Housebreaking a Puppy with an Apartment Balcony Litter Box

Housebreaking your new puppy to use a litter box on your apartment balcony requires time, patience and consistent efforts. Remain upbeat and loving, offering lots of positive reinforcement at appropriate times and forgoing punishment and scoldings. All puppies have accidents, and they don't learn from them if you punish them; they only become afraid of you. Puppies learn from repetition, rewards and your displays of obvious pleasure after correct behavior.

  1. The Urge to Go

    • Establish a regular feeding schedule for your puppy so she has to go at about the same times every day. Your ability to predict when she needs to go makes housebreaking much easier. Watch for circling, sniffing at the ground, scratching at the door to your balcony, persistent whining or yelping and other signs she has to relieve herself. You'll quickly get to know your puppy's particular ways of telling you it's time to get to the litter box. Before you and your puppy begin communicating in such ways, take her out to the litter box once every hour and right after meals, naps, playtime and time in her crate.

    Offering Direction

    • The first order of business is to teach your puppy that she is expected to go to the bathroom in the litter box on your apartment balcony. Lead her -- preferably on a leash at the beginning -- directly there when it's time to go. Place her into the litter box. If she gets out, gently pick her up and put her back in. Continue doing so until she relieves herself or you're satisfied she doesn't have to go. Whenever you catch her starting to go to the bathroom elsewhere, clap your hands and tell her "no" firmly, but not angrily. Immediately take her to the litter box on your balcony. Remember, don't yell at or punish her, as it won't do anything to help the process.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • Positive reinforcement is key to training your puppy to do anything, including housebreaking her to use the litter box on your apartment balcony. You must offer it immediately after she does what you want her to do, so bring a treat out onto the balcony with you. When your puppy goes in the right place, offer her the treat without hesitation, along with lots of praise and physical affection. If you wait until you get back inside, your puppy won't associate the reward with urinating or defecating in the litter box.

    Making Progress

    • As your puppy grows and she better communicates her need to go to the bathroom and you get a better sense of her elimination schedule, reduce the frequency with which you take her to the litter box. Expect accidents along the way. It's helpful if you catch your puppy mid-accident and offer a gentle correction, allowing her to finish in the appropriate place. Offer positive reinforcement when she does, rather than punishing for the initial misstep. As your puppy becomes more reliably housebroken, start skipping a treat here and there, gradually reducing how often you offer them; however, don't stop giving them entirely until your puppy is completely housebroken, and keep the praise and petting coming. If your puppy doesn't seem to make progress or continues having difficulty controlling her bladder or bowel movements, consult your vet.