Does the puppy apartment work?

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Stacy Painter has been writing blogs for the pet industry for more than ten years. She has always owned rescue dogs, including one that was totally blind. She takes pleasure in continuing her education in canine behavior, training, and pet safety. Stacy enjoys taking her dog on dog-friendly adventures in her spare time, such as hiking, visiting local parks, and using a stand-up paddleboard. As a member of the entire Preventive Vet team, Stacy shares her interests, skills, and distinctive viewpoint.

Advantages of Using a Puppy Apartment

Heres what I like about puppy apartments.

When the puppy is inside and the door is closed, they are set up for success. They have two choices: to soil as far away as possible from their bed/water/food or to soil their favorite sleeping/feeding area. Most puppies (unless they were crated all day and learn to sleep in their messes) will soil away from their sleeping area. This is their innate instinct.

It makes potty training easier for puppy owners. Many owners would love to train their dogs to go outside to potty, but there are always those idle times when the puppy needs an indoor option. Unlike a snug crate, where the puppy would be forced to soil in its sleeping area or painfully hold it for many minutes, the puppy apartment offers separate soiling space. A puppy apartment can save owners the hassle of waking up every two hours to take the puppy outdoors.

This makes it unnecessary to limit water intake. Some dog owners limit water in order to eliminate night-time pee outings.

There is less chance of puppies being scolded for soiling their snug crate in the night or when left alone. It is astounding the number of people who still get mad at puppies for not being able to hold their bladders and bowels.

If your puppy hasn’t had enough time to familiarize herself with her apartment, she might forget to relieve herself there after being let outside. Make sure to give her sufficient time to succeed!.

Here are a few things about puppy apartments that I don’t like.

Commercials for puppy apartments makes them look really easy to use. They show puppies who have the whole run of a room repeatedly returning to the puppy apartment to go potty. This looks too easy to be true. It is!

Its wrong to assume that a new puppy will use the apartment in such a way. It may work once the puppy is conditioned to use it and has developed bladder control, but there are other potential problems with using this method.

A puppy that gets used to a puppy apartment may be overwhelmed when she is let out. Once outside the apartment, a big world unveils itself. She no longer has a guideline or a choice. Rather, she can soil virtually anywhere without worrying about soiling her favorite sleeping or feeding area. This sets the pup up for failure.

As any dog owner knows, once a puppy soils an area, the smell may linger if not cleaned promptly with the right products. When the puppy smells a previously soiled area, it may soil there again. The apartment method does not potty train puppies. It trains them only when they are in the apartment, but that is not practical.

Some dog owners rely too heavily on the puppy apartment to avoid taking their dog out on walk for deserved exercise and socialization.

I have had clients for whom the puppy apartment failed. Here are some of the reasons.

The puppy smelled his potty area but just didnt make it there on time. For a puppy under 12 weeks old, the moment he thinks he has to go potty, the pee or poop is already coming out!

The puppy smelled his potty area but did not want to go inside the crate because he disliked being closed in it. If your puppy is reluctant to go inside, has associated being closed in it while you are gone, or is kept in there for a very long time, he may have negative associations with it. Dogs like enclosed spaces for an appropriate amount of time.

The puppy could not figure out the way back to the apartment. The world is very big for a puppy, and he may not make it in time. To identify the apartments sleeping area for them, try putting treats there every now and then. He will visit it often for pleasant surprises! Visiting on a more frequent basis may help him learn how to get in it and whats inside. It is also a good idea to invest in puppy pads with odor attractants to further grab the pups attention.

The puppy did not have sufficient time to learn to use the “bathroom area.” If you got your puppy when he was eight weeks old, a week may not be enough for him to learn where his bathroom is when he is outside the apartment. This takes time. Make sure to always reward your puppy promptly when he uses the apartment to potty!

What is a Potty Training Puppy Apartment?

Essentially a dog crate, the Potty Training Puppy Apartment (PTPA) has a patent-pending room divider that divides the crate into two sections. A bedroom has one side designated for sleeping, and a bathroom has the other. The room divider has a hole in the center that allows the puppy to easily pass between the two rooms.

There are 7 different sizes available for the PTPA, so it is undoubtedly not just for small dogs. On the website, beds and potty pads that are specifically made to fit in the various sized crates are also for sale.

From the website of Modern Puppies, please find the following size chart.

XSmall	Up to 4 lbs	24″L x 18″W x 19″H
Small	5 – 10 lbs	30″L x 19″W x 21″H
Medium	11 – 20 lbs	36″L x 23″W x 25″H
Large	21 – 40 lbs	42″L x 28″W x 30″H
XLarge	41 – 80 lbs	48″L x 30″W x 33″H
XXLarge	81 – 140 lbs	60″L x 36″W x 38″H
XXXLarge	Over 140 lbs	Please call or email for details

They also have a ton of other products, including crate covers, a nightstand that you can put the crate on so your puppy can sleep close to you, a playpen that you can attach to the crate, and more.

Naturally, dogs don’t like to go potty in their sleeping areas. The PTPA’s bedroom side is compact and made to be just big enough for your puppy to move around, stretch out, and stand up. A puppy will use the other side of the crate to go to the bathroom in an effort to keep their beds clean. A disposable puppy potty pad that is designed to fit perfectly inside the bathroom side of the PTPA lines the other side of the crate.

Place your puppy in the PTPA on the bedroom side before going to bed at night or leaving the house during the day. The puppy will naturally use the side of the crate that the puppy pad is on if he needs to relieve himself in the middle of the night or while you are away. Reward him when he uses his bathroom, and he will continue to do so. Once he has done this a few times, he will start looking for his “bathroom area” while he is out and about your home as well.

The PTPA has three doors so that your dog can easily access both rooms during the day. Once your puppy is old enough to no longer require being kept in his crate, the doors can even be taken off. He will eventually become reliable enough that you can leave him outside overnight and he will use the restroom as necessary.

A Look at the Puppy Apartment in Action

On paper, a puppy apartment’s basic workings appear to be quite straightforward. Usually, his sleeping area is much larger than the toilet area. This is done on purpose to allow the dog to relieve himself as far away from his sleeping area as he wants without having to leave the room.

FAQ

Is it possible to potty train a puppy in an apartment?

Yes, you can teach a puppy to use both indoor potty pads and outdoor restrooms. Consistency and patience are key. When he needs to use the restroom, take him to either the indoor or outdoor potty area.

How do apartments deal with puppies?

SET UP A ROUTINE Dogs absolutely benefit from routine, just as humans do. When living in an apartment with dogs, it’s crucial to establish a routine for their bowel movements, exercise requirements, and general wellbeing. Simply take your dog for walks and bathroom breaks at the same time every day to achieve this.

Is crating a dog at night cruel?

Crate-training a dog at night is not cruel, and it also doesn’t make them aggressive. Your dog has a secure place to unwind in a crate. If your dog is in their crate, they can’t do anything wrong, so you can both unwind.

Should you use pee pads in a crate?

Never leave pee pads in the crate with your puppy. In addition to being a chewing hazard, it will begin to teach your puppy that it is acceptable to urinate in their crate. For your puppy’s prolonged confinement, pee pads can be used.