Training a puppy to urinate in its proper place can be quite difficult if you live in an apartment, as you can't install a small door for the dog to go in and out on its own and it's not easy to get your dog outside. The key is to start training as soon as possible and stay consistent. Feed your dog on a regular schedule so you can predict when your dog needs to be taken out for a bowel movement, and reward him for good behavior. Before you know it, your puppy will be approaching the door and wagging his tail as a sign that he needs to be asked to go out to pee instead of peeing anywhere in the apartment. Keep reading this article so you can train your puppy to poop in the apartment.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Getting Started with a Routine Outside the Apartment
Step 1. Take your puppy outside often
Puppies (8 weeks old) need to be allowed outside every 20 minutes, if you want to improve their ability to defecate outside the apartment/house. Older puppies may also urinate frequently, as they cannot hold urine in their bladder for more than an hour or two. To prevent your dog from littering, take your puppy outside every hour. In this way, your puppy will learn to associate going outside with bowel movements.
- The more you get to know your puppy, the more you'll be able to notice the typical signs that your puppy needs to go to the bathroom. When you see these signs, take them outside immediately.
- While training your puppy in the apartment, it is very important that you are always there to meet his needs at all times. If you leave him alone in the apartment all day, it will confuse him when he needs to pee. If you can't be with him all day, ask a friend to help you with the puppy.
Step 2. Feed your puppy at the same time every day
This will help develop his routine as well as develop your sensitivity to predict when the dog needs to be taken outside. Depending on the breed/breed of your puppy and his needs, feed the puppy several times a day. Take your puppy outside of the apartment after eating and after drinking a lot of water.
Step 3. Choose a specific place that you can make a “toilet” for your puppy
Taking him to the same place every day will help him remember what to do. Living in an apartment does make it difficult for you to take him to the nearest park immediately. However, just provide a patch of grass close to the entrance to your apartment, so that your puppy doesn't have to pee in the open.
- Be sure to follow the applicable regulations in your location when it comes to disposing of dog litter. Collect your puppy's feces using a plastic bag, then dispose of it according to the applicable regulations.
- Dog urine isn't always good for flowers, so look for a public garden that isn't heavily guarded by park rangers. You may find warning signs forbidding dog owners from entering in some places, as these are common warning signs near apartment buildings!
Step 4. Use specific commands to help your puppy associate the area with the bowel movement
Say commands like “pee” and “pup” as you walk him there. Use your words to reinforce understanding and associations in your puppy's mind with the activities that must be done in that space. Make sure you don't use the word in the house, and only use it when you're in the toilet.
Step 5. Reward your puppy when the puppy manages to defecate outside
The best way to train your puppy is to encourage good behavior and eliminate possible bad behavior. When your puppy poops outside, give him praise and treats, so your puppy will want to do it again. Say "nice" or "smart" in a loving tone and cuddle your puppy. You can also give him a snack every time your pup is doing his bowel movements properly.
For this positive-driven training strategy to work effectively, the key is to be consistent. This means that every time your puppy poops outside, you should praise him. This is especially important during the first few months, when the puppy is still learning about proper behavior
Part 2 of 2: Getting Started with a Toilet Routine
Step 1. Restrict your puppy from certain areas of the apartment
You can limit the kitchen area with a special fence for children or a special fence for dogs. This will need to be done for several months, as keeping your puppy in one area helps you to pay attention to it, so you can take it outside as soon as it shows signs of needing to go to the bathroom. If given too much freedom, the puppy will go to the bathroom before you can take him outside.
Your puppy may be allowed in all areas of the apartment after learning to show you the signs when he needs to be taken outside, usually the puppy will approach or look towards the exit. You will also know that the puppy is ready to be allowed in all parts of the apartment if the puppy manages not to (or very rarely) openly defecate in the apartment
Step 2. Consider providing a special “toilet” for your puppy in the apartment
If your apartment is on a high floor in the building, it can be difficult to get him out just in time to go to the bathroom. If you have a small dog who hasn't been able to contain the urge to pee, you might consider paper training for him, rather than taking him out all the time. Set up a specific area in the room with old newsprint mats or special “toilet” mats for training, which you can buy at pet stores. Use the same training method you did for the outdoor practice, and take your puppy to the newsprint area whenever he needs to poop. Reward it if your puppy does it right.
- You can also use the grass box as a toilet. Fill a plastic container with grass or soil, and place it on top of the newspaper.
- When you clean up the mess that was caused by your puppy's littering incident, you can put a tissue or a dirty mop in the toilet area, so that the puppy can associate the smell of his feces with the toilet area.
Step 3. Keep your puppy in the crate at night and when you are away
Puppies usually like to be in a small and comfortable cage, because a crate like this makes them feel safe and awake. Therefore, you shouldn't use the cage as a form of punishment for him (since it should be a safe place for him). Puppies don't like to litter their habitat, so be sure to take your puppy outside so he can urinate thoroughly before you put him in the crate.
- Puppies can sleep for about four hours before feeling the need to pee. However, very young puppies may bark when they wake up, and you can put a washcloth in the crate just in case, as the puppies may be urinating in the open.
- If you hear your puppy barking in the crate, take the puppy outside for a bowel movement and then place him back in the crate. Make sure that you reward him after the puppy has finished.
Step 4. Clean the dirt used to defecate immediately
If your puppy is littering in or out of his crate in the apartment, make sure that you clean up the stains immediately and spray some sanitizing fluid on the “accident”, so that the puppy no longer smells the poop. If an area smells of feces, the dog's instincts will make him want to pee in the same area again.
Step 5. Don't yell at your puppy for littering
Puppies don't respond well to negative commands, and such commands will only frighten them. If your puppy is littering in the apartment, take the puppy directly to the toilet area. Once the puppy manages to finish in the correct place, reward him before you bring him back.
- Don't yell or hit your puppy when you see him pooping. You will only make him afraid of you, and that fear will not help him learn to pee in the right place.
- If you find poop in your apartment after your puppy has gone to the bathroom, never rub his nose/snout into it or try to discipline him. It won't work and will only confuse him. Just clean up the dirt and continue to train your pup by taking him outside more often.
Tips
- When cleaning traces of dirt, use a special odor neutralizing spray or vinegar, to get rid of the smell. Don't use any products that contain ammonia, as ammonia has a urine-like odor, and this will make it go to the area again to be used as a toilet. You certainly don't want this kind of thing to happen.
- Don't get angry and hit your dog. Do not reward bad behavior, but reward good behavior.
- Stay consistent. If you turn newsprint exercises into regular home exercises in the middle of the training process, it will confuse your puppy, and make it even more difficult to understand. Do the same training consistently, so the puppy is easier to understand.
What You Need
- Dog cage
- Any scrap paper (newspapers, special mats for potty training, etc.)
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