How To Potty Train Your Dog If You Live in An Apartment
July 9, 2020If you live in an apartment all by yourself, or even with family, dogs are good to have. The only problem or challenge is how to potty train them so they don’t just go do their business anytime anywhere in your living space. The dream is to have your pet relieve you of stress and not become another source of stress. You wouldn’t want to clean poop or pee every now and then, right? Training your dog can be a real challenge, but if you are dedicated enough to make it happen, these tips will easily help you and ease the whole process for you and your pup.
If you’re taking in a puppy, that means they’re about 8 weeks old, you have to understand that they need to be relieved every 20 minutes. This is the tricky part for owners because you have to be patient enough to clean every once in a while. But if you’re taking in an older pup, once in 1 or 2 hours would be your mark. Now that’s established, here’s what you need to have and what you need to do.
Use a pee pad
The tricky part about potty training a pup in an apartment is that they don’t have a place to really relieve themselves outside. Staying in a high rise building means it’s impossible for you to go several floors down and out of the apartment every now and then.
The most workable fix for this is to have a pee pad. This becomes the designated place for your pup to do his/her business. You can have it placed in an area where it is accessible like near the front door or near the bathroom too. Another option would be to have a green patch placed in your patio or on your terrace. This is one of the best options since it mimics real grass which is naturally what they look for when they have to go.
The point is you need to teach your pup and let him or her understand that the pee pad is the right place to do their business. Every time you see they’re about to do it, you bring them right on the pee pad. This will somehow familiarize them with what it’s for.
If you are not comfortable with your dog doing his/her business on a pee pad, you might as well schedule a walk in the park on specific times in the day. That brings us to establishing a daily routine.
Have a daily routine
A daily routine would mean feeding your pup the same time every day and having them do their business at almost the same time every day as well. This daily schedule allows them to have a body clock for what they have to do at specific times which is beneficial for you as pet owners. After they eat and drink, it’s most likely that they would have to pee or poop soon after.
With much observation every day, you get to see some signals that would indicate that they’re about to do their business. It’s something your pet gets used to, and it’s something you get used to. It’s a partnership, really. The key here is patience and sticking to a routine.
Give praise or rewards, don’t punish
Establishing a routine and letting your pup know that they’re actually doing the right thing can be easier if you use some kind of a reward system using treats or giving them praise and telling them they did a good job. Do not punish them because this just makes them afraid which will not be really good for both of you. Never yell or spank them. If they accidentally do business on the kitchen floor, immediately clean the mess, and just let them know where the pee pad is. And as soon as they identify it or do their business there, give them a treat. This will create a healthier relationship and will ultimately motivate them to do better all the time.
Whether it’s a puppy or an older dog, the important thing to remember is that if you’re at the beginning phase of training, make sure that you are available to meet their needs any time of the day. If not and you leave them at home all alone, it will be difficult for them to understand what can and cannot be done and most importantly when they should be doing their business. Potty train your dog as early as you can with these simple tips and you are sure to have a best friend for life.
