Living in an apartment and worried about potty training a pup? It’s not an easy process no matter where you’re living but not having easy access to a backyard shouldn’t stop you from getting a furry little friend. Fear not, urban-dwelling aspiring puppy parents! We’ve got the lowdown on how to toilet train a puppy in an apartment.
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Pee Pads and Treats
Pee pads and special treats are the main tools you need to toilet train a puppy in an apartment. When your puppy hits the bullseye (or close enough), lavish them with praise and treats. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in convincing your pup that the pee pad is the place to be. Try to find a particular treat your pup loves and keep these specifically for potty training. Pop a stash of these treats in a little container close to the training area so you can reward your pup as soon as they do the deed!
If you’re worried about the environmental impact of disposable puppy pads you might prefer to use a washable puppy pad. I worry that these might give puppy the idea that they can do their business on a regular mat but there are plenty of people who love them so I’m happy to be wrong about this…
Pick the Place
Designating a specific area for your puppy’s potty needs. Consistency is key. While your pup is in the early days of potty training set up a patch of pee-pads inside your apartment somewhere out of the way but close enough that your puppy can get there quickly. Puppies can be fast learners and they will start to go back to that same spot to do their business so keep the potty spot consistent to avoid any confusion. After a while, you can start to move the pee pads towards the balcony if that’s your long-term plan.
Routine, Routine, Routine
Puppies are like tiny, adorable clocks. When you’re toilet training a puppy in an apartment it’s important to establish a consistent feeding schedule and take your pup to their designated potty spot shortly after they wake up from a nap, after a meal and after playtime. This not only helps regulate their bodily functions but also sets the stage for successful potty training.
Frequent Breaks
Tiny puppies have tiny bladders, and the call of nature can be quite urgent.
As a general rule of thumb puppies can hold their bladder for an hour per month of age. For example, a 3-month-old puppy can usually hold their bladder for around 3 hours.
Take your puppy to their potty spot frequently, especially after playtime, meals, naps and before bed. The more opportunities they have to succeed, the faster they’ll catch on.
Celebration Time
When your pup masters the pee pad, throw a furry fiesta! We mentioned treats before but they aren’t the only tools in your positive reinforcement kit. Celebrate their achievements with treats, toys, and lots of enthusiastic praise. Positive reinforcement creates a happy, well-trained pup.
Command Word
Choose a command phrase like “Go potty”, “Toilet” or “Wee wee” Use this phrase consistently while your puppy is in the act. This will help them associate the command with the action. Soon enough you will be able to take them out and use this word to get them to do their business.
When they do start to go when you use the command word make sure to give them extra positive reinforcement and treats. 🙂
Get Them to the Grass
The ultimate goal of puppy potty training is to teach them to do their business on grass and not inside. This is the same whether you are trying to toilet train a puppy in an apartment or a large house.
If you have a balcony you could set up a grass patch out there, if not you will need to start getting them to hold on until you can get them to a grassed area outside.
To do this you need to be really on top of their daily routine and take them out just before they will need to go.
Take them outside and use the command word once you have them in the desired spot.
If you know they are due for a pee don’t leave until they do it.
Again, positive reinforcement and treats will go a long way here.
When they are getting really good at going on the pee pads stop giving them treats in this location. Instead, use their favourite treats when you take them outside and they go there. They will start to connect going outside with their best treats and they will want to wait to use the outside grass rather than the pee pads.
If you have a long elevator ride and lovely plush carpets in your communal areas you might want to consider carrying pup to the grass until they more advanced in their potty training.
Balcony Puppy Toilets
If you have a balcony and you plan on letting your pooch do their business out there you might want to look at getting a puppy potty. These are game changers when you are trying to toilet train a puppy in an apartment. These come in all shapes and sizes. You can get subscription grass patches like Nature’s Loo or Potty Plant which is super convenient but they are not cheap.
For a more cost-effective solution you can get boxes designed to work with real grass (this is what we use for our cavoodle.) that you can pick up from your local hardware store. This option does require more physical work on your part though.
There are also synthetic grass options but these can get smelly so they need a fair bit of maintenance to keep them fresh.
I think real grass patches are the best way to go so your pup will make the connection to grass out in the real world and grass at home.
Crate Training
Invest in a cozy crate that feels like a den to your puppy. Dogs are naturally averse to soiling their sleeping space so crate training can be a game-changer.
When you can’t keep an eagle eye on your pup, and when it’s time for a nap pop them in the crate. Just be sure to take them to their potty spot immediately after.
If you need help with crate training there are lots of great videos on YouTube with tips and helpful information to help you through this process.
Keep it clean
Accidents happen, even in the best of potty-training stories. When your puppy does make a mess outside of their pee pads clean up the mess promptly with an enzymatic cleaner. This helps eliminate the scent, preventing your pup from revisiting the same spot.
When your pup does pee on a pee pad it’s best to keep at least one used pee pad in the area. This helps the puppy to learn through scent this is the place to go.
Of course, once the pad has been used a few times, swap it out for a fresh one to keep the area hygienic and present for those living in the apartment as well as your pup.
Potty training a puppy when living in an apartment is a long and somewhat tedious process. Try to stay positive and keep pushing through. All your hard work will pay off in the end. Embrace the adventure, and relish the puppy moments because they will be all grown up before you know it.
If you found this article helpful you might also like our article all about how to prepare for a new puppy.
Our top recommended products to help you get through toilet training a puppy in an apartment.
- Puppy Pee Pads
- Nature’s Miracle Original Scent Stain and Odour Remover for DogÂ
- Foldable Metal Wire Dog Crate
- Nature’s Loo Real Grass Dog Toilet
