Hi everyone,
My Yorkshire Terrier turns 14 weeks tomorrow. I’ve had her since 8 weeks old, and we’ve been using puppy pads indoors because I live in a second-floor apartment with no easy ground-level access.
Right now, she’s mostly pee-pad trained (she’ll pee on them consistently), but she tends to poop right next to them instead of on them. I work from home, so I’m able to supervise and reinforce training throughout the day.
A few key details about our situation:
– She gets fully vaccinated next week at 15 weeks
– I’m planning to start outdoor potty training at 16 weeks (once I feel more comfortable with parvo risk)
– Our apartment complex is high-traffic for dogs, and I’m not confident all dogs are vaccinated or reported
– We do have stairs directly outside our front door leading to ground level (so outdoor access is doable)
– I tried an artificial grass patch on the balcony, but she just tries to eat it instead of using it
– I started with a pee pad near the sliding glass door to the balcony, but I want to transition away from balcony use entirely
My goal is to transition her from indoor pads → outside potty at 16 weeks as smoothly as possible. I’m also considering:
– Slowly moving the pee pad toward the front door
– Eventually removing pads completely and using a consistent outdoor spot
– Possibly using bells on the door for signaling
– Getting a real grass patch for winter backup since she’s very small Yorkie
What’s the best way to make this transition without confusing her? Should I phase out pads completely or keep one “bridge” pad by the door first? And how do I handle the early outdoor training while still being cautious about disease risk in an apartment complex like this?
Any step-by-step advice or personal experiences would be really appreciated.
submitted by /u/Ornery-Basis9419
[link] [comments]