Puppy housebreaking retraining? Questions

Can a puppy be trained to use, e.g., the balcony, and later retrained to use the yard?

My yard is two flights up from my bedroom. Eventually the dog will use the yard, but early on (don't know for how long) 1-2 flights of stairs will be too much for her.. I was wondering whether I could get her accustomed early on to using a little balcony with a doggy door close to m bedroom, or perhaps even my walk-in shower, and eventually retrain her to go to the yard.

Any advice?

Hi Louis and welcome to Breedia.

My now six-month-old puppy is still using puppy pads. She will pee in her crate at night if she needs to and somehow knows that I cannot get up when she eeps [she has a puppy pee pad in it] but she will not poo in her crate which means that sometime during the night she will wake me with a different and more urgent eep to let her out so she can run through the bungalow to the puppy pads in the salon to perform.

But she will not "go" outside even though now it is not so hot she is happy to be outside on a tether for most of the morning and then later in the afternoon. She comes in and pees on a puppy pee pad and then goes out again.

True I do not have stairs to worry about but I have physical reasons why I cannot keep taking her outside until she "goes" - which is why I am happy for her to be outside by herself on her tether and I have no objection to puppy pee pads.

My thoughts are that she will decide that outside is the "go" place when she is ready but I do not intend to push it with her.

I think a lot depends on your puppy and your reaction to her pee'ing on either the balcony or in your shower room. Two flights of stairs are a lot for a puppy that wants to pee and/or poo NOW.

Just as I am sure that my puppy will - eventually - learn that outside is the place to "go", I am sure that your puppy will also do so. But a lot depends on the breed, the size of the puppy, and how compliant or obstinate they are.

My puppy is just plain obstinate!

Good advice, Azz, and great articles. Thank you!

Thank you Malka. It's comforting to know that other people are solving similar problems!

Is your balcony puppy proof ? As puppies can get through the tiniest gap, if so then the balcony can be used for emergency (overnight) personally I would keep taking pup outside to yard every 2-3 hours plus when pup wakes up & after the pup as eaten

You are right, I need to ensure the puppy can't get hurt. I will construct an enclosure to ensure the puppy can't get out of her designated bathroom area.

Thanks for the advice!