Potty Training Your Dog When You Live in an Apartment

Potty training is usually the number one thing pet owners want to accomplish. Unless you’re living on the first floor— or have quick and easy access to the outdoor areas— potty training in an apartment can present some challenges.

It takes time to descend stairs or use the elevator, meaning your puppy may begin to relieve themself in the wrong areas. It takes time and scheduling, but puppies can be potty trained in an apartment. Learn how you can potty train your dog if you live in an apartment with help from our dog training experts.

Know Your Puppy’s Limits

First, before starting to potty train, you need to know your puppy’s limits. The general rule of thumb is that your puppy can hold its bladder for one hour for every month old that they are. If your puppy is three months old, they can hold their bladder for around 3 hours. Puppies can hold their bladders longer when they’re sleeping but will need to be taken out immediately upon waking up.

Another general rule of thumb is to take them out very soon after eating or playing.

You should also keep a close eye on your puppy at all times to catch any potential accidents before happening. When you’re home, you can block off areas of your home with exercise pens and baby gates to keep your puppy within eyesight at all times. When you’re asleep or out of your home, consider crate training.

Does crate training seem daunting? Our professional dog trainers in Raleigh can help. Contact us today by filling out our contact form or by calling (919) 588-BARK.

How to Potty Train a Puppy in an Apartment

1. Keep a Schedule and Set a Routine

When you get a puppy, a schedule can help you determine when your puppy needs to go out before they alert you. Often, when they alert you, it’s already too late to get them down the stairs or down the elevator to the grass. By creating a routine you can help your dog to familiarize itself with potential feeding, potty, and play times.

A good schedule might look like:

• As soon as your puppy wakes up in the morning
• After breakfast
• Before you leave for work
• During your lunch break
• After work
• After dinner
• Before bed
• And sometimes through the night.

The more regimented your schedule is, the faster you’ll see results. As your puppy ages, you’ll need to take fewer potty breaks throughout the day.

2. Consider Writing Down Everything

Some dog owners keep a log of every time their dog begins to cry to go out— it helps you notice a pattern. For example, if you find your puppy is crying every night at 3am to go out, but will relieve themself in the elevator or in your apartment, set an alarm for 2:45 to give yourself plenty of time to take them out.

3. Offer Praise or Rewards for the Desired Behavior

Dogs of all ages will learn differently, however offering praises or rewards is a great common way to get a desired result. If your dog is able to make it outside to go potty then be sure to provide them with a treat, their favorite toy, or verbal praise in order to reinforce that behavior.

4. Watch for Signs That Your Dog Has to Potty

Dogs tend to be very vocal or provide many signals when they are uncomfortable. When your dog is ready to go potty, be sure to listen to them and even watch how they act. Certain behaviors will be clues like restlessness, sniffing, circling, or running to corners.

5. Carry Your Puppy

Sometimes carrying your puppy down the hall and stairs may be the best way to help them learn the way to the outdoor potty areas. As they get older and they begin to hold themselves better, you can then begin to let them walk on their own.

6. Have a Back Up Plan

Depending on how high up your apartment is, you may want to look into potential backup plans. Since the outdoors may be far, consider looking into indoor potty options like pee pads.

Should You Use a Pee Pad for Your Puppy?

Many pet owners are fans of using pee pads as a way to mitigate any accidents. Others will often purchase sod to place on their porch as another alternative.

Pee Pad Pros:

Some pros of using these methods include:

• Convenience– it can be quicker and more easily accessible to get to a pee pad versus the outdoors when you live in an apartment building. Those with impaired mobility may find these options an excellent option.
• Weather-Friendly– no one (not even your dog) wants to go out in frigid weather and rain at 1 am to use the bathroom.
• Easy clean-up– just like with a diaper, you can roll it up and throw away the mess when you use a potty pad.
• Creates a “potty space”– Especially with the use of sod on a porch, these methods can teach your puppy where to use the bathroom rather than relieving themself just anywhere in your apartment.

Pee Pad Cons:

On the flip side, some cons to consider include:

• Sets up for outdoor failure– allowing your puppy to relieve themself indoors while trying to teach them outdoors is where they should potty sends mixed messages. It might make the overall potty training process longer.
• Anything can be seen as a potty area– in some cases, your dog might see your area rug as just a large potty pad.

What Should You Do if Your Puppy Doesn’t Make it Outside?

If your puppy doesn’t make it outside in time, be sure to be kind to them. It is counterproductive to punish them in any way since they are likely still learning routines and where they can release waste.

If your dog makes an accident, be sure to clean it up properly and make sure it still doesn’t smell like pee. That way you can avoid them going pee there again intentionally. If they pee in an elevator or hallway, be sure to clean those ASAP.

Final Thoughts on How to Potty Train in an Apartment

Ultimately, however, you will need to weigh the options for yourself, your puppy, and your lifestyle. If you have plenty of patience then everyone will be able to find the routine that works best for you. If you are looking for extra support from a dog training expert then contact our team at Sit Means Sit Apex and we would be happy to help you with your dog’s training needs.