How do I house train my new puppy living in a second-floor apartment?

Potty training your dog or puppy can sometimes be a challenging task. However, with the steps below and a a lot of patience, you can have your dog potty trained quickly! Keeping a schedule, focusing on times when your dog needs to go, keeping the area clean, and stopping accidents before they happen will make the potty training process much easier. The steps are; Keep a routine- Most dogs will need to go out about 5-15 minutes after activities such as eating and drinking, playing, or waking up from a nap Know your dog's body: puppies, the rule of thumb is that they can hold their bladder at most 1 hour per month of age. This means a 2-month old puppy can hold his potty for a maximum of 2 hours. This is just a general rule and smaller dogs or those with bladder control issues may need even more frequent outings. Be sure to never let your dog go more than 8 hours without a potty break to prevent hurting their bladder! Keep in mind health issues Not punish your dog Cleanup after accidents as the scent attracts them to repeat accidents. Here is a link to puppy pads to help while you Are still training; Www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37282 Here is an excellent resource to help you as you proceed; https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-common-reasons-for-potty-accidents-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/

Hi there. At 8 weeks old, Mimi is still a tiny baby - puppies have very little bowel or bladder control at this age, so it's normal for her to urinate and defecate frequently at random times throughout the day. You need to take her out every 20-30 minutes at this age, so give her plenty of opportunities to do her business outside. Praise and reward her with a treat each time she goes. Inside, supervise her constantly and take her out immediately if you see any signs that she's thinking about using the bathroom - circling, sniffing the floor intently, etc. Don't scold or punish her for having an accident in the house, as this will only make her afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you - which then makes potty training much harder! Here is an article with more information on housetraining puppies, which should help to get you on the right track: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/

If you want her to go potty outside only, I would remove the potty pads as this is likely just confusing her. Giving her the option of both may confuse her as to where the appropriate place to go potty is. Instead, taking her out every 1-2 hours, and establishing a routine of going out after eating, drinking, playing, waking up, etc, can help get her used to the fact that outside = go potty time, along with your treats and rewards. If she has an accident inside, moving her outside to let her finish is best, as well as using an enzymatic cleaner to remove any residue and discourage going potty there again. I'm also attaching a few articles that may help! https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-housetrain-your-dog-or-puppy-using-a-potty-cue/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-housetraining-mistakes/

Steps to take when you are away from home: •Take your puppy outside to eliminate before you leave •Keep your puppy in a confined area. By keeping your puppy in a small area, he will refrain from eliminating where he has to lie down or stay close to the accident. The area needs to be roomy enough for your puppy to stand, lie down and turn around. A great way to do this is to crate train your puppy (see crate training handout). However, if you puppy is going to be alone for an extended period of time, he should have a bigger place than just a crate. •Avoid leaving your puppy alone for extended hours. Although a young puppy of 8 – 9 weeks of age can go about 7 hours controlling his/her bladder, it is important to give your puppy ample opportunities to do the right behavior and eliminate outside. The more times your puppy goes where it is supposed to, the faster your puppy will learn where you want them to go. It is a general rule to let a puppy go outside at least every 4 hours. •Remember to take your puppy outside as soon as you come home. Do not to let your puppy play or eat before it has gotten a chance to go to the bathroom. Puppies can be very unpredictable and can even eliminate right in the middle of playing fetch! What if your puppy has an accident? •Housetraining a puppy can take weeks to months, and accidents will happen. When your puppy has an accident, it is very important that you do not punish your puppy! •All accidents must be immediately & fastidiously cleaned up, as odors of past accidents will draw your pup into voiding in the same places. We recommend cleaning with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Anti-Icky Poo ® or Nature’s Miracle ®. •It is very important to refrain from verbally or physically punishing your puppy for eliminating in the house. Punishment creates fear and hiding or avoidance of human contact, and your puppy may even become fearful of eliminating in your presence. Furthermore, if your puppy is being punished after he eliminates in an inappropriate spot, he will not know what he is being punished for. So punishing your puppy can do more harm than good. •If you catch your puppy in the act of eliminating indoors, distract him, pick him up and take him outside to his bathroom spot. If your puppy finishes eliminating outside, immediately praise and reward him for doing the right thing. Common mistakes when housetraining: •Not taking your puppy outside often enough •Not supervising your puppy as closely as you should •Missing “clues” from your puppy that he needs to eliminate •Giving your puppy free run to the entire house before he is fully housetrained •Verbally or physically punishing your puppy for improperly eliminating in the house •Not cleaning up properly and immediately after an accident Lastly, remember that although housetraining may be time consuming and frustrating, it is very rewarding and a great bonding experience for you and your new puppy! If you have questions or concerns about your puppy, do not hesitate to call or visit your veterinarian.

50 days old is still extremely young and Hachiko probably isn't old enough to hold his potty very long yet. He will likely need to go out at least every 1-2 hours, and about 10-15 minutes after eating, drinking, playing, and waking up. You can use this to your advantage to start taking him outside to go potty before he has an accident so he learns to go outside. If you want him to go in a certain area, then use these times to take him to that spot so he learns to go there. Here are a few additional articles about potty training that may be useful to you as well! https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-housetraining-mistakes/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-housetrain-your-dog-or-puppy-using-a-potty-cue/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/housetraining-tips-and-tricks/

I would start by putting her on a leash and walking around with her in the yard she is used to using to go to the bathroom, so she can acclimate to being leashed and having you near her when she goes to the bathroom. You can also start using a command word for her peeing and pooping and giving her a treat along with the command word when she goes. For example, if you see her peeing outside say "Potty" and give her a treat. This will help her associate the word with the action and then when she is out on a walk you can try saying the word to encourage her to do the action (and follow up with a treat). You can also get her adjusted to a pen by putting it in your house now, and placing her bed/toys inside with the door open to encourage her to use the pen.

• DO have a feeding schedule in which elimination breaks follow eating and drinking; this is a natural reflex in dogs. Elimination breaks should also follow napping/sleeping and exercise/play. • DO praise your puppy at the time he is eliminating in an appropriate place! You can also give him a small treat at that time. • DO constantly supervise puppy to prevent him from sneaking off and eliminating when you can’t correct him; try keeping him on a leash attached to your waist. • DO clean inappropriate eliminations thoroughly with enzymatic cleaner to remove residual smells that may entice puppy to revisit the area. • DO leave feces in desired areas of elimination, when appropriate, to reinforce that this is an appropriate area for performing this function. • DO take puppy to the same desired area every time; do not play with or excite him until he has eliminated. He should realize that elimination is his first and foremost duty (no pun intended!) and that playtime is secondary. • DO interrupt improper elimination by startling your puppy (e.g. clapping your hands) and redirect or carry him to the desired elimination area. • DO be consistent and patient until your puppy’s housetraining is complete. Incomplete housetraining is a primary cause of housesoiling as an adult dog. What NOT To Do: • DO NOT punish your puppy for inappropriate elimination verbally or physically (e.g. hitting with rolled up newspaper, rubbing his nose in his mess, etc). This is ineffective and may lead to further and more serious behavioral problems. • DO NOT punish your puppy after you find it. • DO NOT leave puppy outside unsupervised. You may miss an opportunity to praise him for appropriate elimination behavior. • DO NOT make abrupt changes to your puppy’s diet unless instructed by your veterinarian. • DO NOT allow puppy to have free access to the house without direct supervision. Be especially aware if you think your puppy is going to sleep in the evenings…he may be sneaking off to eliminate. • DO NOT get discouraged – accidents will happen and should be expected! Please talk with your veterinarian if you have more questions about housetraining your new addition.