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The doghouse

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Original poster

Daft question from non dog owner

43 replies

m0therofdragons · 27/04/2020 12:35

I’ve always had cats but they’re very old now and thinking to the future we have older dc -12 and 8 - and dh works mix from home and office (office being close by) so for the first time every a dog is an option. Dh had a rescue dog as a young child who was poorly trained so doesn’t know much. I’ve started reading.

My question is, can you “litter train” a dog to only wee and poo in one area of the garden?

OP posts:
Poppyfr33 · 27/04/2020 12:39

Yes you can, my sister in law had a pad of concrete put down that could be washed down

Original poster
m0therofdragons · 27/04/2020 12:42

So why don’t people do that rather than have to clear the garden of poo before using it?

OP posts:
RedRed9 · 27/04/2020 12:42

Yes you can. Some dog breeds will be more receptive to this training than others so if this is really important to you then bring it up to the rescue people early on.

RedRed9 · 27/04/2020 12:44

So why don’t people do that rather than have to clear the garden of poo before using it?

Many people do.
But not everyone because:

It’s a very difficult piece of training that you then have to constantly reinforce throughout the whole of their lives.

Also, as I said, some breeds/dogs will have more success than others.

jinxpixie · 27/04/2020 12:46

It is very possible all assistance dogs and guide dogs are trained to do this.

It takes effort so I guess that is the reason many people do not do it. I do have an area that mine poo in but I still pick it up immediately.

I guess different situations suit different people. Some dogs dont poo in their own gardens at all, only out. I prefer mine to poo at home and then not have to carry full poo bags on the walk,some may prefer to pick up poo on walks.

ladybee28 · 27/04/2020 12:57

So why don’t people do that rather than have to clear the garden of poo before using it?

Because picking up / slinging a poo or two each day feels like less hassle than training the behaviour.

If you pick up every time, just as you would on a walk, there's no 'buildup' to clear before you use your garden.

Pelleas · 27/04/2020 12:59

Because it means hanging round in the garden waiting for your dog to perform while you are training - rather than just letting the dog out to get on with it. Dogs can take ages to make up their mind to 'go'.

PhantomErik · 27/04/2020 13:06

Yes you can. We have a small part of our garden fenced off that our dogs use for toiletting. It doesn't really need the fence these days as they know to go straight there.

They are also semi trained to go before going for a walk so less picking up & carrying smelly bags when out & about.

It takes a bit of training but it's worth the effort in my opinion.

PhantomErik · 27/04/2020 13:10

Mine are labradors

herecomesgeralt · 27/04/2020 13:14

My dog won't go to the loo in the garden, he'll only go on a walk. Not sure why, he's been like that since he was a puppy - I'm not sure if you could train it that way? It is great for us, we much much prefer it to having to check the garden all the time!

Americanmary1 · 27/04/2020 13:18

They tend to just go in the same spots anyway. Plus if you walk regularly they will go on the walk not the garden.

I think I Spain or maybe Italy they have dog toilets and all the dogs go in the toilet when they are taken for their walk, they know to do it because the other dogs have pooed there too.

Easilyanxious · 27/04/2020 13:18

We used to have dogs area where dogs went in one place it was fenced off and we let them in there first and only had run of main garden when we were out with them
But dogs can still be ill and even best trained dog can have accidents in house etc and it does take perseverance getting them to go to same place
We have small garden now and our current dog generally goes in the one place but because we can't fence off occasionally will go elsewhere but we pick up every day to keep on top of it

MrsEricBana · 27/04/2020 13:23

They don't just poo randomly all day so you can just pick up after them every time. My pup poos in the garden first thing, usually in same spot, I pick it up. He goes on his walk and again on evening walk. There is never poo lying around in the garden, but yes I think you could have a designated toiletting area. My friend has this.

Mominatrix · 27/04/2020 13:42

It is possible to do this and I know of a few dogs which behave this way - all intensively trained to do so. My dog refuses to do a poo in our garden as it sees this as tantamount to pooing in her home and will wait to be taken on a walk.

