# Another bunch of Apartment Potty Training questions...



## lisaj1354 (Dec 8, 2007)

As I've told you all, I'm moving into my new apartment so that I can get a puppy.

Obsessive planner that I am, I've been reading about litter box and potty training until I'm dreaming about it, but I'm still confused.

My new kitchen is L-shaped, with one opening near the front door (the small part of the L) and the longer part goes into the dining room.

I plan on keeping the puppy in the small part of the L, boxed in by baby gates.

so here are my questions:

1. I am not sure if I need to buy both a big wire crate and a plastic travel crate. Can I just buy the travel crate and use the babygates to create a sort of expen?

2. If this is ok, then would I have the travel crate and the litter box set up in a way that the puppy can't get out of the travel crate unless he steps into the litter box? And also have the water and food bowls on the other side of the travel crate.

I ask this because I've read and been told that there are a number of ways to do this - one is usung the back of a wire crate and putting a litter box in there and his/her bedding and food/water bowls in the front...another is to keep the litter box about a foot or 2 away from the bedding/crate area

3. The above situation is great for during the day, as I work from home and pretty much set up in the LR (where the puppy can see me) to do my work.

But at night, what do I do? Do I bring the whole setup into my bedroom or bathroom or do I just put the puppy in the travel crate and keep it near my bed and just hopefully wake up if he/she whines loud enough and has to pee?

And during the day, can I expand the puppy area to encompass the entire kitchen (long and narrow) or do I keep the puppy area as small as possible?

I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I so want this to be as great as possible for my new, as yet unborn and unamed puppy as possible.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I did a medium wire crate with a bed in front and the liter box in back, for my bedroom. They never used the liter box, because I would wake up and take them outside. In your case, the pup would use it when he/she had to go and would learn that was his place.

During the day, I set up an x-pen in my family room. I took the door off a travel crate and put a bed in there. I also put toys, food and water in the pen. I put the liter box on the other side opposite the bed. Because this was such a large area, I also put newspaper under the entire x-pen. Most pups are trained to paper. Each day I would make the paper less and less, until there was just the liter box left with newspaper in it. My guys go outside now, but this was nice to have when their bladders were small.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

lfung5 said:


> I did a medium wire crate with a bed in front and the liter box in back, for my bedroom. They never used the liter box, because I would wake up and take them outside. In your case, the pup would use it when he/she had to go and would learn that was his place.
> 
> During the day, I set up an x-pen in my family room. I took the door off a travel crate and put a bed in there. I also put toys, food and water in the pen. I put the liter box on the other side opposite the bed. Because this was such a large area, I also put newspaper under the entire x-pen. Most pups are trained to paper. *Each day I would make the paper less and less, until there was just the liter box left with newspaper in it.* My guys go outside now, but this was nice to have when their bladders were small.


We did the same thing and it worked great. The litter box is great if I'm stuck some where or the weather is bad.
He will wait until he really has to go for the litter box. (but will go outside when we go for walks)


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Just becareful in the kitchen if you have a chewer... my friend's jack russell puppy ate thru a cupboard in 6 hours 

Amanda


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I would just take the crate to your room at night, you might want to set up an extra litterbox in the bathroom or something if your kitchen isn't very close? Or, if the kitchen is nearby, just take the puppy to the litterbox there.

I'd keep the area smaller while training and then the more reliable the puppy gets, the more 'free roam' area he/she will have. That generally works the best.

I will warn you though, a Havanase may not like to 'see' you in another room and will whine to come to where you are! lol, atleast mine sure would.

I don't know about placing the litterbox? I didnt' use a crate, but kept the pad in the xpen and it was a few ft. away from her bed, she'd just walk over to it.

Kara


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Funny that Amanda mentioned the chewing, because I was just going to say that if you use a travel crate, most of them are hard plastic and he/she will probably gnaw on it if it is in there with him/her while you are working.

As to your question, I'd take the crate to my room at night for the puppy.


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## HayCarambaMama (Dec 8, 2007)

Bonnie started to chew on her crate. I leave it open in her ex pen area during the day. I sprayed a little bitter apple on the favorite chew areas and she's left them alone now and chews on her toys.


