# Puppy won't poo on his walks :(



## Terr (Mar 2, 2010)

Dante is 14 weeks this wednesday and I've been walking him twice a day for about 15 minutes each time. Nothing too extreme, just a gentle stroll mainly for leash training/socialisation.

He is probably the most excitable puppy I've ever been around. He loves EVERYONE and spends most of the time trying to rip my arm from my shoulder to jump on some unsuspecting stranger. I don't know whether it's for this reason or simply because he's been going in the house/garden up until now, but he simply won't poo on his walks!

I live in a flat that has a shared garden but I'm up on the 5th floor. In the morning because he can't hold it in, I let him go in his potty area in the flat but I also will take him down to the garden after a meal at least once a day. Now that I've started properly giving him exercise he simply won't go until he's come back! I'm trying to train him to use the bathroom on command and hopefully it will help but does anyone else have any suggestions? 

I realise that some people just let their dogs eliminate in the garden but this isn't really an option for me. The neighbours tolerated me taking him down there because he wasn't fully vaccinated etc. but now that he's growing up they're starting to whinge.


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## ArwenLune (Jan 3, 2010)

Maybe some of what's been talked about here would help you? I do know it's a fairly common 'problem'.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/92711-toilet-training-help.html


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## alysonandhedley (Oct 29, 2009)

We are still waiting for Hedley to wee or poo on his walks! Dont worry, keep at it!


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## Polimba (Nov 23, 2009)

It's not a problem we had with our puppy, he's not proud he'll go in front of anyone 

However we were told on our puppy training class is can be because they are shy about leaving their scent. The 'problem' usually disappears when they hit adolesence when it turns into a 'helllo ladies/boys, follow me home' and leaving their scent.


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## KatiBear (Mar 4, 2010)

My puppy has the same problem, although he does sometimes pee, he has just never pooped.

I have a feeling that he will grow out of it though, and maybe that will be the case for your pup.

If your pup gets excited so much over people, he is probably on alert to look out for more people and isn't concerned about pooping, everything is still probably very new to him and he just wants to soak up everything he sees, rather than poop =D

Maybe when things stop being so new, and there aren't so many smells and noises going on, he will be less distracted and poop.

That's what I'm thinking with my pup anyway, maybe the same case for yours


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

Holly's pooped as we're crossing a road and the lights changed while she was doing it... so I just had to stand there red faced and clear the poop before the cars could move haha...

She's not good at going in the garden, but will on walks... I'm not sure why.


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## GillyR (Nov 2, 2009)

I wouldnt worry about it, he will do it when he is ready - all of mine have been like this when they are young, i heard they dont like to leave there scent for other dogs to smell, once more confident, they start to do it- - my little one just done her first wee in the park the other day - she is 4 months old. :thumbup:


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Terr said:


> Dante is 14 weeks this wed... [snip]...
> 
> I live in a flat that has a shared garden but I'm up on the 5th floor.
> In the morning because he can't hold it in, I let him go in his potty area in the flat but *I also will take him down to the garden after a meal at least once a day.* Now that I've started properly giving him exercise he simply won't go until he's come back!


 hey, terr! :--) 
i would not fuss over this, and i WOULD take him to the garden *every single time* BEFORE a walk to allow him 
to void there - *be absolutely impeccable about picking-up, so that the neighbors have no bitching to do!*

there is a reason for my advice - 
if he learns that GO * NOW = walks, he will void the faster. 
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the walk is then a reward for toileting ASAP, and he has no reason to *withhold* and drag-out the process for as long as possible. instead, he voids as promptly as may be, so he can go for his anticipated walk! :thumbup: 
this avoids the (handler-created) problem: a dog who walks along for an hour, in a pouring rain, before voiding.  
the faster he potties, the sooner his walk... 
VERSUS the (dumb) human-standard, the puppy GETS *walked* in order to potty and as soon as he voids, 
whoosh! back into the (boring) house.

