What if dog straddles the pan?
It sounds like your puppy knows how to use the secondnature® brand litter pan. If you have recently moved the pan, you may want to move it back to it’s original location. This could be the result of your puppy/dog becoming a little lazy about getting all the way in the pan. First, you can try to be nearby when the dog is using the pan. Simply nudge him/her all the way into the pan. You may have to do this several times until your dog is consistently going all the way into the pan. If your dog continues to straddle the pan, try leaving the front 1/4 of the pan litter-free so that your dog will have to move further in to have the front paws touching the litter. This is usually successful in getting the dog back on track. As a last resort, you may want to turn the litter pan so that the open end is up against a wall. This may help your puppy to get back into the habit of getting all the way into the pan before he eliminates.

What to do if dog goes right outside the pan?
It sounds like your puppy knows how to use the secondnature brand litter pan. If you have recently moved the pan, you may want to move it back to it’s original location. This could also be the result of your puppy/dog becoming a little lazy about getting in the pan. You can first try to be nearby when the dog starts to eliminate. Simply nudge him/her into the pan. You may have to do this several times until your dog is consistently using the pan again.

What to do if dog defecates, but won’t urinate or vice versa?
This could be a sign that your dog does not want to urinate and defecate in the same area. If possible, you may want to get the larger pan to see if your dog will use one side to urinate and the other to defecate. You could also try setting up a second pan next to the one you already have. This will allow your dog to defecate in one and urinate in the other.

What if dog seems afraid of the litter?
If your dog seems reluctant to use the litter, it is possible that there is too much litter in the pan. We would recommend that you use just enough litter to cover the bottom of the pan.

Will my dog always have to go inside? I want to train my dog to use this system when the weather is inclement.
No. Your dog will not always have to go inside. While housetraining to use the litter, however, we recommend that you follow the program exclusively. Once your dog is consistently using the product and you are certain that he/she knows where to go when inside, then you can begin to incorporate allowing your dog to go outside also. To ensure that your dog will always use the system when indoors, be sure to include using the pan in your dog’s daily routine.

Can my dog still "go" outside after being litter trained?
Yes. In-home research has found that almost all dogs have adapted well to using both the inside litter pan and the outdoors without any loss of housetraining behavior. While housetraining to use the litter, however, we recommend that you follow the program exclusively. Once your dog is consistently using the product and you are certain that he/she knows where to go when inside, then you can begin to incorporate allowing your dog to go outside also. To ensure that your dog will always use the system when indoors, be sure to include using the pan in your dog’s daily routine.

Can I housetrain my older puppy / dog?
Yes, you can housetrain your older puppy or adult dog to successfully learn to use the secondnature brand dog litter TOTAL HOUSETRAINING PROGRAM. Remember, every puppy or dog is unique in his or her own way. Your pet's success depends on how consistent and attentive you are at following the suggested guidelines. If you have recently acquired a “new” puppy or dog regardless of his age or breed, we suggest you follow the secondnature TOTAL HOUSETRAINING PROGRAM, which you will find, affixed to every secondnature dog litter pan, as well as in this section of the website. Purina, in conjunction with its staff of dog breeders, trainers and behaviorists, spent years of dedicated research developing the secondnature brand dog litter TOTAL HOUSETRAINING PROGRAM. Through our research, we know that if you follow the three key steps including scheduling, confinement/crating and praise, you can get your pup or dog off to an excellent start with his housetraining. An important technique to incorporate when teaching any "new" behavior, is the KIS technique when translated means; “Keep It Simple.” You will have more success and avoid confusing your puppy or dog if you minimize your changes within his immediate environment and introduce new changes gradually.

What is the purpose of the gate, which is included with the largest litter pan?
The gate serves as a visual and physical barrier to help your dog target his elimination behavior. The gate is a housetraining aid to use if/when your dog walks while eliminating. Also, some dogs get lazy and stand halfway in and miss the pan. Thus, the gate will force them to be entirely in the pan because they will have to jump in to enter.

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