Training A Greyhound To Go To The Bathroom On Rock?

[Guest karilynn]

Let me start by saying, this is not my desired situation. I live in an apartment complex that decided to replace all the grass on the property with, wait for it, ROCK. Literally, no more grass exists on the property, unless I want to walk a few blocks down to another apartment complex property (I live in the city, it's a concrete jungle) It isn't the safest part of town and I am not comfortable with walking my greyhound down a few blocks at night to go to the bathroom on the nearest patch of grass.

 

I emailed the rental office and the reply I got was: "Your dog can go to the bathroom on the rock as long as you pick up the poo afterwards."

 

I am slightly dumbfounded here... I can't imagine a 90 pound greyhound finding it comfortable to walk/go to the bathroom on rocks, plus he likes to sniff out the perfect spot for 5 minutes before he poops, he's going to be spending 5 minutes walking on rocks to do that?

So, given that is my only option, I take him out to the rocks this morning and as you can imagine, he wanted nothing to do with stepping on them, let alone using them as his bathroom. I am beside myself, that is how upset I am. This is supposed to be a "dog friendly" building for city livin' folk. The action of replacing ALL of the grass with rock does not seem "dog friendly" whatsoever! Like, this does not work for me and my dog.

 

So what can I really do? Can I train him to go in the rock, maybe get him a pair of booties so the rooks don't hurt his feet? Or do I fight the complex about it?

[Fruitycake]

That sounds positively horrible! Some people don't think about things like this, or don't care if they do think about it. It's easier, because they don't have to pay someone to mow, but yuck. I hope it is at least pea gravel, and not large, jagged, granite chunks. I would see if you could petition the management to at least change some of it to mulch, which is much kinder to doggie feet and still very easy to pick up and to maintain (no mowing!). See if you can bring up your concerns to other dog owners, and see if they too would agree to petition for mulch.

 

I don't think that I could get Monty, our grey, to potty on rocks. Walking him on gravel is a chore! That said, you may be able to alter your own behavior and instead of pushing him to walk on painful rocks, catch what he's dropping on a large paper plate or something and throw that into a bag. I admit that suggesting this is easy for me...because I always catch Monty's because of the sometimes horrible consistency and I don't want to leave anything on the neighbor's lawns (and he won't step in snow in the winter, and I don't want that on the sidewalk!).

 

Good luck! I don't see grass in your future, but hopefully mulch may be!

[macoduck]

Perhaps you can petition management to set up a very small grassy potty zone.

[Remolacha]

Depends on what you mean by "rock" My back yard is half gravel (a little larger than "pea") and half grass/dirt, and the dogs prefer to go on the gravel. However, if you are talking about big, uneven, pointy rocks, yuck, no, I don't think he would ever get used to that!

[Gryffenne]

Perhaps you can petition management to set up a very small grassy potty zone.

They probably do not want to mow or take care of anything. Maybe asking for that bark mulch stuff? My first thought was sand, but I can easily see some parent thinking it is their child's snadbox and flipping out because a dog poops in "their" sandbox.

[Guest kahjul]

The sand probably would be a huge kitty box in no time. I have 3/4 rock about 2' from my fence all the way around my yard (to keep them from the fence in case they dig) and 1 of mine poops on it all the time! I just don't get it-silly girl. Maybe (this might sound gross, but it could work) get a 6 x 6 piece of artificial turf or outdoor carpet-something lightweight-you can roll up and carry. Take it out with you, roll it out, pick up the poop and roll it back up?? I also think the pea gravel is a great idea if you can talk them into it. No maintenance for them, but much more dog friendly.

[EllenEveBaz]

Maybe try to band together with other residents who have dogs and ask as a group?

 

I'd also be concerned about the fact that management may allow who knows what chemicals to be used for weed control.

[OwnedBySummer]

Maybe a hidden area with straw? Perhaps if a bunch of you band together and take care of it?

[Guest Houston1219]

We live in a condo and have since the day we adopted Houston. Or back yard has no grass. There is a section of lava rock that Huston has claimed as his potty spot since day one. The rocks don't seem to bother him at all. We are replacing the lava rocks with pea gravel next week when we rip out the deck and lay bricks in it's place. We bought the bricks, then it rained for a week. Huston was not happy that dad put the pallet of bricks covering half of his rock potty patch. He gave dad the stink eye and proceeded to poop right in the middle of the walkway! That was the closest to flipping the bird that any greyhound has achieved if you ask me ROTFL

[ShebasMom]

My yard is all smooth river rock and walkway-placed patio stones. Sheba has no problem pooping and peeing on the rocks. I pick it up (also sometimes get some rock in the bag, too) and hose it in or dump water on the spot if sloppy.

[gracegirl]

My parents' yard is half grass, half rock. I trained Fenway and Grace to use the half that is rock as their bathroom. They have no issue with this at all. The rocks are slightly larger than pea gravel, but smooth.

 

I simply kept them leashed and kept walking to the back half of the yard, telling them to "hurry up" (that's their bathroom command). As soon as they went, they got to be off leash.

 

Shortly after, I decided to install pea gravel in the mud pit that was our tiny yard. It was maybe 25 ft x 20 ft and with the exception of the 5x5 vegetable garden (aka the digging pit) the rest of the yard was pea gravel. Never had an issue.

 

Good luck! He's probably feeling your stress as well. It shouldn't be a problem, just take him out frequently until he goes.

[Guest jbbuzby]

While it's not ideal, mine have learned to go on rocks, about palm-sized and smaller, as well as gravel. This is mostly because there is a large rock area just outside the entrance, with grass being a few minutes of a walk away. There have been enough times when it's snowed or been pouring rain that my two understand the faster they go, the faster we go inside to get away from it, so they now will go when I ask them to (one much better than the other, but she's a bit more of a princess).

 

I can't wait to move into a house with a small yard, but in the meantime, I can tell you rock pottying can be done.

[Guest Lillypad]

While it's not ideal, mine have learned to go on rocks, about palm-sized and smaller, as well as gravel. This is mostly because there is a large rock area just outside the entrance, with grass being a few minutes of a walk away. There have been enough times when it's snowed or been pouring rain that my two understand the faster they go, the faster we go inside to get away from it, so they now will go when I ask them to (one much better than the other, but she's a bit more of a princess).

 

I can't wait to move into a house with a small yard, but in the meantime, I can tell you rock pottying can be done.

 

Well we have a small yard and an area near the shed that is small marble sized river rock. Once you are fortunate to have a yard, you will be saddened to see how quickly urine can ruin your grass. So..... as it stands now I am trying to train her to go in the area near the shed with the rock. Wish us luck.

[Acadianarose]

We have a large rock garden around our swimming pool, and the dogs prefer to use the bathroom in the rocks.

[sobesmom]

It might seem weird, at take a while to get used to - but I'll bet it will work out. Some people use gravel for their turn-outs, and I've had dogs do their business when we were on trips walking on rocky places.

[Jackandgrey]

My backyard is all river rock. Mine run over that and pee and poop on it with abandon. I would prefer grass but after resodding twice I gave up.

[winnie]

Dogs in NYC don't have grass to potty on - unless their owners take them to Central Park. They learn to adapt.

[FiveRoooooers]

Can you go to Home Depot or Lowe's or something and pick up two or three rolls of sod ($5.88 each) and lay them down at the end of the walkway or in a remote but safe corner of the parking lot? Maybe put them behind or near a dumpster for easy clean-up throwaway after?

Edited May 29, 2014 by FiveRoooooers