How to keep your dog away from the litterbox

Having trouble with Fido poaching “treats” from the cat’s litterbox?  Don’t worry – its nothing to be humiliated about.  Lots of pet owners experience the same trouble as you are facing.  We may never understand it, but dogs do like to dine 

on animal feces – cat most of all.  This phenomenon is called “coprophagia” which literally translates into “the oral ingestion of fecal material.”  You may find it absolutely disgusting, but dogs find it completely commonplace.

The simplest method of preventing this from occurring is to stop the behavior before it starts.  Clean out the cat’s litterbox a minimum of once daily.  Two times a day is preferable if possible.  Feeding your cat on a consistent schedule rather than having its food available at all times will help with this as you will be able to better gauge when your cat will need to seek relief.  Knowing when the chore needs to be done will help you to do it more effectively.

Should the dog win the race to the litterbox, yelling is not a strong deterrent.  The dog has already found the reward to its behavior and isn’t likely to be swayed on its opinion.  Covering the stool with Tabasco or cayenne pepper is a commonly used deterrent, however, it isn’t recommended.  Firstly, if you are going to put that kind of effort into punishment you should probably just clean the litterbox and save yourself the extra trouble.  Besides, some dogs really don’t mind the taste of these deterrents and they may be entirely without effect.

The next best thing to regular cleanings is to simply take the litterbox away from the dog.  Putting it into an area accessible to the cat only can be achieved quite easily.  One of the simplest methods is to use a cat door.  There are many doors available but the one I always recommend looks like a simple archway.  Doors are easy to install and can be painted or stained if design is a concern.  Keeping the box in a room that is usually closed off like a laundry room or closet is best.

If the occasional turd does go missing, don’t worry, it probably won’t hurt Fido much. That said, it is a really good idea to have offenders wormed regularly by your veterinarian.  And remember to keep good dental hygiene as a main concern.