sarabz Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Hi all! We are moving to a house with a yard in a few weeks. A big change for Miss Bella who is used to walks. We'll still take her on walks to give her more exercise and stimulation, but I'd love to train her to do her business in one area so that I can walk around barefoot and not have to worry about stepping in poo. Or have brown spots on the grass. Has anyone sucessfully done this? Note that we do not have a very large yard and there's not really a good option, at least at the moment, to put a specific new surface anywhere just for her. Thanks for any and all suggestions! Sara Quote Dave (GLS DeviousDavid) - 6/27/18 Gracie (AMF Saying Grace) - 10/21/12 Bella (KT Britta) - 4/29/05 to 2/13/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I've done it with my previous dogs but I'm too old and lazy to do it with Summer, LOL. She only poops in a few spots in the back yard and I'm always right there to pick it up, since I never let my dogs go outside alone. I did it by leashing them and taking them to the designated area. Results equaled a party! At the same time, I was teaching elimination commands -- "go pee" or "go poo", whichever I figured they were going to do. With my young dog, it only took a few months. Ultimately, she would run from the back of the property to the elimination spot, pee and then run back -- it was very cute to watch. And having her pee and/or poop on command was wonderful! My old boy, whom I adopted at the age of 10, took longer. He wasn't as smart, either. I leashed him to the potty area for about a year -- every.single.time. He did learn and he also learned not to pee on shrubs in the yard, just the designated one. He couldn't resist peeing on stuff when he was walked, though. Neither dog would ever poop on a walk as I included teaching them not to so I never had to buy poop bags until Summer. Being that I travel with her, unlike the previous dogs, I NEED her to be willing to poop when leashed. Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scarter55 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 A puppy training book I read once said that you should give them treats when they potty as a way to help housebreak them. In this process, you give them more treats the closer they are to the spot, ideally they end up figuring out that it is a good thing to go in that specific area. Not sure how well that would work with an older dog though. There are also these stakes that you can stick in the ground that are supposed to encourage the dog to do their business there, you could try that. I'd also figure out what Bella's favorite type of surface to go on is and make sure that is available to her. I wish I could take credit for this, but Lady has decided that the compost pile is her favorite place to potty. Very convienent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HHHounds Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 We have always done this with our hounds and it works well. Our hounds are trained to use the pinestraw in a natural area of the yard. Start taking her out with a leash. Run her to the area that you want her to use. Use a phrase, like "Pinestraw" Praise her for going there. If she starts to go in another area, don't scold, just run her to the correct area and praise her when she goes. We still supervise after training to remind them where to go. Our grass is lovely and it has been a good thing for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarabz Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 A puppy training book I read once said that you should give them treats when they potty as a way to help housebreak them. In this process, you give them more treats the closer they are to the spot, ideally they end up figuring out that it is a good thing to go in that specific area. Not sure how well that would work with an older dog though. There are also these stakes that you can stick in the ground that are supposed to encourage the dog to do their business there, you could try that. I'd also figure out what Bella's favorite type of surface to go on is and make sure that is available to her. I wish I could take credit for this, but Lady has decided that the compost pile is her favorite place to potty. Very convienent. If we started treating Bella after every potty, she'd be asking to go out and would squeeze something out every 2 minutes Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far! Quote Dave (GLS DeviousDavid) - 6/27/18 Gracie (AMF Saying Grace) - 10/21/12 Bella (KT Britta) - 4/29/05 to 2/13/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AngelPup Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 We did this with Brady, but it only worked for poop which is what we cared most about anyway. When we first got him, we would just constantly take him out on leash to an area we wanted him to go on (mulched area near our shed). He went pretty consistently in the same area, but then started pooping on the mulch in the other corner of the yard (perfectly fine with us). We now have a fenced in yard, so he has free reign. While he pees pretty much anywhere (mostly on the parameters of the yard), he still consistently poops on the mulch in a few preferred areas on the side of the back yard. We clean it up at least once a day so he won't be as likely to step in it (plus he's being treated for hookworms and we don't want those suckers sticking around). Once or twice I didn't get to pick his poop up in time, and he pooped again RIGHT ON TOP of the last one. So he REALLY takes going in the same spot to a higher level. I think he associates mulch with his potty area, since he sometimes goes on the mulch near our deck. We don't have a big yard either. I would just pick a spot and take Bella by lead out there at her usual potty times. You can say, "Go Potty" (or something similar) when she's in the area you want her to go, but then don't pay any attention to her until she goes and then give praise and a treat if you want. Once she goes, you can let her off lead so she can run a round a bit. Just be consistent over the course of a few days to a week and she should