145. MalteseXGolden Retriever prefers floor below sofa

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

"She prefers to pee on the floor below the sofa," the lady owner said. The puppy is let out of the playpen whenever she is home. The playpen is to the right of the sofa but at the corner of the living area.

After 2 months, the puppy is 70% paper-trained.

Reasons:
1. The playpen is too small as it doubles up as sleeping area or den when the owner is not at home. This is a bigger puppy.

2. The feeding area (lower left) and the newspaper toilet area (upper left) is too close to each other. So, the puppy prefers to go to the sofa area to use as toilet to keep her den clean.

3. She barks to ask for soiled papers to be changed but sometimes the owner is not at home but is aware of this behaviour.



4. The strong urine smell on the floor below the sofa needs to be neutralised with vinegar:water 1:2 or some commercial floor cleaner. Otherwise, the puppy keeps going there. Sofa probably needs to be cleaned as well.

Some puppies need more space to be successfully paper-trained. 2 months, 70% paper-trained. It is hard to do that if the sofa area attracts the puppy or the playpen is just too small as this breed requires bigger toilet area (more newspapers) .