To many people, there is nothing like living in the big city – the lights, the high-rises that glitter in the sun, streets buzzing with the sounds of cars, people throng the sidewalks and stores at all hours…
But can dogs be model citizens in this lifestyle? Can they be properly housetrained not to use the bathroom in your small apartment? Can they be housetrained to go in a specific area laid with papers as you wish? How about outside without making a mess on the sidewalk?
Absolutely! All it takes is a bit of extra work to conquer the unique problems of city dwellers.
Housetraining is really the same whether you live in the country, the suburbs with a yard, or in a high-rise in the city. Your puppy just needs to be educated about where the legal places are to eliminate.
As with suburban dogs, crate training is the best option for training and housetraining your urban dog. From there, though, city folks (as well as others faced with restricted living spaces and lack of yards and parks) often have to be creative.
One common problem, especially with medium and large-sized breeds, is where to put the crate. The good news is that the bathrooms or kitchens of apartments are often so small that they effectively can be used as crates. I'd also like to point out that many companies now make crates that also function as furniture, such as wicker or rattan crates that double as end tables or coffee tables.
Potty On The Papers, Please (change)
A paper training schedule is the same as a regular crate training schedule. The pup sleeps or eats, then goes to the paper area to potty. The pup gets free time with you after he potties and may have to go again after playing. Praise calmly during the act and profusely afterwards so your pup knows exactly what he's doing right.
Once your pup is regularly going on the papers in the potty area, train him next to find the papers from any part of the apartment. That way, your pup doesn't believe he can merely step outside the crate and eliminate.
Say to your pup, “Papers!” in a happy voice, then go to the papers together. Then lay on the praise. He will learn to run back to the papers no matter where they are. Going potty in the paper area now becomes fun and exciting for him, and stress-free for you knowing that your dog will not make a mess in your apartment.
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