get the idea. Good luck and best wishes for your new home!! If we started treating Bella after every potty, she'd be asking to go out and would squeeze something out every 2 minutes Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far! LOL! Yeah, Brady did this with my husband and daughter because they gave treats every time he went. I just praise heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoundHeavenAZ Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Mine seem to have chosen their favorite dumping grounds and stick to them. When we have visiting hounds though, they are the ones I have to tread carefully behind! They don't seem to respect the existing areas. Maybe you could place a "deposit" in an area that you want her to use to lure her there? imagining how tired she would get.... If we started treating Bella after every potty, she'd be asking to go out and would squeeze something out every 2 minutes Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far! Quote Jody, Leah & JimmieYou left us much, much too soon Lima & Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Will you have a dog door? If not, it's easiest just to pick up as they deposit. Mine have all tended to go in the same general area but there's always the odd time when that spot seems inappropriate . Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShanYu Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Nike has an area he is "supposed" to use. What usually happens is he pretends to go there, waits for the sound of the closing door and runs to the other side of the house where he prefers to go. Now wise to his tricks, I close the door but wait on the outside of it to catch him then point to remind him where he should be going. Slowly he wanders back there looking sheepish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Picking up isn't the problem, it's the pee in the back yard that was once a nice uniform colour green lawn. I have tried to make Peggy go in a different place without lasting success. So every few weeks I buy a bag of No3 Potting Compost (the one with earth and sand in it), dig out the dead spots and toss away the dead earth and refill about 3" deep and put grass seeds on top. Grass grows when its above 50F and in the winter it's not an issue as its wet enough or fozen etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarabz Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 Picking up isn't the problem, it's the pee in the back yard that was once a nice uniform colour green lawn. I have tried to make Peggy go in a different place without lasting success. So every few weeks I buy a bag of No3 Potting Compost (the one with earth and sand in it), dig out the dead spots and toss away the dead earth and refill about 3" deep and put grass seeds on top. Grass grows when its above 50F and in the winter it's not an issue as its wet enough or fozen etc. Yes- this is what I'm trying to avoid and DH doesn't seem to care about. Bella loves to mark so I'm hoping that by taking her for walks, that will help satisfy her urge to mark but also help us with training in "her" yard Quote Dave (GLS DeviousDavid) - 6/27/18 Gracie (AMF Saying Grace) - 10/21/12 Bella (KT Britta) - 4/29/05 to 2/13/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shanesmom Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I don't have a fenced yard but use my mother's who lives down the street. Half the yard is grass and pretty plants border that and half is woods with little gravel paths for the dogs. All of my greyhounds learned quickly that they have to potty in the woods only. All three have been males as have my mom's 2 Shepherds and they don't even lift their legs to pee on the plants. We just stay with them in the beginning and give them a firm no command if they try to potty in the grass or on plants and send them in the woods and if they potty in the woods they get their favorite treat a dehydrated chicken foot. Now when I go there Ace runs for the woods and does his business and runs back to me for his treat. Even he learned pretty fast. I'm sure he can smell that my mom's dog goes there too. He does fake it sometimes when he doesn't have to potty just to get his treat but I let him get away with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wasserbuffel Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I just fenced off a small area. Initially I used some cheap snow fencing, but then switched to a more permanent decorative fence. I would just turn her out into that area and gate her in until she was done. If she squatted in the main yard I would lead her to her area. After a few months she didn't need to be gated in. She'll occasionally pee elsewhere, but I don't mind that at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Waterdog66 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 We have Audrey trained not only to go in one area on our walks but to do her business at the beginning of the walk. When we first brought her home I would just wander over to that spot and basically wait her out. We now have a fairly strong association with the word "Potty" and that seems to help also. We go to that spot and I ask "Go Potty?". After some sniffing and circling she will usually decide its time to go. There have also been times when we are walking into the house and she will stop at the front stoop and turn around and head to that spot. (She realized as she was heading into the house that she had to go) Nothing is perfect of course and she does occasionally go somewhere else. The advantage of our spot is that it is on the front corner of our property and it makes cleanup easy. (And the neighbors don't get grumpy about her going potty on their lawns) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarabz Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 So, happy outcome several months later - http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/307551-proud-of-bella/ Quote Dave (GLS DeviousDavid) - 6/27/18 Gracie (AMF Saying Grace) - 10/21/12 Bella (KT Britta) - 4/29/05 to 2/13/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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