# House Training in an Apartment



## devildog808 (Mar 8, 2010)

Hello everyone.

My wife and I both live in an apartment in a major city, and while our apartment is fairly large, it is on the 2nd floor and does not have a yard. We are bringing home an 8 week old GSD puppy on March 14th, so proper house training is a major concern. Our last dog was a German Shepherd as well, but we adopted her at 7 years old and she was was already house broken, so neither of us has much experience in house training a puppy while living in an apartment.

I've read a couple books and magazine articles on training, but most seem to assume you already have a house with a yard, or are contradictory with their suggestions. Do I paper train at first, and then transition to outside? And if so, how I do go about transitioning the puppy from inside to outside? Or is training the dog at all to go inside a bad idea, that teaches the dog that going indoors is ok? 

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated, particularly from anyone that lived with a GSD in an apartment before. (hate the phrase 'own a GSD,' as they aren't furniture) 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I housetrained a puppy from a second floor apartment as well. The trick is to always be dressed. 

Seriously. We crate trained our puppy and everytime he cried we grabbed him, and ran him downstairs to his "potty spot". This had to go on for a couple months and I got really good arm muscles as he got bigger, but eventually he got it and was able to hold it longer and we didn't have to rush so much.


----------



## devildog808 (Mar 8, 2010)

Thanks.

I'm glad I don't have to paper train inside first. I don't have a problem cleaning up a mess, but want to be clear from the start on where the dog is supposed to go. My concern was maybe sending mixed signals to the dog if he gets praised for going indoors on newspaper, or possible issues with her getting used to the paper and not going on grass outside.


----------



## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

is Elisabeth still around this board?? I bet she could give some really good ideas...she lived on the 20th floor or something really high up there lol.


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Haha.. I'm here!

Hi there devildog808! 

I live on the 18th floor in a apartment complex and to be quite honest potty training was EXHAUSTING!

I personally do not like the idea of letting the puppy go inside, I don't think it will "confuse them" if you transition properly but I do think having dirty pee pads in the house from a growing GSD puppy can be.. um... icky!

I wanted Stark potty trained right away so this aspect of training was very important to me and so I was VERY COMMITTED to ensuring that I stuck to my plans.

I took Stark out probably every fourty-five minutes to an hour at first (maybe the first week, maybe a day or two less). I then took him out 10 minutes after he ate, even if I had just let him out 20 minutes before that. I took him out 5 minutes after he drank something (even a lick of water), and right in the middle of play sessions. I would stop what I was doing and take him outside. I didn't want any accidents (of couse we had a couple) and tried my best to get him into a routine of going outdoors.

Now, getting from my apartment (18th floor) to the lobby proved difficult some days. The best word of advice I can give you; CARRY THE PUPPY TO THE DESIGNATED POTTY SPOT, because as soon as puppy has a chance to sniff around (even in the elevator) they will start to potty and cleaning a puppy mess in a moving elevator.. not fun, trust me.

Ususally the elevator would stop 10 times before I reached the lobby and I had a hoard of people wanting to pet and cuddle him but I would always ask them to wait until we came back in to play with puppy. This way puppy didn't get too excited and loose control of his bladder. A lot of times I would come back in from letting the puppy out and have 10-15 people waiting in the lobby to pet or see Stark.. lol.

You are going to be a walking zombie for a week or two but to me it's worth it. Stark was potty trained in a week and didn't have any accidents after that. Which was awsome! He then started to hold his bladder for a hour or two around 9.5 weeks old. Again, big step!

Having a puppy in an apartment is a little more challenging as we have to always be aware of people, environment, rules and regulations unlike living in a home where you call the shots but it is so worth it.

Good luck and if you have any questions please let me know, just PM me because I probably won't see the thread as I am not on here too much.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

We got Sinister when we lived in an apartment on the 2nd floor. We limited his water and took him out every hour. At night time we woke up and took him out every 2 hours until he was 13-14 weeks old.


----------



## devildog808 (Mar 8, 2010)

Thank you all for the replies, especially Elisabeth. It was very hepful, and thankfully we didn't have to paper train. Apologies also for the *very* late reply. After we brought her home I was busy taking care of her for a couple weeks, and forgot to get back on here and post.

Anyway she is doing great and has been housetrained for for some time.

A few pics of Sasha, from 8 weeks until the present:


----------



## Superhero (May 15, 2010)

Qft!!



jklatsky said:


> i housetrained a puppy from a second floor apartment as well. The trick is to always be dressed.
> 
> seriously. We crate trained our puppy and everytime he cried we grabbed him, and ran him downstairs to his "potty spot". This had to go on for a couple months and i got really good arm muscles as he got bigger, but eventually he got it and was able to hold it longer and we didn't have to rush so much.


----------



## Taylor (Apr 7, 2009)

oh those ears!!!!! Sasha is adorable!


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my last Shep was raised in an apartment.
i lived in a very large apartment so my pup
had his own area.

i had paper placed in 2 different areas
of the apartment because it was so large.

i had the paper down but we use to take
our pup out every 2 hours or so (we lived
on the 2nd floor). when our dog was inside
we would take him to the paper often. after meals,
waking from naps, after play or just
milling around we took him to the paper.

at some point we started taking the paper
up. i kept the paper in 2 areas but i started
usuing less paper. i made the area the paer
was covering smaller and smaller. then i took
away one area where the paper was. at some point
i only had the paper down at night. 

just like i had him on he paper i slowly weaned
him off of the paper.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i just read you didn't have to paper train, :crazy:.


----------



## guitarest (Jun 22, 2005)

My situation is a little different with Blitz; we have the poo part down and have pretty much since the beginning. Its the pee part that we are still working on but thank god for the other pups. Sarge (Alpha male) actually gets on to Blitz and gets upset with him and so far I have not had to use my crate even though its set up. My biggest fear about the crate is the crying; and complaints. I am on the third floor and thank god Blitz has been able to do the stairs since the first week (going down) and the following week he can do both ways. My only true issue with Blitz is he gets hyper excited and playful as we line up for the leashes and he attacks the other pups and causes a little barking. With that said its been 9 years or so since I have had a puppy and this little guy loves to play. Some times too much and at the wrong time; to say I can't wait till he calms down is a little bit of a understatement................. lol

Hope all is going well.


----------

