Living in a medium-sized or big city has plenty of work and social opportunities. When it comes time to get a new puppy, you may find yourself thinking, wait I don’t have easy access to a yard or park! Don’t worry, in this blog, we’ll cover what you need to do to successfully potty train your puppy!
Potty training is usually at the tippy top of every new puppy parents’ agenda when they bring home a new puppy. If you have a home with a fenced-in yard or easy access to a grassy area, logistically it’s much easier for you to get your puppy outside to do their potty. Apartment living presents the challenge of where and how to potty train. The good news is, with a little preplanning on your end and the right tools, it’s totally achievable!
Potty Training 101
First things first, go back to the very basics to set yourself and your puppy up for potty training success. Understand long your puppy can go in between relieving themselves and the signs and get your puppy into a crate training routine from day one or as soon as possible!
How to “tell” if your puppy needs to go
As a general guiding rule, we recommend that you take your puppy’s current age in months and divide it in half to determine how long they can go in between potty breaks (For example, a 3-month-old puppy should be taken out every 1.5 hours for a potty break). At night puppies can go longer while asleep so depending on their water intake and age, they may be able to last longer through the night. Knowing this can help you anticipate when your puppy needs a potty break before they have an accident.
Some puppies, not all, may also give you some warning signs that they need to go potty–whining, sniffing the floor, stopping whatever they are doing to run to a corner, etc. In this case, it’s really up to the puppy parent (you!) to supervise your puppy when they are playing, especially after eating or drinking, to catch them before they have an accident on your floor!
Start crating your puppy during the day and at night
Crate training is a great tool for all puppy parents starting the potty training process! A crate creates a safe and cozy space for your puppy to sleep and hang out in when they can’t be supervised. When used regularly, they can help speed up the potty training process since puppies are naturally not inclined to soil where they sleep and instinctively will learn to hold it. Introduce your puppy’s new crate in small intervals throughout the day. Feeding your puppy in their crate will also help them associate a positive experience while they are inside of their crate. For more help crate training, be sure to check out our blog “Step-by-Step Guide to Crate Training Your Puppy!”
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3 Key Things to Succeed at Potty Training in an Apartment
Now that we’ve covered the basics for all puppy parents starting the potty training process, here are the things you need to succeed in this important puppy milestone if you are living in an apartment! We recommend that you can use these tools together, in combination with a daily potty schedule, for the best and fastest results!
Teach your puppy to go on potty pads
Logistically, for apartment-dwelling puppy parents, getting to an outdoor space can be tricky, so a great option is to start potty training your puppy indoors with the help of potty pads! They are extra absorbent, moisture-locking, odor-wicking (depending on the brand), and depending on where you want your puppy to go potty, you can lay down a few sheets of potty pads to create their potty space and also protect your floors. One of the most functional parts of potty pads is they are super quick and easy to clean up. And, there are a variety of options available out in the market to fit your puppy’s needs.
If this wasn’t your ideal option, hear us out: you can always transition your puppy to go outside after they’ve learned to go on potty pads!
Teach your puppy to use all-natural grass patches
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If you plan to transition your puppy to go potty outdoors, a great option is all-natural grass patches for indoors! Many online sellers will ship fresh sod to your apartment and these patches can be placed on your balcony, terrace, or courtyard. Some options come with plastic containers that can be cleaned and reused.
Create a potty schedule for your puppy
Success at potty training whether you have easy access to the outside or not comes down to consistency. The best way to achieve this is to get your puppy on a regular potty schedule every day. Remember how to determine how long your puppy should wait? Here’s a formula to help you out: Your Puppy’s Age ➗ ½ = Wait period in hours between potty breaks!
The next step would be for you to determine your wake-up time every day, and when your puppy has breakfast, lunch, and dinner time (for this breakdown, we’re following a younger puppy’s feeding which is usually eating three small portioned meals throughout the day) so you can plot out your schedule!
Check out our blog, “Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: Create a Puppy Potty Schedule!” for our sample schedule!
Potty training your puppy in an apartment
You know the basics, you’ve got the key tools to success, so now you’re ready to start working on actually teaching your puppy to potty in their designated area whether it be a potty pad or a grass patch!
At The Puppy Academy, we teach our puppy parents’ to use the command “Go Potty!” to encourage their pups to go, and also get them to go when asked as they get older. Take them to their designated spot, say “Go Potty!”, and allow them up to 3-5 minutes to relieve themselves. During the early stages, we recommend that you keep your puppy on a leash and harness while showing them where they can go potty. You can also enclose the potty pad or grass patch area with a pen to help your pup stay in that area and teach them to target!
Wait for about 5 minutes total and if your puppy still hasn’t gone yet, bring them back to their crate or playpen for another 15-20 minutes, then try again! Don’t let them free roam just because it seems like they don’t need to go. You may be surprised if they try to go potty immediately once you bring them back inside! By guiding your puppy to their potty area at each potty break time, you're creating the association of where you'd like them to go.
Are you still not sure what is the best way to potty train your puppy when you live in an apartment? Join us each Wednesday on @thepuppyacademy Instagram for a live puppy trainer q&a at 1 pm PT!
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