Corgi Forums

SlimJ87D · **Need a lot of help house training in apartment. -** 09-19-2006, 01:15 PM

I need steps, tips and advice to technically apartmeny train my Corgi. I house trained him and he doesn't pee on tile, but carpet feels like grass to him I guess. So far we have had 5 accidents... within the last three days and I'm teaching him, I take him to it and tell him no, and then I take him out to the balcony and let him see where to go on the pads. I was thinking of fencing my kitchen and letting him stay in there with the pads until he starts using the pads.

When I leave I crate him so he wont go anywhere in the apartment, but sometimes when I let him out he'll sneak somewhere and go real quick.

Does anyone have any tips to help me?

Jespah · 09-19-2006, 01:22 PM

Hi Slim,

I live in an apartment too - though no balcony and I have two Corgwn. How old is the dog? How long have you had him?

Fluffypants · 09-19-2006, 01:22 PM

I would make sure when you are not home, you gate him into the kitchen with the pads. At least then, if he misses, it's easier to clean up! And he won't get used to using the carpet for his "area".

I know that some have had success with tethering the pup to themselves when in the house, so that he can't sneak off & go when u r not looking!

Just attach his leash to his collar, and the other end to your belt.

And take him outside (or wherever it is you want him to go) VERY frequently (once an hour if possible, every 2 hours at the longest). When he does go where u want him to - make sure you make it a BIG party. Lots of praise (and/or treats). Those are my tips, but I am sure you will get lots of great (better) information from others here.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Jespah · 09-19-2006, 01:32 PM

Here's a variation on a trick I used with my new dog. I got her at 7 months from a breeder where she had been mostly in a kennel and sometimes in a house. I wanted to make sure she knew to use the newspaper I put down for her in a designated space in my apartment - like your puppy pads. When I was at the breeders she commented on how all the dogs really liked to pee on the rocks around her garden. For an experiment, I took some home and put several on the paper and a few under a tree in our front yard. The first time I left her for any time, I came home and she had peed on the rocks on the paper.

The next time your dogs pees outside, use a poop bag and grab up some of the grass where he pees. Put it on the pee pad. Not only will he have the smell of the grass, but his own urine too. I would also as Jessica suggested, keep him in the kitchen with a pee pad when you are not home. You may have the same issue I had, which is to house train him, then teach him not to go inside. It will work, it's harder, but some of us have no choice.

Fluffypants · 09-19-2006, 02:17 PM

Great trick Deb!

I had the same problem - having to paper train first, then phase the papers out. It takes longer to train that way but, as Deb said, some of us have no choice. Just know from the start that it may be a long process, and try to remain patient. $%#@ happens!

tandemgal · 09-19-2006, 08:11 PM

Slim,

be sure and treat the area where the accidents have happen with a stain & odor remover like Nature's Miracle. it has enzymes to remove the smell so he wont think of it as his potty place.

remember he will need to go every few hours depending on age, 15/30 min after he eats/drinks, after his nap, after a fun play time, b4 bed. When you leave him for work or go out puppy should be either in a crate or gated area. This will keep accidents down.

good luck and remember he's still just a little boy with a little bladder.

SlimJ87D · 09-19-2006, 09:42 PM

Thanks you guys. I am going to buy a gate and gate him in the kitchen like you guys suggested. And hopefully he will start using the pads and then I'll move them out to the balcony again.

milles2 · 09-20-2006, 10:15 AM

Everything I read before getting my first dog (Tucker) was that because of the whole 'den animal' thing, the smaller the space the less likely they will be to soil their area. I love the crate for sleeping, car trips, etc but could not bring myself to crate Tuck during the day while I went to work. I got an X pen and gated off a small area (slightly larger than his crate). As he got older and held pee/poo longer, I expanded the space. Eventually giving him run of the dinning room (still baby gated from the rest of the house).

I've pretty much done this w/ Lulu. She started out x-penned in the middle of the dining room w/ Tuck (yes, the hoodlum is still gated in the dining room and will be for the rest of his life!). The pen got bigger as accidents disappeared. She now is sharing most of the dining room w/ Tuck. And no accidents!

The other turning point for both was catching them in the act of peeing on my rug.... both got grabbed mid-pee and ran outside saying loudly "noooooooo"! Yes, mid pee. When it happened to Tuck he actually kept peeing on me! That's my boy!

Fluffypants · 09-20-2006, 11:30 AM

Oh Susan! Another classic Tucker moment!!! You just gotta love him!

SlimJ87D · 09-29-2006, 06:40 PM

OK... I haven't had much success... he has been peeing in the apartment, I didn't get the gate, but instead I have him hang out on the balcony for awhile, a few times he has pooped but not on the mat. I put his poop on the mat and show him. But peeing is another story, he holds it in and waits to get into the apartment and pees on the carpet. I've had to punish him so many times, it's becoming very annoying.

Checkers · 09-29-2006, 07:58 PM

Do you have an area in the apartment that is not carpeted... kitchen or bathroom? If so, get an exercise pen, put him in it on one of these tiled areas. Then do NOT allow him on carpet period. If you play with him, play with him on tile only. At this point he has learned that carpet is where he wants to go... and punishing him now is going to confuse him more than teach him. Take him to the grass... some dogs just don't like potty pads. Personally, I think they can extend training because then you have to retrain the pup to go outside later. If he has to cross carpet to get somewhere you pick him up and carry him. Don't give him an opportunity to fail. This seems like a lot of work, but obviously what you have been doing isn't making sense to him so you may have to get more drastic. Most of all.. try to keep your patience... it is so easy to get frustrated, but that is a mind-set that dogs don't understand and will just confuse him more. Good luck!

-Cheryl

tandemgal · 09-30-2006, 06:50 AM

Slim,

When you go get him from the balcony put his leash on him there. carry him out your front door and at a pretty quick pace (so he cant squat) lead him down the hall, stairs, and out the door. Don't slow down till you have him where he's allowed to potty. THEN praise, praise, praise and give him a treat! Always take him outside directly from the balcony for now. This may help break his cycle of using the carpet. My girls are now 5 and 9 mts and they don't get the run of the house while I am gone either - they stay in the kitchen or on our back deck. Emma was my stubborn one!

Also I'm not sure where you live but in WV the weather is getting cooler and rainy. Be sure you have a shelter for him to be in for bad weather. and when it's really bad invest in a child safety gate and let the bathroom be his den.

Keep us posted on you progress.

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Need a lot of help house training in apartment.