LittleCandle · 27/04/2020 13:47

If you get a terrier, they are very stubborn and hard to train. Our younger dog won't go in the garden, although he did when he first started 'getting' toilet training. our friend's guide dog goes before he goes out, but it wouldn't be the first time we've seen the dog doing his business while chatting and just pick it up and deal with it. Dogs are not machines.

Original poster
m0therofdragons · 27/04/2020 14:37

@LittleCandle I realise dogs aren’t machines but more obedient than cats, whereas cats you just show them a litter tray and they will use it (mostly).

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 27/04/2020 14:50

I know someone who had a Rottie who he trained to do this. The Rottie hadn't been trained to do this all his life and was quite old when the person, having made over their garden, decided to implement the training. The Rottie was fine with it and picked up on the idea very quickly, he was, however, a very easy going, intelligent dog.

I don't have to clear my garden of poo before using it as I pick up my dog's poo as soon as she goes, the same as I would if I were out on a walk or in the park.

It's a disgusting idea that anyone would leave poo all over their garden for hours on end. I don't use the lavatory and not flush it for hours.

tabulahrasa · 27/04/2020 14:56

You can totally train a dog to go to the toilet in a particular part of the garden... but, for most people it’s more hassle than it’s worth.

Substances that are easier to clean aren’t as attractive to them and they prefer to move around as they go to the toilet - so you have to constantly reinforce it anyway

So if you’re out they’re to make sure they’re going where you want - it’s just easier in most circumstances to go out there, let them go where they want and then pick it up.

pigsDOfly · 27/04/2020 15:06

Would just add that it does rather depend on the dog as well.

The Rottie in my pp would go out into the garden and poo immediately.

My dog spends ages and has to get just the right spot, which isn't always the same place.

She'll run up and down the garden for a bit, and can spend as much as 3/4 minutes circling, and then change her mind about the spot she's picked.

Frankly, trying to train a dog like mine to poo in the same place each time is probably not going to work.

I suspect she wants to make sure she feels safe when she poos as she also likes me to be nearby, so I think, for her, getting the spot just right is very important.

CornishPorsche · 27/04/2020 15:08

Our dog won't pee or poo in the garden either. We understand it's that she sees the garden as an extention of the house, where she also does not toilet.

We have to go out of the house for every toilet trip, but it suits us as the garden isn't very big and I'd rather she didn't pee out there either.

mermaidbutmytailfelloff · 27/04/2020 15:53

Mine would toilet on command. It was easy to train, and he was a rescue we got when he was about 10. Just watch like mad and give the command as they start to go, we used “dogname poo” or “dogname wee” and very quickly, within a week I seem to think he would go when we asked. Saves faffing about on cold wet nights when you are out for a last toilet. Easy then to chose the place where you give the command.

He was an ace dog though.

frostedviolets · 27/04/2020 19:45

Yes you can, my own dog is trained to only use the gravelled area of the garden for toilets

Ellmau · 27/04/2020 20:42

Absolutely yes, you just need an intelligent trainable breed.

Our Sheltie got it in three days.

DreamingOfAFullNightsSleep · 27/04/2020 20:50

No chance with my dog, she is a rescue (3 y.o sprocker spaniel bitch) we've had 7 months and I'm struggling to stop her pooing in the house!! She has finally started going in the garden, which is easier for me with dc aged 8,8 and 9 who I don't trust to be left at home to take her out for a poo- which she'll only do off lead. So, much better than when she wouldn't toilet in the garden at all but she is anxious and reacts badly to any perceived pressure so I don't think I could train a certain area with her at this stage.

As others have said, she does a known number of poos a day- 2 in the morning in the garden. I clear them up straight away. Also 2 on an afternoon walk (and if not walked in the afternoon she poos overnight, regardless of amount of time in the garden, her meal times, anything else we've tried) .
I'm impressed with those who have trained it!

tabulahrasa · 27/04/2020 20:55

“I'm impressed with those who have trained it!”

It does depend on the dog a bit to be fair, pretty easy with a puppy... harder with a dog with a history.

Its also only really worth the effort if you’ve a reason to do it, I’ve done it when I’ve had a shared garden, or in my current garden with puppies because my garden is pretty tiny so it’s worth it.... with older dogs in this garden I usually don’t bother.