litter training?

[Guest posting as: deanerb15]

Hey everyone -

We need your expertise... we are getting a cairn terrier and I am interested in learning about litter training. I had a friend that litter trained her Westie. We currently live in an apartment and will be moving to a house within the next year. I am interested in litter training due to this story:

A friend of mine has a goldn retriever that was apartment trained - so, in essence he needed to be leashed and walked to go to the bathroom! Now, they have these sprawling acres, and Chase needed to be walked during hail, snow, storms, etc., in order to go to the bathroom. Creature of habit, I guess:) And when you let him out in the yard, he plays and plays, but will not go to the bathroom unless he is walked!

My biggest fear! Getting back to my soon to be pup - if I litter train him, the WORST case scenario would be that he would go to the bathroom inside for the rest of his life. And if he figures out that he can go while on walks or while outside - so be it!

What do you guys think???? Please advise - any experiences with this?

Thanks so much!

Brittany (& Brian too!)

[toomanypaws]

I'm not familiar w/ litter training cairns, but I did use wee-wee pads on one of mine. At 15 mths, she will go outside, but will also use a pad if one is down. She totally refuses to go outside in bad weather but will use the pad. I think the wee-wee pads would be an alternative to walking your cairn out from your apartment everyday. Once you move into your home, you can slowly move the pad closer to the door to go outside and then actually take the pad outside in the yard to show your cairn where to go.

Make sure to post pics when you get your new cairn pup.

[Eliz222]

I have never litter trained a dog either, but I have heard of it. We had a Cairn Terrier in an apartment when we were first married. We had to take her out when she had to go. We didn't use any pads or litter box. When she moved to a house, she didn't have any problems going in the yard. I think all dogs are different and will react to the situations in various ways.

I have a funny story to tell. We had a mixed breed, who was about 7 years old. We had a shady yard with ivy on both sides of the yard. We trained Dottie to go "poo" in the ivy. We had small children and I didn't want to have to clean their shoes all the time....lol! We adopted a Golden Retriever who followed Dottie into the yard and into the ivy! Long story short...we ended up giving the GR to my BIL (hunting issues) at age one. My SIL called me a few days later and said she was having a hard time getting Grimm to "poo" any where but the garage! I asked her if she takes her on walks and she said yes. Then I asked her if she had any ivy in her yard, and she said no! Poor Grimm...it took a few weeks, but she learned to "poo" in the grass.

[kerry]

SHOE: I think that's what will happen with Bruschi except with the SNOW! He was brought home in a blizzard last month and now theres been snow in the yard ever since. Now if you walk on the driveway or grassy spots he will walk around until he finds snow. We took him to the vet and he wouldn't go until I took him to some snow! Well he will get over that quick I'm sure since hopefully soon it will all be melted!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Guest]

We litter trained our 8 week old cairn poo.....he is 5 months and goes faithfully in the litter box. I was surprised how quickly Samson took to the litter box. He was using it within 2 weeks!