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## Atomickittyn (Aug 25, 2007)

How in the world did you get your dogs to litter box train? No matter what we did, Yoyo just did not like the litter box at all! We took him to the litter box at regular short intervals to catch him when his bladder was full, but he would just sit there or try and climb out, then go and pee on the carpet. Or we would sit in the bathroom with the litter box, fully prepared to put him in the litter box when he squatted to pee but we would end up sitting there for 1/2 hour sometimes. If we left the litter box out, he would actually try to eat the pellets (we used Purina second nature litter which is basically recycled paper). We also bought a pee-smelling spray to try and attract him.

But nope, nothing worked. <sigh> What did you do? Now he's trained to go outside but the litter box would be great when we go out and have to leave him at home for longer periods.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

If Yoyo likes the feel of carpet to pee, you can try putting a pee pad inside the litter box and see if he goes there. Once he is used to peeing on the pad in the litter box, you can start adding the litter and finally remove the pee pad. That might work. Is there some reason you don't want to use a pad instead of the litter box?


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## Atomickittyn (Aug 25, 2007)

Lina said:


> If Yoyo likes the feel of carpet to pee, you can try putting a pee pad inside the litter box and see if he goes there. Once he is used to peeing on the pad in the litter box, you can start adding the litter and finally remove the pee pad. That might work. Is there some reason you don't want to use a pad instead of the litter box?


We have already attempted to put the pee pad inside the litter box but the litter distracts him altogether, he lifts up the pee pad and tries to eat the litter.

We just thought that having a litter box would be cleaner since there would be no chance of him peeing off the edge of the pad (which he had a tendency to do).


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Lisa, first of all we went to home depot/lowes and bought a cheap piece of linolium. Placed it on the floor in the kitchen, set up the xpen with one side hooked to either side of the open crate. The pup then could come & go out of the crate to sleep, water & food was outside with a few toys. For Logan, I bought a litter box, but at first just lined it with newspapers, and thens slowly moved to peepee pads. Now mind you, they did not always make it to the box, but at least when he went it was on the linolium, easily cleaned up. My guys NEVER went in their crates with this set up. I have a pen with a door, which is really nice so I could just open the door when I was in the room & the pup could come & go, visit with me, investigate the kitchen and then go into crate to sleep if he wanted. It worked well for us. All this time we still were training home to go outside, but as a small puppy that worked for us (with all three actuallY) Now the girls slept in the kitchen and their crates as babies, but was very sad for me, so when Logan came, we brought him up with us. First three nights he slept in bed with us, never woke up for potty!! Then put him in a tiny crate, next to me and slowly moved him farther & farther away, till he was next to his sisters crates at night. 
Sorry to babble -but remember you need to do what works for you , and you may find that you adjust things as you go.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Atomickittyn said:


> We have already attempted to put the pee pad inside the litter box but the litter distracts him altogether, he lifts up the pee pad and tries to eat the litter.
> 
> We just thought that having a litter box would be cleaner since there would be no chance of him peeing off the edge of the pad (which he had a tendency to do).


I meant put the pee pad in there with no litter in it whatsoever so he will get used to just going inside of the the box. Praise him lots when he goes in there. Then once he is going in it, add a little bit of litter with the pad still in it. Then take the pad out once he doesn't mind the litter. It will take time, but it can happen.

I can understand the peeing off the pad thing! They can be taught not to do it but it's a pain. Kubrick started to think about three weeks ago that having two legs on the pad and two legs off is enough, LOL. He has gotten much better at it now that I treat him for having all four legs on the pad when he pees. He hasn't peed off the pad in at least a week now, so hopefully we've nipped this one on the butt. I have started weaning him off the treats by treating sometimes and praising sometimes, so hopefully soon I can stop the treats altogether.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2007)

Doesn't anyone use newspape anymore??? Sophie and Gabriel did really well on newspaper...I had several layers down in their pen and they would always go on the end that was fartest away from their bed and food. As thy got older I started to reduce the area, and they still went on the paper. 

I thought about the pee pads, but can't that get expensive?


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Diane, I don't use newspaper because it always leaks through for me. The pee pads are very absorbent and work well. I only use one a day or so usually so it's not too bad for me. I buy the 200 pack from Petedge and pay $55 so it's more expensive than newspaper but it saves me from a mess and it doesn't seem like a ridiculous amount to spend to me.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2007)

Lina...I can see that most people are on the same page as you...I'm glad I'm past that stage and am trying hard to ward off MHS #3!


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