It’s always a huge joy when a puppy joins the family. The little puppy-scented fur dumpling wants to play with everything and puts a smile on everyone’s face. This is a beautiful yet challenging period. There are many things a puppy needs to learn at this time: its name, home rules, a few simple commands, and the fact that she cannot pee in the middle of the living room.

 

Keep an eye out for the signs

In the case of a dog kept in an apartment, one of the most important things they need to learn is that they can’t pee or poop between the four walls. Dogs themselves don’t find it pleasant to do their business on the floor or carpet, they’d much rather go outside to a grassy area.

There are times when the puppy is almost certain to do its business, so if you pay attention at this time, you have a good chance of getting the puppy to the right place in time. After eating and waking up, for example, they will most likely need to go, so in that case, be sure to get up grab her and run outside. You can easily spot them getting ready for something when you see them sniffing, because before pooing, dogs usually sniff, looking for a suitable place. If they managed to pee in the right place, you should always praise them for knowing they have done well that time. At first, you can even give a treat as a reward.

 

 

Give potty pads a try

If you happen to live in a house with a garden, it makes sense to take the puppy out in the yard. In a multi-storey block, however, this is more difficult because a tiny dog ​​may not be able to hold it until you run down from the third floor. In this case, it is may be worth considering getting your puppy used to a puppy pad in the apartment as a temporary solution. (There is a moisture barrier foil on the back of the potty pad or pharmacy patient pad making sure it doesn’t soak through like newspaper.) At the same time, make sure you always praise your dog when she pees outside. Once they get a little bigger and can wait until you get down to the park after waking up, you can stop using the pad. (If your pet is having a hard time transitioning from pad to grass, you can try putting the pad on the grass first.)

Potty pads can be very helpful even if your puppy has not yet received all the necessary vaccinations. In this case, veterinarians do not recommend taking the puppy to places visited by other dogs.

 

 

Some further tips

• In order to get your puppy house clean as soon as possible, you need to take her out as often as possible to minimize the likelihood of accidents. The last walk should be scheduled just before bedtime and early in the morning (or even in the middle of the night).
• Dogs don’t usually like to make a mess around their own place, so it can help to get them used to a room kennel and put them in there to rest. And when they wake up, you should immediately take them in your lap and take them to a place where they can do their business.
•  Sometimes puppies pee when they get home and get very excited. In this case, the best thing to do is not to further intensify this condition, but to wait a little while until they calm down (meanwhile take off your shoes, coat, etc.) and then greet them in a calm voice.

 

What not to do?

Don’t scold them if you only realized afterwards that an accident happened, and by no means push their nose in it if they did their business in the wrong place. If you just catch them peeing on the carpet, you can gently signal that they’re doing something bad, but since they’re still a puppy, don’t be too strict.

Biologically, the dog will be large enough to withstand longer periods of time between walks by about six months of age. At a younger age, it is still perfectly normal for accidents to still sometimes occur. Just be patient!

Orsolya Varga-Molnár