litter box for puppy?

Ok this may be one of the stupidest questions ever posted here but it would be a last solution for us. I have a 20lb spayed female beagle who is 1 1/2 years old. She took a long time to housetrain (almost 9 months) but she is at the point now that when I take her out on her leash and say "pee, pee" she pees on command and has been doing so since around the 9 month mark. Well no matter how hard we try she will not poop in the presence of other people. She will circle and whine and hit her leash at the door to go out and I know it's to poop so I will take her and no way will she poop. This will go on all day and once she even held it for 2 days. Eventually if I leave her in the play room or living room for even 10 seconds she will poop.

I had her at obedience school, I had her visit a training expert and he just couldn't explain to me why she won't poop in anyone's presence, just a side note...when training I never hit or yelled if she made a mistake because it was my fault for not watching her in the first place so it isn't like she is scared to be hit if she poops. I took her to the vet yesterday and she is perfectly healthy. The vet made a funny suggestion....how about trying a litter box inside for her just to poop in. It sure would beat cleaning messes up all over the house and the embarrasment of her pooping when company is here. Has anyone heard of a dog who uses a box or if it would even work??? Thanks for the feedback I am desperate!!!

Hi there. Yes, lots of people who live in apartments have litter boxes for their dogs. Your problem is strange, but also kind of cute. Our critters do have their little quirks, don't they?!! In my case, I have a pee pad for my toy poodle, but I try to take him out as much as possible anyway. In the beginning he used to walk off of it in the effort to poop sometimes but he got much better (and these days he does his number 2s outside). I've heard that litter boxes work for number 2, but that they should be a bit different from kitty litter boxes. If you search online, you can find lots of different product advertisements as well as some free unsponsored information. One woman recommended using a kind of grate over top the litter, to prevent the dog from making a big mess digging the litter. Anyway, good luck!!!

Yes, people often litter train dogs, but tiny toy dogs like Chis or toy poodles.

If you can stand the smell of a dog the size of a beagle defecating in the house - go for it. :D

Your problem is quite extreme, but I'm wondering if you would try one more thing for this problem. Give her a baby suppository before taking her out. She won't be able to hold it, and this may get her over her problem.

I know that's very distasteful, but not as bad as having a 20 lb dog pooping in the house. :p

One of my bosses at work has a 3 yr old male cat, and recently adopted a young ( 8 week old) puppy I believe poodle cross. Well they have all been living nicely together... Until the cat started to think the puppy is a kitten... and has now, without any human help, trained the dog to use the litter box... for bowel movements and urination. The dog does not dig, or make any mess... and the cat actually brings the puppy to the litter box, every couple of hours... and waits for him.

It is adorable. The puppy believes its a cat, and we are just waiting for the puppy (winnie) to meow!!

So you can't leave her outside alone to go?
Sorry, I think I missed something.

Sneaky, I'm guessing the living situation is like mine -- apartment with no yard.

The story about the cat litter training the puppy is absolutely too cute. I can't handle it.... :p

I didn't even think of that!! Thanks!

I am so happy to hear the positive feed back on this litter box thing. I rent a basement apartment and the landlord has an ample backyard but they have a giant 130 lb dog outside and it just wasn't working to have my dogs pooping and peeing out there, the combo of the three dogs began to kill large patches of grass. They made us a small area for our bbq and dogs but such a small area and two dogs made the area a little rank. We started with them going out alone but I didn't like the fact that they weren't learning to hold it and almost demanded to be let out...then they would dig and things like that so we started taking them out on leashes. We found a perfect area of city property for them to pee and poop on but others in my neighbourhood followed suit and didn't clean up after their pooches so we got in trouble for it and had to stop.

The idea of the baby suppository is genius!!! I never thought of that....I think if she just realizes that she can poop outside and get a treatie for it she will be fine. She is soooo trainable...she pees outside, mostly poops by the door like she knows she should have been outside and the moment we put on kids cartoons she goes directly into her crate because she knows we are leaving those shows on for her while we are gone. I will try the suppository first and if that doesn't have success I will attempt the littler box...but I agree, I really don't want the smell of a big dogs BM laying around the house. Thanks so much guys!!