How to get doggie to toilet quicker on walks?

[poppyseedbagel]

We're a bit stuck with our little furry taking ages to toilet outside!

We initially really struggled with the toilet training- he would not pee or poop outside at all until he was about 5 months old and even up until a few months ago, would still have poo accidents inside (he is now 16 months).

We stay in a flat, so everytime he needs out it includes a little walk around the block, or if it is really late a quickie in the shared back garden. With it being winter, we are struggling to get him to go to the toilet quick when outside for a walk. He will whine to let us know he needs out, and knowing his routine now we will know if it is just a pee or a poo. So we head off on his walk, and is quite in the habit of peeing little but frequently throughout- although if he knows we are getting close to home we will do a large pee to finish so he is all empty. With the pooing, he really takes his time! He had a few favourite spots on his walk that will usually have him going, but not all the time. More often than not, I'm pacing the pavement hoping that he goes for about 10 minutes before losing patience and taking him back home. Not long after we have got home he is whining to get out again.

Is there anything that I can do to help him poop quicker on a walk so I don't have to pace for ages hoping he will go? We are in a good routine with him in the morning where he always poops, but evenings are much more of a struggle! He gets an hour long walk every afternoon and several of these walks around the block- He will get taken out about 6-7 times every day.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

I think he's playing you tbh. We have a garden but Eric only toilets on walks so once in a morning, once in an afternoon and once round the block before bed.
I don't think your dog's asking to toilet I think he's asking you to walk him round the block.If Eric needed to go outside of his walks I'd only let him on the garden I wouldn't take him a walk tbh.
I'd do all toilet breaks in the garden and consider his walks as something totally different if I were you or else you'll be at his beck and call multiple times a day.
Of course I'm no expert but that's just what I'd do because I really couldn't be done with walking the streets six or seven times a day.

OP, there was a BBC programme on recently over two weeks about pet behaviour (maybe you could watch it on catch up) that explained that male dogs wee little bits because they are spreading their scent around so other dogs can smell it; it is a form of communication for them. The poohing issue might be dealt with by having a really juicy piece of meat or other tidbit ( that your dog goes bananas over) with you when you go out with him. Only give it to him once he has poohed. Eventually he will make the connection and pooh as soon as he goes outside . Good luck.

Thanks all for the advice!

He does use the same whining to play with us, which we often do. He is pretty much centre of attention in our household- but does not have any negative behavioural traits (always friendly to others, doesn't show any posessiveness ect). He's just a happy dog.

I would rather not use the back garden to toilet him all the time as it is shared with the other neighbours and knowing from past experience the dog wee can burn holes in the grass. So I use it for the occasional toileting when laziness takes over.

His routine is pretty regular up until the evenings. Morning he goes poop twice, when DH is home from work just after lunchtime he will poop again. A second afternoon walk will be just a pee (he does like to drink a lot of water so needs to pee often) but evenings are much trickier. We know he needs to poop but he just doesn't go, but then needs out very soon after we return home.

We used to use the treat method when initially toilet training- but if i'm honest, it never made much of a difference with him pooping quickly. We could go back to this and try again to see if it makes a difference as he is very food focused and learns things very quickly when food is involved.

Thanks all!

I used to get Eric to toilet on a prompt maybe you could try that? So seeing as you know he will toilet quickly in the morning as soon as you see he is about to go you give him a word for it (initially Eric's was peepeepoopoo in a sing song voice but was changed to quickly because I was embarrassed outside of the garden ) and then give him a treat when he's done (have something he really likes, so something special) Do this for a few mornings so that he knows that your prompt, his poop gets him the reward and then when you are sure he's got it start using it in the evenings.