Please Pee Here

[Guest ArtysPeople]

We're about to move to an apartment in a building with a shared yard, in a neighborhood in a city where walking won't be an option as much as we'd like. This is going to be a transition for us and our two hounds (one male, one female) who are accustomed to walkies 3-4+ times/day, 365 days/year.

 

I want to train both of the dogs to "go" in a specific corner of the yard for several reasons, including a lovely herb garden we want to be able to use, and also just out of courtesy for the other tenants. I don't want the yard to be yellow-stained, but I also don't trust any of the supplements that are supposed to prevent that.

 

No one else in the house has a dog, nor has there been one living there for a long time, so the yard is fairly virginal.

 

Eventually, I'd like to be able to let them out into the yard and know, reliably, that they will go in the designated area. To get there, I plan to take them out only on leashes at first and offer lots of treats when they go in the right area. I'd also like to give the boy a "target" of some kind.

 

So I'm looking for experienced advice. Have you done this? What do you use as a target for males? Did you use any of the pheromone/scent products available? Did any of them work?

 

Thanks!

[Trihounds]

I can't offer a whole lot of advice, but a road pylon as a 'target' for my 2 boys hasn't worked. I've seen it used in the turnout pens at the race kennels, though, along with a fake fire hydrant. I can't comment on it's success though! Good luck - I'll be watching this thread too. :-)

[TheFullHouse]

We put the orange construction cones in our yard for the boys to hike their legs on and the girls will go as close to those as possible since the boys have put their scent on it. They're not that attractive to have in the yard but they work pretty well for us. Once you get them used to going in that spot, you may be able to take the cone away.

[Guest ArtysPeople]

We put the orange construction cones in our yard for the boys to hike their legs on and the girls will go as close to those as possible since the boys have put their scent on it. They're not that attractive to have in the yard but they work pretty well for us. Once you get them used to going in that spot, you may be able to take the cone away.

 

I'm glad you spoke up -- I remembered you used the cones. Did you have any trouble getting them to use it at first? Do they still go elsewhere, or are they reliably use the cones? And where did you get them (I'm not above theft, but would like to buy one if possible )?

[TheFullHouse]

Most turn out pens have them so it was just natural for all my boys to go right to them and pee on them (that and they were a new object in the yard). They still regularly will go to the cones to pee, now poop on the other had is usually done at the same spot in the yard (unfortunately 11 dogs all have different spots). Each dog has what they have decided is their "designated" spot and will regularly use it.

 

I got my first cone at Lowes and I think it cost us $6.00, my son then found 2 so we have a total of 3 now. One at each end of the yard and one around the corner out of my line of vision in the yard but they will use all 3.

[macoduck]

Catch some of their pee and "bless" the area you want them to go at. Worth a try.

Edited August 30, 2010 by macoduck

[Guest ArtysPeople]

Most turn out pens have them so it was just natural for all my boys to go right to them and pee on them (that and they were a new object in the yard). They still regularly will go to the cones to pee, now poop on the other had is usually done at the same spot in the yard (unfortunately 11 dogs all have different spots). Each dog has what they have decided is their "designated" spot and will regularly use it.

 

I got my first cone at Lowes and I think it cost us $6.00, my son then found 2 so we have a total of 3 now. One at each end of the yard and one around the corner out of my line of vision in the yard but they will use all 3.

 

Thanks for the response!

[Guest Lgyure85]

They do make products for that. Sprays are the most common, but there is also a post you can put in the ground. I haven't used them, but I guess it can't hurt to try? I know PetSmart has a very lenient return policy, so if you buy something, just save the receipt and bring it back if it doesn't work!

[sobesmom]

I can't offer a whole lot of advice, but a road pylon as a 'target' for my 2 boys hasn't worked. I've seen it used in the turnout pens at the race kennels, though, along with a fake fire hydrant. I can't comment on it's success though! Good luck - I'll be watching this thread too. :-)

 

I tried the pylon too, because I'd read on here that they were used in the turnout pens, so I thought it might work in my fenced yard. I thought the boy fosters would "get" the association and pee on the pylon. I was wrong. I soon realized that it only works in turnouts because it's the only "thing" to pee on. Males want a "thing" to pee on. In my yard there are a LOT of "things" to pee on (trees, fenceposts, swingset legs, flowerpots, etc). The pylon has no special draw. So - skip trying that trick.

 

ETA: I posted before reading any responses, then went back and read. I guess the cone didn't work for me because I'd already had a male in the yard for a long time before I tried it, so he set it up for failure - his scent was already everywhere else. Maybe it would work if you used it the first thing in a new place. Jillysmom usually knows what she's talking about!

 

Regardless, start where you want to finish. I agree with taking dogs in a new place on lead to do their business, then that will become "the spot" - for pee at least - poop.... may be different.

Edited September 15, 2010 by sobesmom

[Guest ArtysPeople]

Follow up on this for everyone: We've been here two months+ now, and the good news is that the hounds are reliably peeing in the same area of the yard every time. The bad news is we're still taking them out on leads. We've found it's just better for us and the dogs if we all go out together with them on leads, they do their business, we pick it up immediately and then they each get some off-lead time once a day or so. They know what it means when we're going out back like this, and they do their business promptly. The girl I'm confident would continue to go where we wanted if we let her off lead; the boy I'm not so sure he wouldn't go pee on the herbs. But we love 'em, and this works for us.

[Guest cwholsin]

Your boy would probably do well off-lead also. Hermes pees in one of three places in the yard--which he always chooses to pee on. It's a small fenced yard, so he has the entire fence and a tree to choose from. Glad it's worked out for you guys!