if you put in the work, they really do - which makes life with puppies so much easier.

I no longer live in the geographic area required to be a breeder caretaker so now we puppy raise and fly puppies to the puppy raisers. But watching 4 week old puppies start to figure out the litter box was an amazing experience that I’ll always remember.

OP, I volunteer with an organization that currently has over 900 puppies with puppy raisers. Every one of those puppies was likely litter box trained, as were the decades of puppies that came before them and all the puppies that come after them on a regular basis. None of these puppies have trouble with learning to potty outside and in fact they are all trained, by their puppy raiser, to potty on command. So, litter box training does not create a problem for the puppy.


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## MintChip (Feb 26, 2021)

I've trained something similiar. First time doing the litter box so I was also worried he would not potty outside. Alas he did and I threw a party. Take them out on schedule and show them where to potty outside and throw a party after. They learn quick with praise.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

To learn how to train the pup to go outside, I believe CRATE TRAINING is the best answer! So, a search on Crate Training as lots of good information on the process is available. It works very well if you follow the method. It will work fine after the pups have been using litter...

Good Luck


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## Zoe from Minnesota (12 mo ago)

Our breeding had a litter box, and it was a breeze transitioning Zoe from litter to using the outside backyard. We actually brought home a plastic bag of some used litter from the puppies kennel, and put that down in the corner of the backyard where we wanted her to potty. No accidents in her crate from her first day home, three weeks to be 99% housebroken.


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