How to stop dogs shitting

[OhShutUpThomas]

I have 4 working sheepdogs who live in kennels. Every morning when they are let out, despite having around 600 acres to go at, they shit in my garden. Same 2 areas in particular.

I have 2 small children and it's driving me insane as its not safe to let them roam. I can't fence them out due to the landscape of the place and the need for the fences to be ten foot high.

So in summary - I let them out. They immediately make a beeline for the garden some 50 feet from their kennel. All take a group shit. Then fuck off elsewhere to get on with their days.

Why do they do this and how can I stop them??

Thank you!

Perhaps they've read about the risks of dog poo to sheep and cows.
At least their pooing is predictable so you can pick it up quickly.

are you serious?

I am 100% serious. Why wouldn't I be?

It's a recent thing - one started it and now they all do it. Last month or so.

Rather than letting them free, put them on a lead and take them to where you want them to go and walk them round till they do their business, praise them and let them go.

Mine was taught not to shit on the flower beds/ formal lawn (shooed off) and was praised/ treated for pooing in 'the zone' that was allowed. She responded well, or so I thought. Spotted a plant I recognised but couldn't place and hadn't planted. Friend pointed out they were tomato plants. We feed her cherry toms as a treat and she was shitting out and fertilising the seeds in the middle of my dahlias. Cheeky bitch. Now she is watched and directed to the zone.

Can you put them on a lead when you get them out and take them to somewhere that is acceptable to you, hoping they get the hint after time. I appeciate you would probably have to do one at a time and I have no experience with working dogs to know if this is possible.

I would also like mine to poop in one place and not drop a trail along the garden. I'm not a wicked witch in a gingerbread house so she doesn't need to leave a trail she can follow to escape.

I agree with taking them for a walk and lots of praise. Otherwise just pick it up when they do it, especially if they are predictable you know they are all going to do it.

Cheers all.

I'll try the walking thing. Can't do them all on leads individually though, I'll just take them straight into a field.
I was hoping someone would say that there's some kind of magic product I can sprinkle over the grass to put them off

......there isn't, is there..?

Oh and it makes me gag to pick up dog shit so that's not a long term solution

It makes you gag to pick up dog shit yet you have four dogs?

Can you not walk all four on leads through the fields and make a massive fuss when one of them decides to do a shit there? Or am I ridiculous to suggest you could walk four sheepdogs at once (I've seen dog walkers do similar)?

Try some of the cat repellent stuff maybe? That citronella stuff that is supposed to keep cats away. Or maybe let them out and call them in the opposite direction so they follow you rather than head for your garden.

You can uy posts to attract them to a certain spot. But they really don't work.

www.vetuk.co.uk/puppy-supplies-puppy-training-c-836_1010/pee-post-toilet-training-post-for-dogs-p-1065

They also make get orf my land repellent crystals, no idea if these work, but would be wary of chemicals where children play.

www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Off-Repellent-Scatter-Crystals/dp/B000LS57O0

Sadly dogs have minds of their own, can be very stubborn and yours sound like they are shitting with you - literally.

I think training is your answer.

I think training is your answer.

FFS
I'll still get DH to piss at the boundary. Try all the urban myths first

Obvious until recently they've shat out of sight in various fields.
And they're not used to being on leads, so if I put them all on leads and set off they'd go nuts with excitement/get tangled/fight. Shitting would be the last thing on their minds. And I don't have 4 leads.

They have all mastered varying degrees of sheep herding excellence, but I am sensing that shitting out of designated area may well stump us.

Ooh just a thought - this all started when male pup (8 months) started maturing. The others are all bitches. Could he be the ringleader? Do dogs do territorial shitting?

I take it you own the sheep and land, OP?

Nah, just thought a shed load of collies sounded fun

This is such a strange thread!

Why is it strange?

because surely it's better to know where they poo, so that you can pick it up all at the same time! Nobody likes doing it, but hey ...

OP has said she doesn't want to pick up because it makes her gag.
Perhaps she wants dogs to poo in the fields and just leave it there.
If she owns the land and livestock and she's not bothered about sheep catching sarcocystosis maybe its up to her.
Wouldn't be my choice though, would prefer to walk in fields without risk of stepping in poo.

I don't see why OP can't pick it up. Unless she actually pukes. Or maybe even if she does puke. Why is OP looking after the dogs if she can't deal with their crap?

If she's got 600 acres then maybe just maybe there's somewhere else the dog kennels could be built & then the garden could be fenced off.

Yep, id far rather they shit out of sight and I have nothing to do with it. This is very common on farms - if I was scouring hundreds of acres for rogue faeces I'd get nothing else done.

Cats are the bad ones for disease - we don't have cats on the farm for that reason.

Anyway - I've had a bit of success the last few days, so thanks for all the tips

lljkk I don't like picking up dog shit, and until very recently I rarely even saw it so it wasn't an issue.

Nobody likes picking up dog shit (okay you probably can find the fetishist on Youtube who does, but nobody ordinary likes it)

The farmers I lived with would either chuck it in the hedge or put the kennels elsewhere so they can fence off the garden. Fence keeps the ponies & escaping turkeys out, too.