# potty training 2nd floor apartment



## lilhoosier32 (Feb 23, 2011)

So right now I am living on the second story of my apartment. Luckily in a couple months I'll be in a house for when this pup really gets going!  Anyway, the stairs going down to the area where she can pee is an exterior wood stair. Then, to get to Bacon's potty area, I have to carry her over pavement because there's generally a lot of broken glass. I think she probably hasn't made many connections between how she actually gets to the area where she can go to the bathroom. And since I've been carrying her straight from the door, until today when I am at least letting her walk to the exterior stair, I think she will have a hard time telling me she needs to go. I think a lot of dogs will paw or scratch at the door? I don't really know.

So my question is, what have you all done to train your puppy to let you know that she has to go? Thanks!


----------



## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

I would bet Bacon knows where she is going, because there is a "routine" to getting to the potty patch. I think letting her walk to the stairs is a good thing. Pups have different ways of letting you know they need to go out. My motto is 'when in doubt, take them out.' Taking them out as soon as they wake up in the morning or from a nap, and 15-20 mins. after meals &/or consuming water. If they have not gone when I take them out, then I go again 10mins later (sometimes crating them before I go again). In my experience, puppies will whine, go to the door, start wandering around in circles/to another room, sniffing, or somewhat suddenly interupt play or whatever activity & walk around like looking for something. I'm sure others have good insight to give, but that has been my experience. I try not to give a pup the chance to make a mistake, so I rely more on a safe window than signs; however, Pumpkin whines when she needs to go. That has been true from day 1 with pooping, but not as much with peeing. Behavior & time intervals have been more helpful with that. BTW, Bacon is a great name


----------



## lilhoosier32 (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks Kelly! (btw, that is my name too  ) I do the same as well... Taking her out after playing, napping, eating. Seems to have helped a lot for sure! We haven't had an accident in about a week (she is 10 wks now), so I thought having her tell me WHEN she needs to go is the next step. Unfortunately, sometimes she just likes to randomly "investigate" (sniffing around and never pooping or peeing inside), and has no warning signs so far of needing to go out. Maybe I am taking her out too much?

Thanks again!


----------



## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

I don't think its possible to take a 10 wk old pup out too much! I'm sure a pain for you, but the dividends will show in a couple of weeks. It sounds like you are doing great so far. Bacon is very young, so no accidents in a wk @ 10wks, is very good. It is hard to tell the difference between investigating & needing to go out, so I just don't let em roam without me. One of the reasons I take them out if in doubt. Give Bacon a couple more weeks, & I bet you'll be amazed at how her communication w/ you evolves while you learn to read her even better. Both you & Bacon have a great name


----------



## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Kelly is right (the second one?), you can't take Bacon out enough. You are doing really well if you have had an accident free week, but puppies looooove to pee. Often. I doubt Bacon minds going outside, so I say keep doing what you're doing. Cleaning up messes is not fun!


----------



## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

We also live in a second floor apartment at this time. Hopefully moving soon. It took a while to train Holley to tell us when she had to go. We didn't get her until she was 16 weeks old and she was out in a kennel all day with her sister so she never had to let anyone know. We had accidents the first couple weeks until she figured it all out. We also took her out first thing in the morning, 15-20min after food or water, after playing, etc. We also took her out immediately when an accident occured so that she learned to do this outside. It took alot of vigilance and patience but she will go over to the door and if we don't notice right away, she will come running over and give "the look." Hang in there. It gets better and they are worth it.


----------

