# Terrified of litter box!



## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

Hi,

Brooklyn is turning 2 at the end of May and has been great with his litter box...

When we got him from his breeder he was crate trained and litter box trained, we didn't keep up the crate training and are using a playpen for emergencies but kept up the litter box training as we live in an apartment. 6 weeks ago Brooklyn went potty in his box and when he got his nails clipped the last time the vet must have forgotten to clip one... we use the large rascal litter box and Brooklyns nail poked through the pee pad and got stuck in it. He panicked and his nail broke off! Since then he is TERRIFIED of his box and I've been slowly trying to build up his confidence in his litter box. After 6 weeks he will now carefully walk in it if I place a high value treat behind it for him to get. But he won't go potty in it, he is just too scared.

He prefers to go potty outside but I want to keep the indoor option up for bad weather. Even if I have him in the playpen with just his litter box and his bed he will go potty next to it (or in his bed if there is not enough space) - he will do everything to avoid going potty in the litter box and he feels AWFUL when he has an accident and is hiding and looks really guilty. I feel so bad for him, but if I now give in and just take him outside he won't go his litter box ever again.

Any advice to avoid anymore accidents?


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

i would probably try a completely different litter box.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think I agree with HSUSA. It can be REALLY hard to get a dog COMPLETELY over a really frightening, painful experience like that. Or it could be the grate rather than the box. Have you tried the box with pellets rather than the grate. He might accept a different surface that didn't "trap" him better.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

krandall said:


> I think I agree with HSUSA. It can be REALLY hard to get a dog COMPLETELY over a really frightening, painful experience like that. Or it could be the grate rather than the box. Have you tried the box with pellets rather than the grate. He might accept a different surface that didn't "trap" him better.


I took the grate off right after the incident and it's now basically just the empty box with a pee pad at the bottom but he is still terrified of the box. But he will walk in and out for a treat. Pellets without the grate won't work for us unfortunately, as we keep him in a long coat and will have the pellets all over the apartment (we tried it before).

I thought about a new box but he is a bigger Hav (short, but long) and the only other box I found that is big enough is Ugodog... but it looks too similar to the rascal and has the same grate. So I think it won't make a difference for him.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Brooklyn said:


> I took the grate off right after the incident and it's now basically just the empty box with a pee pad at the bottom but he is still terrified of the box. But he will walk in and out for a treat. Pellets without the grate won't work for us unfortunately, as we keep him in a long coat and will have the pellets all over the apartment (we tried it before).
> 
> I thought about a new box but he is a bigger Hav (short, but long) and the only other box I found that is big enough is Ugodog... but it looks too similar to the rascal and has the same grate. So I think it won't make a difference for him.


Hmmm. What kind of pellets are you using? Kodi is also in full coat, and doesn't drag the pellets out of his litter box.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

krandall said:


> Hmmm. What kind of pellets are you using? Kodi is also in full coat, and doesn't drag the pellets out of his litter box.


We bought "natural" pellets from petco when he was a wee puppy... But he always tried to eat them and they got stuck in him...

Looked like that: http://thumb9.shutterstock.com/disp...-of-pellets-pine-beech-sunflower-97458419.jpg


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

What about one of the ones that use artificial turf? As opposed to the pad? That would have a different feel and smell.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

Hsusa said:


> What about one of the ones that use artificial turf? As opposed to the pad? That would have a different feel and smell.


I thought about that too, but I remember reading that they are unhygienic and are starting smell even when washing them on a regular base. Great idea thought!


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

You might be able to use the artificial turf for a few months…till he's back to feeling comfortable in the litter box. Then later, switch back to pee pads if you find they are more hygienic. It's kind of a pain, but it seems like a shame to lose the litter box option when it was successful before.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

Hsusa said:


> You might be able to use the artificial turf for a few months&#8230;till he's back to feeling comfortable in the litter box. Then later, switch back to pee pads if you find they are more hygienic. It's kind of a pain, but it seems like a shame to lose the litter box option when it was successful before.


That's true!
I think it's more the fact that it is a litter box "that hurt him" than the surface...
I'm just not sure why he is willing to work through is fear to get a treat (and comes running to me wagging his tail waiting for me to place a new treat for him behind the box to get) - but will not und any circumstances go potty in it.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Truffles uses the Rascal so now I am concerned that might happen to her. Just wondering how Brooklyn's nail got stuck?


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

Heather Glen said:


> Truffles uses the Rascal so now I am concerned that might happen to her. Just wondering how Brooklyn's nail got stuck?


We think the vet missed one of the nails the last time we took him in for clipping them (he is squirmy, so I don't blame them). I think it just got longer than the rest, and got stuck in the grate while he was walking out of the box after going potty.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Mine doesn't have a grate. I thought maybe it was where the sides connect to the bottom.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I use the Rascal litter box; pee pad on the bottom, then the grate, and with the fake grass patch on top. I have more than 1 patch of grass so after it's used, I put a fresh one in the litter box, rinse out the dirty one well, and let it dry completely before using it again. Then after rinsing the grass patch 1-2 times, I wash it in the machine on gentle. I don't find it smelly and this technique has been working well for over a year. Note that Emmie doesn't use the indoor potty system everyday, more like 1-2 times a week. The rest of the time she goes outside.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Truffles uses the Rascal at night. I have been buying the wee pads at COSTCO.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

MarinaGirl said:


> I use the Rascal litter box; pee pad on the bottom, then the grate, and with the fake grass patch on top. I have more than 1 patch of grass so after it's used, I put a fresh one in the litter box, rinse out the dirty one well, and let it dry completely before using it again. Then after rinsing the grass patch 1-2 times, I wash it in the machine on gentle. I don't find it smelly and this technique has been working well for over a year. Note that Emmie doesn't use the indoor potty system everyday, more like 1-2 times a week. The rest of the time she goes outside.


