6 tips To Prepare Your Puppy For Apartment Life

Getting a new puppy is an exciting time. Welcoming your new furry best friend into your life is a lot of fun. Of course, there are many challenges you will face in preparing your pup to integrate into your home. Challenges like training, puppy-proofing, and ensuring they get a lot of exercise.

For those of us who live in apartments, some of these challenges can be accentuated, especially potty training and desensitisation. While it may be slightly more difficult it is not impossible to raise a healthy, happy, obedient puppy in an apartment. Here are 6 tips on how you can make it happen.

Get a lot of exercise

Puppies need a lot of exercise. You should take them for walks at least twice a day. Otherwise, they will have a lot of excess energy that they will take out on your furniture and belongings. A tired dog is a happy dog. If you can, take your puppy for a jog or a run around the dog park. Dogs need at least two high-intensity exercise sessions a week. You should also keep them mentally stimulated too. Teach them some new tricks every now and then, this will create a strong bond between you as they learn.

Get the right breed

A key factor in finding the perfect dog for apartment living is the breed. Some dogs are better suited to living in apartments than others. But it isn’t the size that determines this. It is their capacity to chew and need to run around that you will need to focus on. Each dog breed has different needs, and some will be quite content to lounge around all day.

Some dog breeds that are great for apartments include:

  • Corgis
  • Greyhounds
  • Bichon Frise
  • English Bulldog
  • Yorkshire Terrier
  • Pug
  • Chihuahua
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Dachshund
  • Boston Terrier
  • Conton de Tulear
  • Maltese
  • Poodle
  • Shih Tzu
  • Toy Fox Terrier
  • Basenji

Desensitise

One key problem dog owners face with dogs in apartments is their desire to bark at every noise that startles them. Whether this is a siren they hear, a vacuum cleaner, or even a baby crying. Fortunately, there is a way to stop this. Playing a desensitisation track like this one on YouTube can help them get used to these noises. Start the track off quietly and slowly increase the volume as they get used to the sound. This should reduce their propensity to bark at these noises whenever they hear them.

Add a balcony potty

Say you live on the 12th floor of a large apartment building. Taking your puppy up and down the lift every hour while they are desperate to relive themselves is going to get exhausting. Puppies haven’t yet developed the ability to hold on for a few hours like their adult counterparts, so you will need a new solution. This is where balcony potties come in.

Balcony potties tend to be a small pad of fake grass with drainage. It works in a similar way to a cat litter box (yes you will need to pick up after your dog). These provide a comfortable spot for your dog to do their business without you having to run them down the lift or stairs every day.

When potty training your puppy you should also get them into a bathroom routine so you can be ready to let them out when they need to go.

Puppy proof everything

Puppies will eat anything. They will also get into anything they can stick their noses into. To stop them from eating anything you don’t want them too you will need to latch doors with food or other toxic materials, cover your trash, and form a blockade around hiding spaces you don’t want them to get into.

You should get down onto their level before you pick them up to see if you can find any areas you may have missed that they can get into. Eventually, when they get larger and more obedient you will be able to relax a little, but for the time being it is better to be safe than sorry.

Conclusion

It is extremely common for apartment owners to want to have a puppy. Fortunately, it is more accessible than ever, with great breeds suited to apartment life and some cool gadgets to help. Make getting your new puppy an easy experience by following these 6 tips. If you need further help acclimating your new puppy to apartment life contact Link Living today.

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