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Original poster

Is it possible to teach a dog to only poop in one spot of the garden?

23 replies

tulpe · 28/01/2010 09:19

We created an outdoor cat lit tray for our cats (to the outside world it looks like a large, lovely ornamental pot in the corner of the garden.... )

Just wondering if it will be possible to do the same with pup? Is it possible to train her to only pee and poop in a specific spot? Or will she just want to do her business wherever she wants to in the garden?

TBH, I am quite keen to avoid the poop & pee on the lawn and have pinpointed a rather ideal spot on paving where it would be very easy to clean and hose down

OP posts:

minimu · 28/01/2010 10:00

Yep dead easy. I lie a bit of string around the area that I want to use for a poo pit! Then take the puppy to that area everytime on a lead and wait for them to poo praise like mad when they do.Same for wees.

It takes a little more discipline on your behave in that you have to take the dog to the spot each time rather than just put them outside but so much easier in the long run. Only one place to have to go to pick up poos.

The assistance dogs I train are always taught to wee and poo in one place and will never ever go anywhere else.

If you are planning this with a puppy make sure it is not miles away from the house as the puppy will not be able to hold on for the length of time to get to the area!

paisleyleaf · 28/01/2010 10:04

My friends has done the same as minimu.
Although it's quite a large -ish area. More 2m x 2m than litter tray size.

tibni · 28/01/2010 10:25

Yes, we have done it with our pup as we have a ds (severe ASD and learning difficulties) and needed to be able to keep things as clean and contained as possible and not on the route to the trampoline .

Having hardstanding means it is easy to hose and disinfect the area. Yes it is more work for you but worth it.

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2010 10:26

if only db did this when young

no, woofa beleives whole garden is his kingdom and he will shit wherever he wants!!

Original poster

tulpe · 28/01/2010 10:39

Thanks all I kind of felt it must be possible but when I mentioned it to a couple of rl friends (who also have dogs) they told me I was mad! That basically a pup will poop wherever they want to. I know my perspective is somewhat naive but I don't want the dog crapping & weeing all over the place. I find the prospect of the children playing on "peed on" grass just .

I had a particular spot in mind but actually, bearing in mind what minimu says about having somewhere close to the house, I have had a rethink and found a more suitable alternative!

Thanks again What would I do without MN??

OP posts:

pinkbraces · 28/01/2010 13:20

Do you think an older puo, 7 months could be taught to do this, we didnt, and wish we had done...

Woofa · 28/01/2010 16:44

A dog's gotta poo where a dog's gotta poo

GrimmaTheNome · 28/01/2010 16:47

With our last dog, we just fenced off an area around the back door, using 5 trellis panels and tree ties. Looked OK actually.

Don't think that would work for anything much larger than a dachshund, certainly not Woofa!

minimu · 28/01/2010 16:56

No you can still train an older dog. It takes a bit of commitment but some do it quite quickly. Obviously you need to take them out each time to poo for a while take them to the correct place and praise like and give a treat when they go in the right place. They will still go in the wrong place sometimes but just ignore that and praise the correct location and give a treat.

I find it so much easier my dogs will poo before we go out on the walk so I do not have to walk about with loads of full poo bags all the time.

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2010 17:21

can you trian an 19mth, one who will have lostr his balls this time tomorrow?

minimu · 28/01/2010 17:25

Oh so much easy once they have had their balls off! Maybe wait till the stitches have gone though

minimu · 28/01/2010 17:27

Just thought - as you know it is essential to use a clicker maybe you could use this version recycled from poor 19th month old!

new style clicker

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/01/2010 17:37

not thats mean minimu

Romanarama · 28/01/2010 18:42

I have done this with my pup, but wasn't very diligent about it while the weather was really freezing and snowy. Still, he almost always goes on the patio, and occasionally elsewhere. I might be more careful about taking him out and treating for a couple of weeks. This thread has reminded me!

SecretSquirrel193 · 28/01/2010 18:49

I have just done this with my 2yr old and my 12 week puppy. Previously garden was a free for all, but now we are confining it purely to the patio as easy to clean etc. Big dog took a while to get over his hysterical feelings about having to poo on concrete (he used to try to angle his bum onto the only strand of grass that appeared on the patio LOL) and puppy knew no different. Wish I'd done this far sooner!!!

nimbs · 28/01/2010 21:17

was about to ask the same question - basically do you just treat/praise/click them when they go where you want them to?

RTKangaMummy · 28/01/2010 22:21

We have a Guide Dog Puppy and she is trained to POO and WEE in a fenced off area of the garden

She is 9 weeks old and she knows where to go

She is a LAB/RETRIVER cross

ALL GUIDE DOG PUPPIES AND ALL ADULT GUIDE DOGS DO THIS

RTKangaMummy · 28/01/2010 22:22

after wees and poos lots of praise

Original poster

tulpe · 28/01/2010 23:12

awww you lot are great

Thank you

minimu - I had read about training your dogs to poop before you go out so you rarely need to carry the poop bags around with you. That has HUGE appeal to me Will let you know how I get on.

OP posts:

RTKangaMummy · 30/01/2010 16:31

Our puppy has just run out of the house and into her poo/wee fenced off area to do a wee

BTW She is a guide dog puppy and yes we have to make sure she has weed and pooed before she goes out of the house

So yes it can be done

She can do wees or poos outside in the public area BUT only if you give her the command {busy busy = wees or big busy = poos}

RTKangaMummy · 30/01/2010 16:32

BTW She is a guide dog puppy and yes we have to make sure she has weed and pooed before she goes out of the house

I mean when going out into public

minimu · 30/01/2010 17:28

Well done RTKAngaMummy you sound like you are doing so well. Hope you are enjoying it all!

Just be careful you don't ask the kids if they need a "busy wee" or have they "been quick" as I frequently do

RTKangaMummy · 30/01/2010 18:58

Thanks

It is very very time consuming though so anybody thinking that they can do anything else even having phone conversations are rare unless on a cordless phone or mobile

But we figure that the time and energy we put in now will be paid off later when she passes to become a guide dog

She wasn't very well yesterday

But we are loving it and it seems she has been here ages instead of 2½ weeks

Yes busy is not allowed to be used in our family anymore ~ we think it is a really stupid word for guide dogs to use IMHO

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