Hello Friends!
I am going to discus my top 5 tips I wish I would have known before I brought my puppy home to my apartment. Apartment living with a puppy can be 'ruff!' However, with these tips I hope it makes easier for you.
1. Crate Train
When I first brought my puppy we did not have a crate and our little puppy roamed free in the evenings and slept wherever she wanted. This resulted in a lot potty accidents and chewed up shoes and cords. Crate training is very simple and I highly recommend it if you live in apartment. Essentially you place your puppy in the crate at night to sleep which helps train them to hold their pee through the night and you place them in the crate when you leave them home alone for extended periods of time. Your dog should not 'live' 24/7 in their crate. Rather, think of the crate more like their bedroom. They are less likely to have a potty accident in their bed, which helps them learn how to hold it. Our puppy has a comfy dog bed, blanket, and her favorite stuffed animal that are kept in her crate to make is cozy for her. Be sure to let your dog out to go potty before placing them in their crate. Also, be sure to make positive associations with their crate by beginning the crate training process by giving them a treat whenever you place them in it. Soon enough they will be willingly going in their crate to take a nap or relax. I will link resources to crate training below.
2. Have a Designated Puppy Area
When we first came home we had puppy stuff everywhere and our dog had full reign over the whole apartment. Due to the fact that she was not potty trained yet, we would find accidents all over the house. I recommend getting a baby gate to block off one room in the house for your puppy to aid in the potty training process and to teach them where they allowed to be. We used a baby gate to block off our living room. We placed a dog bed, her toys, and her food and water in our living room. This allowed us to keep a close eye on her so she could not chew up things that she shouldn't. It also allowed us to watch for signs that she needed to go potty.
3. Potty Train ASAP
Start the potty training process the second you bring your puppy home. Our puppy was already pad trained when we got her. However, she learned to go outside fairly easily. Also be sure to clean up accidents with an odor eliminating spray right away, so they don't smell it in your home and keep going in the same spot. I will dedicate a whole post to potty training a puppy in an apartment because it's a bit lengthy to explain.
4. Walk your Dog on the Daily
If you live in an apartment you have very limited space for your dog to run and play and you most likely do not have a back yard. It is very important to walk your puppy on a daily basis to keep them in good shape and to get all of their energy out. Pent up energy in puppies can result in destructive behavior inside of your apartment. I noticed that on days when I did not take my puppy to the dog park or for a walk she tended to get into trouble inside of the apartment by tearing my personal things to shreds or getting into things.
5. Establish Routines
Puppy's respond very well to routines and it helps them with their behavior and potty training as well. I will share the current routine that works for me and my 8 month old puppy but remember every dog is different. 7am-Potty and then breakfast and water; 3pm- potty, 5pm-dinner and water, 6pm-walk/dog park,7pm,-water and snack/treat; 10pm-potty and in crate for bedtime.
I hope you found these tips helpful! Please remember that every dog is different and unique and may require different accommodations. Best of luck with your sweet puppy!
Link to crate training resources: https://youtu.be/hesi8WxLWVE
Link to potty training post: https://sincerelyciera.wixsite.com/website/home/how-to-potty-train-a-puppy
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