Brooklyn is using his box every day... I work from home and just leave for meetings and he has been using his rascal during the week in the morning and afternoon, and then in the evening we take him for long walks. Worked perfect for us!
I think fake grass seems like a great option for you! But I think as an everyday option it wouldn't work for us.

I took his litter box last night away, and just left a pee pad out so he could go potty. He still goes on pee pads, just not if the pee pad is in his box (even though the grate is out). I think the rascal is great, so I'd love to keep it.
So he walks in and out of the box for a treat, and pees on pee pads as long as they are not in the box. Any idea on how to out-smart him?


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Is the grate above the wee pad? We at first trained Truffles by placing a spot of her urine in the middle of the pad. She will now go wherever the pad is. I just bought another Rascal for upstairs. I really like it because even though she goes on the pad sometimes she is not quite centered. The Rascal prevents any accidents.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

Heather Glen said:


> Is the grate above the wee pad? We at first trained Truffles by placing a spot of her urine in the middle of the pad. She will now go wherever the pad is. I just bought another Rascal for upstairs. I really like it because even though she goes on the pad sometimes she is not quite centered. The Rascal prevents any accidents.


No, we always place the pee pad on the grate. And now the pee is in the box without the grate. That's why it doesn't make sense that he will use the pee pad but not if it's in the box. The Rascal has been great, we are planning to add a second Hav next year who is supposed to be using the box as well. I like the Rascal for exactly those reasons too, he knows to pee on the pad but misses sometimes by accident. With the Rascal he just walks in the box and never misses. That's why I'd love to keep the Rascal and don't switch to plain pee pads.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hsusa said:


> You might be able to use the artificial turf for a few months&#8230;till he's back to feeling comfortable in the litter box. Then later, switch back to pee pads if you find they are more hygienic. It's kind of a pain, but it seems like a shame to lose the litter box option when it was successful before.


That sounds like ti's worth a try. The artificial turf DOES hold odors, but you could try to find a substitute cheap enough that they could jus be tossed when they started to smell. Also, the Kings experimented with a porous plastic matting of some sort that they said did NOT hold odor. They ended up switching back to pellets for other reasons, but you might want to PM Tom King about it... i can't remember the details any more.


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

krandall said:


> That sounds like ti's worth a try. The artificial turf DOES hold odors, but you could try to find a substitute cheap enough that they could jus be tossed when they started to smell. Also, the Kings experimented with a porous plastic matting of some sort that they said did NOT hold odor. They ended up switching back to pellets for other reasons, but you might want to PM Tom King about it... i can't remember the details any more.


I think the issue is that he is scared of the box... while working every day with him on his fear of the box, I tested different things (put blankets at the bottom, tried the litter pellets we had left, empty box without pee pad etc.) I did seem to not make difference for him. So it's less of what's in the box than the box itself. The good thing is that he is willing to work with me on going in the box (for high value treats, games), and after a while he is comfortable going in and out of the box for a treat without hesitation. But the next morning(or after 2-3hours of break) he seems to have completely forgotten that he was fine going in and out of the box before... and we start from the beginning.

I think the pads he talked about might be called pish pads...


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## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

You might consider the Piddle Place; it's similar in concept to the UGODOG but larger and has a porous green "grass" the urine flows through which I consider much more natural than the grate UGODOG employs.

This is different than the generic turf which does get quite foul as you mention. Piddle Place does _not_ smell; they provide a bio-enzyme which controls the odor. I take a garden hose to it every week.

With the Piddle Place you're not constantly scooping or buying litter. The Piddle Place has useful accessories like sides for boy dogs, and a lid for traveling.

Rory took to hers quite readily. Here's a video of her using it:


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Oh…now I understand he is afraid of the box because his nail got stuck:doh: That may be difficult to correct now that he is expecting it might happen again. I do think the wee pads are the easiest and cleanest way to go. Once Truffles goes on the pad she will not use it again.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

That is the first time I saw the Piddle Place. It is nice that it has sides also. That might be a good idea since Brooklyn is afraid of the Rascal now. Rory did a very nice demonstration


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## Brooklyn (Sep 3, 2013)

I talked to my husband last night to see what he thought what the best solution would be. We both came to the conclusion to not use a solution with fake grass (we use the indoor solution everyday live in an apartment and don't have washer dryer in the unit).

We just ordered the Ugodog, as it's the one that has very similar features to the Rascal. It is worth a shot, as we would have needed a second litter box next year anyway when we are planning to add the second Hav. Fingers are crossed Brooklyn will use the Ugodog!

If he doesn't use it after 3 weeks, we'll try the Piddle Place as a last resort (thanks for the suggestion)!


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