Regular walks help keep puppies from pottying in your apartment.
Housebreaking a puppy is a big step in dog ownership. In an apartment, the process becomes a bit more difficult, because there is no immediate access to a backyard. It can be done, no matter how complicated it may seem at first. Housebreaking takes a lot of time and patience; there will be numerous accidents at the beginning before the puppy gets the hang of what you’re asking it to do. Once the process is complete, however, it can feel like a major accomplishment for both you and your dog.
Instructions
1. Set up a routine. As with potty-training human children, having a routine in place for the puppy will make it much easier to housebreak it. The best way to successfully help the puppy use the bathroom outdoors is to put it on a leash and take it for a walk about 20 minutes after food or water. If necessary, set a timer to remind yourself when to walk the dog.
2. Designate bathroom words. This is similar to human children as well. Pick a word or phrase to use while walking your dog, such as "Walk!" That way, your dog will know that when you say the word, they get to go outside and use the bathroom. Try saying the word repeatedly as the dog is using the bathroom, then praise it and take it back indoors.
3. Lay down training pads. Some people who live in apartments use these training pads as a supplement to training a dog to use the bathroom on walks. Place a training pad near the door of your apartment. If you spot your puppy starting to go potty elsewhere, give a small yell to stop the puppy, then place it on the pad.
4. Use lots of praise. Praise lets the puppy know that what it’s done is a good thing. When walking the dog, or if the dog is using training pads, make sure that as soon as the dog is finished eliminating, you shower it with praise. The dog then associates going to the bathroom in the designated spot with extra love and treats from you.
5. Make use of a crate. If you can’t keep an eye on your puppy constantly to make sure no accidents happen, consider crate-training it. Put the puppy in the crate whenever you're not home or are asleep. You also can close off a small area of the apartment that you designate as the puppy’s space, so that if accidents happen, they will only occur there.
6. Clean accidents thoroughly. When your puppy has an accident inside the apartment, clean the area as thoroughly as you can. Pet stores and some grocery stores sell urine removing solutions to eliminate the scent. Because dogs have such a strong sense of smell, not cleaning the area properly may lead to the puppy using this spot as a potty area.
7. Ask others for help. Many people are too busy working in order to keep up with walking schedules that may be more frequent with smaller puppies. Ask a significant other, friend or trusted neighbor to walk your dog at the designated time if you’re unable to make it home.
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