I also live in an apartment style condo, and so I had to come up with a plan for Spike, especially since I live alone and work shifts. I didn't want to leave him alone in a crate for too long, either.
When I first got him I put a baby gate up in the corner of my bathroom with his kennel, blanket, food and water, and a pee pad. It was a bigger space than a typical crate, but still a small area (maybe three feet by three feet). I sprayed the pee pad with the training spray and made sure the rest of the floor was covered with his blanket that he would sleep on. He used the pee pad right away, and I would also let him out once I got home.
Once I was sure he understood the pee pad concept, I took away the baby gate so he had the run of the whole bathroom, and put down an extra pee pad. Once he got the hang of that, I let him also have the run of the bedroom and bathroom combined when I wasn't home. I put down two more pee pads in the bedroom. If he had an accident, we would move a step back until he was reliable in the smaller space again.
Now he's very reliable in the bedroom/bathroom, although he has the very occasional accident when I'm home and he has the run of the house. It's gotten much better now he's older, though, and I try to take him outside every once in a while when I am home, as well as first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
The important thing is praise, not punishment. Unless I caught him having an accident on the floor, there was nothing I could do or say. If I caught him in the act, then I immediately got his attention (called his name, clapped my hands, etc.), said "no!", and picked him up and put him on his pad or took him outside. Whenever I saw him do what he was supposed to, he got lots of praise and a treat.
Funnily enough, he also improved loads after we stayed with my sister for a week - she has two dogs who are perfectly housebroken. I think he learned how it was supposed to be done, or he wanted to be just like the big boys! |