# Teaching dog to toilet in desinated area??



## boxerlife (May 4, 2009)

Hi,
My puppy is 6 months now and goes to toilet in garden which is great. However he poops everwhere in garden, whats the easiest way to get him to do it in a designated area of the garden??
I have 2 children who like to play in the garden, I havn't been letting them out because of this.
Ideally I would like him to use the patio area as it's easier to keep clean, at the minute he prefers the lawn!!
I understand I should have done this from day 1 but I was just glad he was doing it in garden instead of house.
Thanks x


----------



## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Dogs do prefer to toilet on grass, so you may find difficulty moving him over. How do you praise him? Do you go out with him?

On the children issue, I would just pick up the poos daily or before they want to go out into the garden, and then there's no problem. My dog toilets every where in the garden, and before my nephews and niece get to play outside, we clean up every poo in the garden, and then they are free to do as they please.


----------



## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Try moving the poop into one area and you could hope the dog gets the idea.

The reason I see most often about why dogs toilet in different places, is because they wont toilet if there is already a poop nearby. They seem to want to toilet somewhere without a poop, or my dog does anyway! How often do you clean them up?

I clean up after Roo at least once a day, there are never any left over poops etc and if one has been a bit iffy I chuck water on it.

I suppose it depends how big your garden is and how it is set out. We have a big garden and as I clean up everyday nothing is ever there for very long.


----------



## wooliewoo (May 27, 2008)

Our dogs go on a shingled area of garden, we did put a small fence round grass area which they could easily step over but it seems to be enough of a deterrant for them and in the summer when they are on the grass they will get up and move to shingle to do their business. 
I guess over the years they have got use to it. I am hopeing the pup follows what they do as she does seem to be sniffing the shingle but is happy wee'ing on patio which is just as easy to clean


----------



## boxerlife (May 4, 2009)

Hi,
Thanks for your replies. I always make a fuss of him when he does his business outside. Do you think the best thing to do would be to ignore if he does on grass and then lots of praise when he goes on patio?? Or would this not work??
I clean up every day but sometimes there can be residue left if its been a softer one (sorry)! I do hose it down also but still don't think it's not hygenic enough for kids to play on, especially as I have a toddler. Also my son loves football and dives on the grass, rolling everywhere!! 
Thanks x


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

When you take him out, take him directly to where you want him to go and keep him there until he goes and then have a poop party. Don't allow him to roam the yard until he's gone poop. Eventually he will learn.

While I was growing up our dogs were always trained to go in only one place in the yard. We just opened the door and they would head straight to that corner. Now my sister's dog is the same way. She's been trained to go in high grass areas only, and will not EVER poop anywhere there is not high grass. She'll hold it rather than go somewhere she thinks she isn 't supposed to.

You might have trouble getting him to use the concrete right away, you might have to doctor it up with grass cuttings or something, at least at first.


----------



## dodigna (Feb 19, 2009)

Could you designate an area of the garden and put sand down, some dogs hate doing on concrete, but sand might be ok...


----------



## alysonandhedley (Oct 29, 2009)

Im watching this with interest as our dog sticks to about 3 or4 different areas of the garden to poop, all against the fence. I go round picking up every day or two. I would prefer if by the summer he kept to one area, but in a month or two we are changing our garden slightly, making a larger patio area and an orchard at the bottom, so I havent decided where I want him to go. Im just grateful most of the time he goes outside!!


----------

