Training A Grey To Potty On Lead

[winnie]

We've now had our foster Fay (Santa Fe Oops) for a week. She absolutely loves to go on walks with our other grey girls. But... she doesn't seem to understand that walks are for going potty. Thankfully, we have a fenced yard she can use. We were told that she was always turned out in the yard in her previous home. While we can require that Fay's new home have a fenced yard, but that will limit the homes she can go to since lots of folks in this area live in apartments/condos/townhouses. Any suggestions on training a grey to go potty on lead? Or, is it a hopeless cause considering that she is now 10 y/o.

 

Thanks!

[2greytgreys]

My first grey had been in a home before and was used to going potty in a yard. I live in a townhome with no yard so he had to learn to potty on a lead. I realized quickly that being on a 6' lead wasn't going to work as he kept trying to get farther away from me to potty.

 

I bought a 15' lead which worked perfectly. He was able to get far enough away to potty and over about a three week period I kept bringing him closer until he was going potty on the normal 6' lead.

 

Is it possible for you to walk her separately and on a longer lead to see if she'll potty? Hopefully you can help her learn to potty on lead so that her options for adoption aren't limited to only those who have a yard. Good luck.

[RobinM]

How long have you had her? It takes some dogs longer than others to "get it" but just keep doing what you are doing and she will get it. You are walking her with your girls, correct? She will start to do it after seeing them do it.

Throw a small party, bring a small treat for her so she sees it's a good thing to pee/poop on a rope!!!

[cleptogrey]

walk her in a small area and use the term"go potty" or "get busy" or what ever works for you. just walk her back and forth in that specific area. that is where she needs to be taken as soon as she is out. eventually she will potty there and treat her w/ a high quality reward and a verbal good dog/girl. if you always take her to the same spot and wait it out, repeating the same pace back and forth she will learn that's her potty. many dogs will crank it out just for the treat when the key phrase is used.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Walk her in your yard, she will quickly learn to potty on lead.

[winnie]

We've had her for a week now. Fay is a very sweet girl - this is her only "flaw" that we're trying to work through.

 

We've walked her with our girls (who all have pottied in front of her on lead).

We've walked her by herself.

We've walked her in our backyard.

 

Still no potty until she is off-lead in the yard. We'll try the extra long lead next and see if that helps.

 

Keep the ideas coming!

[EllenEveBaz]

I went through this ordeal with Romie a few months ago when we moved, and the fence took longer than planned to put up. The only thing that worked with him was walking him by himself at one of his regular potty times, and walking and walking and walking and walking. Finally, out of sheer physical necessity -- pee or poop. Pee was easier, especially when we took him to a public place where he wanted to mark where other dogs had peed. Pooping was an ordeal. What finally created the breakthrough was going to a public walk, yet a "secluded," private area. What a celebration when he finally pooped!

 

Good luck with Fay. You'll be doing her a wonderful service if you can train her to go on lead.

[Guest bbquer]

Our first greyhound was modest and would only potty on his leash if we turned our backs. It didn't him take too many walks for him to change.

 

Good luck!

[Fruitycake]

Monty was like this for weeks. I have to agree with the person who said walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk.... We also had to turn to the side and send out seriously strong "we are not there" vibes at him while standing as far from him as possible and *not move*. At first there was no speaking, no moving, no shifting the leash, nothing to remind him we were there. We only had a 6' lead, so if you can get a longer lead (or link two together) to get more distance, I'd say go for it.

 

He also would poop on bushes. I think because he viewed peeing as less embarrassing than pooping so he'd start with a leg up and then the wrong waste material would come out. [And try not laughing or even making any movements of humor when your dog does that.]