5 Eco-Friendly Dog Training Tips for Apartment Dwellers

Are you trying to be an eco-friendly dog owner? You should take every step that you can to lower your carbon footprint.

Many people don’t think about the carbon footprint of their pets. You probably recognize that there are many things that you have to do when you are trying to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. A growing number of people are trying to install solar panels and find other ways to rely on renewable energy, which is becoming more viable. People are also adding insulation and taking other steps to make their properties more energy efficient.

However, there are some other things that you have to do if you are serious about sustainable living. One thing that you will need to do is make sure that you are taking care of your pets in the eco-friendliest way possible.

You will want to be environmentally conscious while training your dog. You may be surprised by how much you can help the planet by following the right steps when teaching them to do their business outside.

Find an Eco-Friendly Approach to Potty Train Your Pets

Owning a dog can be an incredibly exciting and joy-filled experience. However, it can come with its fair share of struggles too. One of the biggest hurdles dog owners often face is making sure that their dog is properly potty trained. In fact, it can take dogs a minute before they’re ready for you to grab their dog leash and take them outside to relieve themselves. Potty training your dog can be especially tricky if you live in an apartment, given that the space will be smaller, which means a higher likelihood of bathroom accidents on the floor or furniture.

Sadly, potty training your dog is even more difficult if you are trying to be an eco-friendly pet owner. Some of the practices might not be best for the planet. For one thing, many puppy pads are not eco-friendly. You also have to make sure that your dog leaves its waste in places where it won’t hurt the nearby vegetation.

Luckily, there are a number of things that you can do in order to make potty training your furry friend incredibly easy and eco-friendly, even when in an apartment. 

Find Eco-Friendly Puppy Pads

You will want to look at the environmental impact of different puppy pads that you will use. Some puppy pads are made with recycled ingredients and are biodegradable. Others are a lot worse for the planet.

TreeHugger shared a list of great eco-friendly puppy pads that are worth looking into. Wee-Wee Eco Dog Training Pads, Pogi’s Plant-Based Training Pads, The Green Pet Shop Bamboo Training Pads and Harmony 2.6 sq. ft. Platinum Bermuda Sod are some great puppy pads that are good for the planet. You will want to look carefully at the labels of other puppy pads before buying them to make sure they are eco-friendly.

Create a Space for Them to Play While They’re Training

It’s important to create a space for your dog to play while they’re potty training in your apartment so they’re less likely to have an accident around the house. The best way to do this is by getting a wire or mesh playpen that you can use to separate a section of the house off to keep potential accidents contained. Be sure to fill the space with comfort items like a bed or blanket for your pup to nap on, and plenty of toys to play with. Additionally, you might want to put down some potty pads in the space, so your pup will be less likely to pee directly on the floor. If you live in an apartment that primarily has carpet flooring, you’ll want to put the playpen in a space with easier to clean floors, like the kitchen, so you won’t have to worry about stains.

Avoid Vegetation and Important Bodies of Water

Puppy pads aren’t the only aspect of dog training that can be bad for the planet. The EPA warns that dog waste itself is harmful to the environment. It adds toxins to the water that can kill wildlife and it can harm many plants.

You need to carefully choose the area that is best for the planet. It is a good idea to vet the space to ensure that the dog waste won’t harm anything else.

Your patio is probably the best option, since the dog waste is unlikely to make its way into the water or harm the nearby plants. If you have a patio space, utilize it as a potty training area so your dog can get used to going outside to use the restroom. If your patio is made of cement, you could purchase a small patch of sod for your dog to go on and get familiar with peeing and pooping on grass. There are a number of companies that offer subscription services, so you can get a recurring order of the sod patches, and dispose of old ones when they get too soiled. Just be sure to have doggy bags on hand to pick up any poop on your patio, so you can dispose of it elsewhere. 

Potty Pads Are Your Best Friend

As mentioned above, potty pads are essential to have on hand when potty training your dog in an apartment. It’s a good idea to put a few potty pads down around the house to prevent unexpected accidents. It can be helpful to place a potty pad next to the door to help your dog get used to going there to alert you when it needs to go out. You can help to train your dog to use the potty pads by moving them onto a pad any time you notice them going to the bathroom elsewhere. Be sure to have treats on hand to reward your puppy when they go on the potty pads as planned.

Get Your Dog Used to Their Dog Leash

You’ll want to make sure that your dog is used to their dog leash so they’ll be comfortable with going outside and more likely to relieve themselves on a walk. Allow your dog to sniff the dog leash and get used to its scent. Then clip the dog leash to your dog’s collar or harness while indoors and let them walk around with it dragging behind them, so they can get used to the feeling of the leash. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t allow your dog to chew on the dog leash in order to reinforce that it’s not a toy. Once your dog has become used to their leash, start taking them out on walks, especially around times where they’re more likely to need to go to the bathroom, like in the morning and after meals. Create a walking schedule and stick to it, so your dog associates going for a walk with going to the bathroom. 

Find an Eco-Friendly Approach to Cleaning Up Dog Waste

There are a lot of things that you have to do when you want to be an eco-friendly pet owner. This includes making sure that you follow the most sustainable option when training your dog.

While it might seem overwhelming at first, it’s absolutely possible to potty train a dog while living in an apartment. By sectioning off a space for them to play while they potty train, utilizing patio space to get your dog used to going to the bathroom outside, having plenty of potty pads on hand for any accidents that might arise, and getting your pup comfortable with their dog leash so they’re easy to take on walks for their bathroom breaks, you can make sure that your dog is well potty trained. If you notice that your dog doesn’t respond to traditional potty training methods, it’s always best to talk to your doctor to rule out any physical or mental health conditions.’