Many people vastly underestimate the amount of responsibility they take on when they decide to become dog owners. All dogs have their own individual needs, but one thing they have in common is that they all have to go to the bathroom. And if they’re puppies, they’ll be going a lot!
Many owners like having the excuse to stretch their legs and get some fresh air or sunshine, but for others, having to take a dog out to do their business multiple times a day is not an arrangement that suits their lifestyle or schedule.
Pee pads are an effective and widely-utilized method, but potential owners may also ask, what are the breeds of dogs that can use a litter box?
Dogs That Can Use a Litter Box
With this in mind, if you’re unable to take a dog out regularly, it may be worth considering whether it’s the right time in your life for ownership. Most dogs require frequent walking, running, and outdoor play to truly be happy.
1. Miniature Schnauzer
Average Lifespan: 12-15 years
Average Size: 11-20 pounds
Coat: medium, wiry, double
The smallest of the three Schnauzer breeds, the mini is a spirited, intelligent and charming family dog. With their bushy ‘beard’ and heavy brows, their features may invoke those of a gruff old man, but their temperament is enthusiastic and can-do.
Developed as farm dogs and ratters, they are highly trainable and thrive with instruction. Considering their compact size, they will fit comfortably into almost any regular sized litter box.
2. Shih Tzu
Average Lifespan: 10-18 years
Average Size: 9-16 years
Coat: long, double
The image of a well-groomed Shih Tzu brings one word to mind: pampered! It’s no surprise that this glamorous breed is one of the dogs that can use a litter box.
An ancient breed of China, they spent many centuries as a royal lap-warmer. Adored and yes, pampered by emperors and their families, they lived an exceedingly indoor life.
Today, they are one of the most popular toy breeds in the United States and the UK. An ideal apartment dog, they adjust easily to using a litter box and will likely relish having their own private bathroom!
3. Pug
Average Lifespan: 13-15 years
Average Size: 14-18 pounds
Coat: short, smooth
Little explanation is necessary for the enduring popularity of the pug. It’s apparent in the charmingly ‘smooshed’ effect of their unique facial features, their wide, glistening eyes, and their easy going nature.
Although regarded as one of the best house dogs, the pug is highly adaptable. Happy in the city or the country, playing in a pack or alone, the amenability and ease of their character means they respond to training well.
Coupled with their compact size, they will have no problems adjusting to using a litter box.
4. Maltese
Average Lifespan: 12-15 years
Average Size: Under 7 pounds
Coat: long, silky
The Maltese are another exquisitely glamorous lapdog amongst the breeds of dogs that can use a litter box.
Known as ‘Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta’, the Maltese was favored by ladies of leisure as far back as 1500 B.C. With a vast and storied history in the throes of luxury, not to mention their layers of long, silky white coat, it’s unsurprising that most Maltese remain relatively indoorsy!
Maltese respond particularly well to rewards-based training, so it’s useful to have treats on hand when helping them adapt to using a litter box.
5. Japanese Chin
Average Lifespan: 10-12 years
Average Size: 7-11 pounds
Coat: medium, silky
The Japanese Chin is a somewhat mysterious breed, introduced to Japan from a contested source between 500 and 1000 years ago. Some credit Buddhist Monks for their origin, others say they were first bred for Chinese Emperors.
The one aspect of the breed that nobody can challenge is their endearingly regal demeanor. Notably quiet, graceful, and dignified they are perfectly suited to the indoor life, and to an indoor bathroom!
6. Bichon Frise
Average Lifespan: 14-15 years
Average Size: 12-18 pounds
Coat: long, curly, double
A plush, white marshmallow of a dog, the Bichon Frise is a delight to encounter. Their hypoallergenic coat and rounded head hair are their trademarks, complemented by their plucky, outgoing dispositions.
While the Bichon loves to be outdoors, making new friends wherever they go, their size and adaptable nature make them a coveted dog amongst apartment dwellers.
They can easily be trained to use a litter box during the times when they have to remain indoors and take a break from charming everyone they pass on the street!
7. Toy Poodle
Average Lifespan: 10-18 years
Average Size: 4-6 pounds
Coat: long, curly
The national dog of France is an athletic, spritely duck hunter in an aristocratic pompadour. Equally proficient in a lake and as a lapdog, the versatility of the Poodle has rendered it perennially popular.
The Toy version of the breed was developed in 20th century America for city dwellers seeking a compact companion dog with a cosmopolitan air. Eager to please and preternaturally intelligent, the Toy Poodle is easily trained and will fit in any litter box with oodles of room to spare!
8. Pekingese
Average Lifespan: 12-14 years
Average Size: Up to 14 pounds
Coat: long, double
The precious Pekingese was bred for the ruling classes of ancient China and is beloved to this day for its quirky beauty. The breed has been immortalized in legend, and it is said that the Pekingese is the result of the Buddha shrinking a lion down to the size of a dog.
For many centuries, flat-faced lap dogs were coveted in China, and to own one was a status symbol. While independent by nature, the breed feel a strong kinship with their preferred humans, and will respond well to litter box training if it means impressing them.
9. Yorkshire Terrier
Average Lifespan: 11-15 years
Average Size: 7 pounds
Coat: long, silky
An aspirational pet since the Victorian era, the Yorkie is perhaps one of the most well-known on our list of dogs that can use a litter box.
The glorious, floor-length coat of the breed may suggest a prim and proper countenance, but Yorkshire Terriers were known for working as ratters in mines and mills before their beauty made them a coveted lap dog.
Their inborn tenacity and cleverness make them amenable to training and highly suited to litter box use.
10. Papillon
Average Lifespan: 14-16 years
Average Size: 5-10 pounds
Coat: medium, silky
Affectionate and great with children, the sweet-faced Papillion is one of the most warm-hearted small breeds in existence.
Highly adaptable and mentally alert, they respond incredibly well to training. Equally content in warm and cool environments, and happy to play for hours or play the role of a lap dog, they will maintain their merry dispositions while undertaking any task, including litter box training.
11. Mini Dachshund
Average Lifespan: 12-16 years
Average Size: 11-32 pounds
Coat: short, medium, smooth
The Mini Dachshund is a veritable icon amongst canines and perhaps one of the cutest dogs that can use a litter box. There are few things more delightful than seeing a sausage dog in motion, and their alert, expressive faces are the condiment on top.
An obvious fit for small indoor spaces, the Dachshund’s pedigree as a working-class badger dog means it is highly trainable.
12. Lhasa Apso
Average Lifespan: 12-15 years
Average Size: 12-18 pounds
Coat: medium, long, silky
An ancient breed, the Lhasa Apso was developed as a sentinel dog for palaces and monasteries in the Himalayas. They were introduced to America in the 1940s by the Dalai Lama, who made a practice of bestowing them upon honored associates.
Today, they are beloved for their easy temperament and serene disposition. Although often misinterpreted as aloof by outsiders, they are playful, merry, and adaptable in the presence of their preferred humans and they take to litter box training with aplomb.
