Apartment house training

I wanted to give you some support with a story.

I paper-trained Miko, which he caught on very fast (he was being housebroken at the breeders house). He used paper for about....3 years before I had to move in with my folks and we had to housebreak him. It took some time and patience (actually, it took about a month, and maybe 1/2 a dozen accidents), and voila, he was/is housebroken.

I know they say don't do it because it confuses them. And that most dogs can't go from one to another and be fully "broken". But if you feel your dog is smart, which most Shelties are, then papertrain for now, and housebreak later, when your pup can hold her bladder for longer periods (and amount of time for you to walk her downstairs, cart her to an okay area, etc). Even if she is a year or two old.

Seriuosly. Everyone told me it was impossible. Miko has been housebroken for 7 years now. He only has accidents, when I ignore his signs. And I wouldn't call them accidents. I'd call it stupidity on my side for not taking him out.

Good luck. I cant' imagine having to bundle my dog up, AND myself up that much, then carry them down. Yikes. She's smart. She'll learn. I say, use puppy pads. You may also want to think about those potty areas, that use fake or real grass, and then drains into a pan which you can wash/rinse. I had that on a cement patio at my apt (long story short, Miko is sensitive to stuff they put on grass, and grass itself). Worked well. Cleaning sucked though.
 
Are you confused yet? :lol:

The fact is there is no "prescription" to fix. It really comes down to your individual circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all.

The rest of my post is directed to our many new posters. I cannot believe how this forum has grown in the 6 months that I've made it "my home". We are very personal here and like to share as much of our personal experience as possible, and also understand your background as well.

The reason why we share so many anecdotes with our posts is that it will help you determine whether or not the suggested tip suits your circumstance or not.

Don't hesitate to ask for clarification on a point....sometimes we have to guess at your circumstance and may make a wrong assumption.

A message for new posters: I personally have a limited brain capacity to absorb and process and respond intelligently if a post is asking too many questions at once. Some questions I can answer, some I cannot because I don't have the knowledge.

So when asking questions such as behaviour or training, it might be helpful to break them up into separate posts, that way we can pick our way through those we feel qualified to answer - and you will also get dedicated answers to specific questions. So separate crate training, nipping/biting, food, etc.

Just a suggestion...!
 
Yep different things works for different dogs and different people. Hazel has been showing a lot more personality in the last two days or so. She is more comfortable with us. She is a face licker, and she's your new best friend the second you let her out of the kennel, the morning are little hard. She wants to be up and out a 7 and I want to sleep in till 10 (I work till about 10 at night so I tend to sleep in). I normally (before the puppy) sleep 12 to 9 or 10. So when I let her out at 7 for her bathroom break she's a big ball of energy, I guess I should try and get her use to what my schedule is and put her back in the kennel at 7.

She will jump up and lick your face and want to play. She loves to rough house, she doesn't know what her toys are for yet, so when she plays she like to play with me, my feet and my hands. She nippes a bit when playing but that's normal puppy play, nothing hard, and when she does I correct her for it saying "gentle".
 
Apt housebreaking

Gavin was easy to train, as I am 30 seconds away from his pee spot.
But, when he younger and couldn't hold it, I bought a tray that he pees on when he has to go. It's called wizdog and is a plastic tray with a grate (so he doesn't walk in it, or play with the papers). It's ideal for a balcony.

Now that gavin is older, it doesn't get much use unless I know I will be gone longer than normal or some other similar circumstance. A side note..if I don't put it out and he can't wait he goes on my bathroom floor (where the wizdog is when I bring it out).

Cindy
 
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