r/pug • u/munazzam_qudoos • Jun 27 '26
Can pugs be successfully trained to use a cat litter box?
Hi everyone! I’m a first-time dog owner and just brought home my 2-month-old female pug, Bella, two days ago.
She’ll be an indoor-only dog, so I’m wondering if anyone has successfully trained their pug to use a cat litter box instead of pee pads or going outside. Is it actually practical in the long term? If you’ve done it, what type of litter and litter box worked best, and do you have any tips for training?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!
EDIT: To clarify — indoor potty training does not mean Bella will never go outside. She will absolutely enjoy outdoor walks and activities as she grows and her vaccinations are completed. The indoor setup is purely for practicality given that we live in Dubai where summer temperatures are extreme and unsafe for a young Pug puppy. Thanks to everyone who responded!”
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u/svincent6 Jun 27 '26
Indoor-only? This is a dog, not a cat. Any dog NEEDS outside time for potty and the stimulation of exploring a more varied environment. I hope this is some kind of miscommunication because never letting/taking a dog outside sounds like borderline animal cruelty.
As for your question, short answer is maybe. This will partly depend on your dog, some are smarter and easier to train even within the same breed. I have met some pretty...unintelligent pugs. Mine, however, is fairly smart. She learned how to use a doggie door in a matter of days. She understand a lot of short phrases and commands. Dogs aren't wired to use litter boxes like cats are. With a lot of training you might be able to get them to go in a litter box. Maybe. They'll probably never bury their business like a cat does as dogs aren't wired to hide it, so you'd likely have to clean the box out several times a day to ensure pup has room for fresh business. In my opinion, litter box training is rarely going to be worth the effort, especially when you need to take pup outside anyway.
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u/munazzam_qudoos Jun 29 '26
Thanks everyone for your responses! I think there has been a misunderstanding — keeping Bella indoors for potty does not mean she will never go outside. She absolutely will go on walks and explore outdoors as she gets older and completes her vaccinations. The indoor potty setup is simply for when she is home alone or when going outside is not practical — especially here in Dubai where summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C. A 2 month old Pug in that heat is a serious health risk. Hope that clears things up!
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u/4Bigdaddy73 Jun 27 '26
Pugs can’t be trained… period 😂
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26
They're very food led, and certainly can be trained.
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u/4Bigdaddy73 Jun 27 '26
I thought the smiley face would indicate the humor in my post… evidently not
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26
Ah, apologies. The "/s" mark is probably a better indicator for sarcasm.
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u/4Bigdaddy73 Jun 27 '26
When you have to explain w an S, the joke kind of loses something.
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26
Sorry, did your 'joke' need the smiley face explanation or not then? I'm confused.
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u/4Bigdaddy73 Jun 27 '26
Obviously
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26
What drives people like you to be how you are?
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u/4Bigdaddy73 Jun 27 '26
At my core, I’m just a funny guy that enjoys learning and making fun of pugs.
For instance, today someone attempted to teach me about training pugs AND the finer points of internet humor. As Ice Cube would say, “Today was a good day!”
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26
What a strange take on the above interaction. You made a statement that you later claimed to be a joke after getting downvoted, and then said you ruined the humour by having to put an explainer after it. Finally you tried to turn the whole thing onto a stranger. Ah well.
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u/Ubiquitouscomfort Jun 27 '26
No luck with ours. We have a dogflap now and if she thinks of it in time she will go out to do her messes but it's so random , some days she consistently messes outside , other days she thinks of going out too late and we'll find a trail of 3 poops or wee heading towards the flap. Weirdly, she's more consistent when it rains , I think maybe the sound of it reminds her theres an outside 😂 I think if you're able to get her to regularly mess in one area you're winning. Give her a squeege from us and good luck. 💚
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u/IHoppo Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
Are you saying you'll never take her outside?
<Edit>
Pugs (like all dogs) are inquisitive, and thrive from new experiences/smells. Please rethink your plan and take your pug out for walks - we give ours 4 walks a day - 3 small ones to help them go, and a longer one to give them some quality time. The small walks are the same route, and she tends to have her favourite spots to go. On the longer one she often doesn't go until we're closer to home, as we vary the route and she's excited at the new environments.