Bad lesson: _i potty, they punish me by taking me home._ 
Good lesson: _i potty at home, quick-quick; they take me for a walk!_ :thumbsup: 


> _ I realise that some people just let their dogs eliminate in the garden but *this isn't really an option for me*. The neighbours tolerated me taking him down there because he wasn't fully vaccinated etc. but *now that he's growing up they're starting to whinge.*_


hes *growing up* ? gimme a break, he has had his sphincter-muscles for TWO * WEEKS, 
and is the near-equivalent developmentally of a 12 to 15-MO child. :thumbdown: jeez... 
buy a shock-collar and zap the neighbors every time they remark on it.  :lol: 
its a SHARED garden, so share it! :thumbup: just NEVER leave dog-stool there! not once - 
give them no ammo whatever.


> _ I'm trying to train him to (void) on command... does anyone... have any suggestions? _


 U cannot make it a COMMAND more properly a cue, 
until he performs consistently 80% of the time (4 of 5 opps). 
meanwhile U should be SAYING his future-cue only **while he is actually voiding**, not before, and not after - during.

let us know how U get on,  
--- terry


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## Terr (Mar 2, 2010)

Oooh! Thank you for your advice Terry! It never would have occurred to me to just take him to the garden to do his business and then walk him. So simple! The only problem with your advice is that there's no lighting in the garden at night. So his bedtime bathroom break is going to be a challenge for us. Might bring out my headtorch!

My neighbours are a posh lot. Well posh isn't really the word. Mostly stuck up yuppies whose lives revolve around cocktails and Vogue. The other day as we were coming out of the garden, a lady (presumably a neighbour) said to me 'Please, not to let him touch me.' -.- I thought, 'Look lady, I've got him on a leash, if you don't want him to touch you then just give us room!' Maybe I'm being a bit bitter here, I know not everyone likes dogs but it didn't seem necessary to instruct me to not let my dog touch her. Seems to me it would have been a better idea for her to just stop walking in such a straight line.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Terr said:


> The only problem...
> there's no lighting in the garden at night. So his bedtime bathroom break is going to be a challenge for us. Might bring out my headtorch!


whatever works...  
a headtorch is hands-free, so go for it! :thumbup:

i often carry a small key-light with an LED-bulb to monitor urine, etc; bitches entering or exiting estrus, 
dogs with diarrhea or IBD, etc, i need to KNOW whats going on internally.

looking for a trace of pink in a urine-stream can be a lifesaver; EARLY notice can be a huge advantage. :thumbsup: 
bowel + kidneys are highly indicative of overall health. 
all my best, 
--- terry


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

Terr said:


> Oooh! Thank you for your advice Terry! It never would have occurred to me to just take him to the garden to do his business and then walk him. So simple! The only problem with your advice is that there's no lighting in the garden at night. So his bedtime bathroom break is going to be a challenge for us. Might bring out my headtorch!
> 
> *My neighbours are a posh lot. Well posh isn't really the word. Mostly stuck up yuppies whose lives revolve around cocktails and Vogue. The other day as we were coming out of the garden, a lady (presumably a neighbour) said to me 'Please, not to let him touch me*.' -.- I thought, 'Look lady, I've got him on a leash, if you don't want him to touch you then just give us room!' Maybe I'm being a bit bitter here, I know not everyone likes dogs but it didn't seem necessary to instruct me to not let my dog touch her. Seems to me it would have been a better idea for her to just stop walking in such a straight line.


Oh dear....how can we mere commoners toilet train our dogs when there are people like this about......she sounds like more of a handful than the dog.....buy your pooch a diamante collar especially for the garden...you recon she'd be more acepting of her then:lol::lol:....jeez she sounds a real snob...any snotty neighbours round here get put back in their box pretty quick lol...every other house has a dog...in fact probably more than that.We get the occasional winger but the rest tend not to give a 2nd glance....as long as you clean up your dogs mess she hasn't a leg to stand on, as you say....it's a shared garden....kick it in her roses and tell her it's expensive manure that'll shut her up hehe :lol::lol:


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## Terr (Mar 2, 2010)

Victory!!!!! Dante used the 'public bathroom' for the first time today! Thank you for your advice!


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