and this little puppy went 'wee wee wee' all over the home

For me, bathroom humor was halarious all through elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and for much of adult life. Heck, in college my music friends and I went into the studio specifically to record a buddy of mine who could burp for like a minute straight. Potty humor started to lose its luster after the third diaper I had to change for my first child. Fast forward past another child and now a dog and I'm reaching the end of my urinal cake.

Yes, I've watched the training videos, purchased wee pads in bulk (surprisingly not from Costco), and wasted a million brain cells trying to figure a schedule and maintain it. Let me bottom line it for you - I'm still stepping in pee spots in many places.

Our little Callie has the unfortunate luck of being an apartment dog. This means there's no quick doggie door for her to bust through when nature calls.

So what's a city dog to do? In the apartment, she does like some privacy when it's time to do business. She'll often seek a place where we aren't (under the dining table, the room where we aren't all in, etc.). We actually found that putting a wee pad in the bathroom is helpful. But that conflicts with the training plan that we prefer, which is for her to signal "I gotta go" by hanging out at our apartment entry door.

Schedules help a lot. As a puppy, bladders and bowels are still growing, so it's challenging to get the timing consistent. We've stuck with variables we can control, like feeding times, feeding amounts, and water amounts. A quick walk first thing helps, provided the human can dress quickly at 6am.

Longer walks during the late morning or after lunch are often successful too. A quick pit stop or two after dinner have been hit & miss, depending on how playful or excited she gets. All that to say, it's important to keep an eye on some signals. Sniffing, sniffing in circles, sniffing in quiet areas of your apartment are a solid Yellow Card...time to suit up and take her out.

What if I'm too late? Yeah, accidents are part of the puppy experience. I suggest investing in the gallon size enzymatic spray treatments like Nature's Miracle Dog Urine Remover. We've also used Defunkify, a special enzymatic laundry detergent for any clothes or fabrics that become the unfortunate victim of a #1 attack.

What else is needed? Look for the 5lb bags of patience and empathy. Fortunately those are free, but they do have an emotional toll. Especially after you've stepped into random pee #45 at 3am when you're walking to...you guessed it...the bathroom.