Why are my dogs so scared of our new garden?!

[TheShittas]

Moved 2 months ago. Previous garden was large grass garden. 2 small dogs. They loved it. Played all day outside.
No accidents in house.

New garden is a quarter of the size and paved with a square of those shingle chip/rock things.

Ever since we moved they HATED it. Refused to go outside. Stand by the door and won't step out, even for treats.

When I do get them out they try and go back inside immediately.

The previous tenant had a large dog, I thought they might be able to smell him so paid a professional jet washer to do the whole garden.

Made no difference.

Now they're pissing and shitting inside all the time because they won't go outside!

They do business on walks but just before bed they won't go out so I'm finding accidents in the morning and in the daytime sometimes too they just piss in the hall when the backdoor is wide open?!

It's driving me insane.
Is there a dead body out there or something?! 😂😭

Ignore the horrible answers - they're not helpful.

You say they won't step out voluntarily, but what happens if you take them into the garden on their leads and try and engage them in some kind of play?

Are they toileting in the same place in the house each time? You might need to do the moving puppy thing to get them to do it outside.

*moving puppy pad

Can you get a large-ish offcut of that fake grass stuff and put it on the patio? They might go on there?

put a fence up so they can't get on the grass anymore. She's got no choice now.
you do know dogs enjoy sniffing, why limit your dog to an artificial garden?
Odd.

Ooh that's a good idea, how does artificial grass cope with dog pee though? Can you wash it?

When I only had a courtyard garden, my dad helped me make a home made version of one of these- a small amount of turf on some compost on ... I think it might a length of weed blocking plastic, just anything to make it easy to move/contain, with a frame of wood around it.
I can't see why a landlord would complain if it's removable and doesn't leave or make a mess?

piddlepatch.com/

I think you’d just hose it down? My dog is funny about only going on grass but when we had a patio situation he was easily duped by fake grass and happily went on there instead!

I'm sure I've seen the piddle patch @TheYear2000 linked to recommended on here previously so either that or a version you make yourself might work.

One of my clients had artificial grass with their dog, I don't know if they use to wash it down after he peed on it but I would have thought any artificial grass installed in the UK should be able to cope with a lot of water!

Could you put some tubs out with different plants, there are a few good articles online about creating sensory gardens for dogs, might make it a little more inviting for them?

If you get them moving and playing a bit before they're due to need to toilet, it should move them on. My old dog was like this, I had to throw her tennis ball in our tiny little backyard to get her to go before bed or she'd try and hold it and fail. Only had to do it a few months and then she learned that's where she's meant to go.