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Original poster

Why can’t dogs be trained not to stop and shit in the middle of the pavement?

60 replies

hibiscuslightening · 07/04/2026 17:00

If they can be housetrained then presumably they are able to hold onto their poo? So why do they seem to always stop dead in the middle of the pavement and do it there?

Can they not be trained / encouraged to go in a quiet place (ideally the owners own garden) before going right through the middle of a busy pavement outside the supermarket?

OP posts:
Happyreddormouse · 07/04/2026 17:12

Why can't humans allow their dogs to leave their poops at home?

It's not rocket science.🙄

DreamingOfGeneHunt · 07/04/2026 17:10

Mine does. She won't go if anyone she doesn't know is around.

WaltzingWaters · 07/04/2026 17:08

Mine only goes in grass

User8457363 · 07/04/2026 17:06

It's the owners that have to be trained

Dunnocantthinkofone · 07/04/2026 17:06

They can. Guide dogs for example are generally trained to only use their own gardens. For obvious reasons

Problem is, most people want the end result but aren’t prepared to be inconvenienced during the training process

Livelovelaughfuckoff · 07/04/2026 17:06

They can. Mine only poops at home or when off lead in a field (preferably long grass so he can't be watched). He would have to be absolutely desperate to poop on a pathway. My parents have no lawn just a fully paved garden and he won't pee or poo out there at all.

HushTheNoise · 07/04/2026 17:05

They can. Guide dogs. Police dogs. It's the owners that are the problem.

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 07/04/2026 17:04

My dog is trained not to do it indoor and does generally prefer to do it on grass, so he’s unlikely to do one in the middle of the pavement, only if there’s nowhere else to go. And I always clean up after him so don’t really see the issue. Obviously if people are not cleaning up when their dog poos on the pavement that’s disgusting and wrong.

HoraceCope · 07/04/2026 17:04

of course they can and most would want to

Credittocress · 07/04/2026 17:02

They can. Mine will only toilet in long grass or piles of leaves. Means she won’t go in our garden either, but it isn’t hard to do.