# Indoor toilet or not?



## astromd77 (Aug 10, 2015)

Hello,

I've started to read Ian Dunbar's excellent guides and he talks about having an indoor toilet in the extended playpen. We are picking up Luna in five weeks and she'll be 11-12 weeks old. He says that she'll be trained to "go" between 5-10 minutes of eating her morning and evening meals. I plan on doing the short term and long term isolation plans even at 12 weeks. Do you guys think I'll need to go the indoor toilet route? I'm worried that the breeder is using a different training system. So confused right now.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yes, if you are unable to watch her she needs to be in her expen with a potty area. http://www.dogstardaily.com/trainin...g-initiative-prospective-and-new-puppy-owners


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I got Lola at 11 weeks, and started with a potty area in her ex-pen, but she seemed more interested in peeing and pooping the minute she was out of her ex-pen. I just abandoned the indoor potty and the ex-pen two weeks later (I've had her five weeks) and I just started taking her outside a lot. She hasn't had an accident in a week. It helps that she and my other dog stay with a neighbor while I'm at work, who also takes them out frequently, but I found with both my dogs that if you're consistent, they're smart, and pick up quickly. I still have baby gates blocking off the back of my house and the kitchen to her, but she has free roaming rights of my bedroom, bathroom, living room and dining room whenever I'm home. I crate her for the couple hours a day I'm not.


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Just a point to consider. Unless you have a doggy door to an enclosed area, you will have to walk her all through the winter and in all kinds of weather. So there are benefits to getting her used to an indoor potty option as well.


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## astromd77 (Aug 10, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback. I hadn't thought about the fact that she could eliminate indoors during inclement weather. Do any of you guys still have the indoor toilet option? Even past the puppy stage? Is a strip of astroturf the best option? We live in a townhome and she will eliminate in the grass outside the front of our place.


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## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

astromd77 said:


> Do any of you guys still have the indoor toilet option? Even past the puppy stage? Is a strip of astroturf the best option?


My breeder did not use an indoor potty system, but Blossom used mine immediately with virtually no training. I may have been lucky in that regard.

I've also used several indoor methods, but I prefer the King's method from Starborn Havanese, with a litter tray and pine pellets. Its cost effective, zero smell and uber easy clean-up.

At 5 months, I've put the litter tray away, because Blossom climbs right out of her ex pen, which is where I kept the tray for times when I couldn't supervise her and she needed a potty option. Now I have to put her in her crate when I can't watch her. So, the litter tray isn't really needed. However, once, winter comes and we can't go out due to weather, I'll pull the tray back out. We just haven't needed it this summer.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

astromd77 said:


> Thanks for all the feedback. I hadn't thought about the fact that she could eliminate indoors during inclement weather. Do any of you guys still have the indoor toilet option? Even past the puppy stage? Is a strip of astroturf the best option? We live in a townhome and she will eliminate in the grass outside the front of our place.


Absolutely!!! We live in New England, where the winters can be nasty. My older guy is 6, and we STILL keep a litter box for him. (actually two) he much prefes going outside, but when the snow is over his head... He'll use his box. 

I would NOT use astroturf or the othe rfake grass options. They get HORRIBLY smelly, and at least in my opinion, I can't get them clean enough that I can stand the smell in my house. I know other peope seem to feel they can get them clean enough for them, but I can smell them.

I use either a Rascal Dog or UgoDog with wood pellets under the grate. The pellets are easy to clean out, absorb odor completely, are completely biodegradeable and very inexpensive. There are no down-sides that I can think of!

Some people use pee pads, either under the grate in a Rascal Dog or UgoDog, or just loose. Many Havanese will chew up and/or play with loose pee pads. Both of mine will, so that's not an option. We tried pee pads under the UgoDog grate in our RV ONCE, and they got smelly WAY too fast. We were having to change it every time either dog peed. Add to that, the fact that they aren't biodegradeable, so not an earth friendly choice, and we choose not to use them.


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## astromd77 (Aug 10, 2015)

Thank you Karen!! This is great information.


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

I still use potty pads for my Benjamin, at age 3 1/2. He rarely uses them as he prefers to go outside, but as Karen said, it's very nice to have them when it's cold and dark and raining out or if I'm not feeling well. He used to play with them and chew on them sometimes when he was a puppy, but now it's a non-issue. How I did it was this. At first I set up a very low ex-pen (useless as an ex-pen as he could easily jump over it when he was a few months old), and put the pad inside of it. The pen was arranged with 3 sides only and the 4th side open. This was just to provide a visual marker to remind him where the potty pad was. I just stuck it in the corner of the bedroom and he used it when needed. After a long while (maybe he was 2 by then) I removed the ex-pen and now I just leave a potty pad in the corner. I do put a blue tarp under it in case his aim is bad. This system works great for us! I do have to say, he will not use it for poop, so we have to go outside for that. Hope this helps!


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