Heya!
My anxiety about the new puppy is getting better and being replaced with excitement the closer I get to the day my boyfriend and I bring her home (just another couple of weeks!). Thanks so much to those who replied to my last post about that anxiety. It feels good to know I'm not alone in that "Omg! what if I'm a terrible dog mum!" fear
Anyhow, I've been doing a lot of research on housebreaking and I'm having a little worry about accomplishing this training in a high rise apartment. I know it CAN be done. There are plenty of dogs in my building who were raised in highrises. I'm just concerned that taking Gerdy out to do her business every hour or so isn't going to be easy from the 16th floor and am wondering if the use of puppy pads doesn't add confusion to the training. I grew up having dogs in the family for a good 20 years, but all of them were "out door only" dogs (always hated that), so housebreaking isn't something I'm too familiar with... but it does seem like it should be pretty straight forward? Heck, I've read so many conflicting methods online, I'm just worried my approach will screw up my dog and I'll have a forever-poop-on-the-floor scenario. LOL!
Basically my plan is to be keeping her strictly indoors until she's had all of her shots. So she'll be using pads in a designated area and we'll be working on crate training as well. Lots of praise and treats, obviously no scolding or "rubbing her nose in her mistakes" (this was my grandparents' oldschool method... ugh). Once she's ready to safely go outside with other dogs, I'll be bringing along a soiled pad so she knows that the grass is where to go, and of course lavish her with praise and a treat whenever she goes appropriately. Then I guess as time goes on and her self control gets stronger, I'll slowly use less and less pads indoors until she's exclusively able to hold on until we get her outside.
Another point I should add: I'll be taking a few weeks off of work once I bring her home, but after that, she'll be coming into the studio with me daily. Would this be confusing at all to her potty training? My job is such that I CAN work from home if I so choose, but the studio environment is easiest in case someone needs to talk to me in person. I'd be using puppy pads at work, too, and it's easy access to outside if need be. It'd be great for her socialization and training as well.
Please let me know if I'm missing anything or if you have any tips to add! I'm super keen to hear any experiences anyone has had with raising a puppy in an apartment.
Thanks!
My anxiety about the new puppy is getting better and being replaced with excitement the closer I get to the day my boyfriend and I bring her home (just another couple of weeks!). Thanks so much to those who replied to my last post about that anxiety. It feels good to know I'm not alone in that "Omg! what if I'm a terrible dog mum!" fear
Anyhow, I've been doing a lot of research on housebreaking and I'm having a little worry about accomplishing this training in a high rise apartment. I know it CAN be done. There are plenty of dogs in my building who were raised in highrises. I'm just concerned that taking Gerdy out to do her business every hour or so isn't going to be easy from the 16th floor and am wondering if the use of puppy pads doesn't add confusion to the training. I grew up having dogs in the family for a good 20 years, but all of them were "out door only" dogs (always hated that), so housebreaking isn't something I'm too familiar with... but it does seem like it should be pretty straight forward? Heck, I've read so many conflicting methods online, I'm just worried my approach will screw up my dog and I'll have a forever-poop-on-the-floor scenario. LOL!
Basically my plan is to be keeping her strictly indoors until she's had all of her shots. So she'll be using pads in a designated area and we'll be working on crate training as well. Lots of praise and treats, obviously no scolding or "rubbing her nose in her mistakes" (this was my grandparents' oldschool method... ugh). Once she's ready to safely go outside with other dogs, I'll be bringing along a soiled pad so she knows that the grass is where to go, and of course lavish her with praise and a treat whenever she goes appropriately. Then I guess as time goes on and her self control gets stronger, I'll slowly use less and less pads indoors until she's exclusively able to hold on until we get her outside.
Another point I should add: I'll be taking a few weeks off of work once I bring her home, but after that, she'll be coming into the studio with me daily. Would this be confusing at all to her potty training? My job is such that I CAN work from home if I so choose, but the studio environment is easiest in case someone needs to talk to me in person. I'd be using puppy pads at work, too, and it's easy access to outside if need be. It'd be great for her socialization and training as well.
Please let me know if I'm missing anything or if you have any tips to add! I'm super keen to hear any experiences anyone has had with raising a puppy in an apartment.
Thanks!