how can i teach my dog to pee outside

Question
my dog is about to have puppies and we want to teach them to pee outside. We just don't want to keep the dogs outside, because I have had many dogs and they all have died, which we kept them outside. Do you have any idea of how i can teach them to pee outside.

Answer
Sabrina, it will be several weeks before you will be able to begin teaching them to potty outside. One thing you may want to try is using a 'litter box,' and when they are about 3 weeks old, and toddling around some in the whelping box, put the litter box in there and whenever you see them pottying outside the box, just pick them up and put them in the litter box instead. Do this often enough and they will eventually start going to the box on their own. I had 5 week old pups using a litter box 99% of the time - sometimes they would pee away from the litter box if they were playing or whatever, and the urge just hit them, but for the most part, they would use the litter box.

For my guys, I started out using the lid to a plastic storage container, and for litter, I used Feline Pine clumping cat litter. Once they were using the box pretty reliably, I started using less and less of the clumping litter and more of the regular Feline Pine litter. When they were out of the whelping box, I started using a large plastic pan (like what goes underneath a washing machine) as the litter box. The only thing I've noticed is that now, when they are outside in the pen (they are 7 weeks old now), they will go in the dog house to do their business. I use cedar shavings in the dog houses, so the only thing I can figure is that they are associating the wood smell with their litter box. When I have my next litter, I will probably use alfalfa pellets instead of Feline Pine pellets in the litter box.

You can use the litter box until they are big enough to go outside and/or to their new homes. Then their new owners can continue using the litter box or train them to potty outside.