If you have a fenced in yard it is nice because you can let your dog out to do their business, but not so nice if they go out 3 feet & poop where you might walk. My dog Echo is pretty good about using the far side of the yard to do his business, but my dog Hunter was not. He would go wherever & walking out to water the garden in the evening I would accidentally step in a pile of poop (ick). He started going closer & closer to the door, pool & garden & I wasn’t good with it. I decided to teach him to use the area farthest from the door. I got a long light weight leash like this one which is waterproof https://amzn.to/4oif0sg . It is not meant to hold up to strength, but to give him space if he was poop shy (he is at times). This next one is available in a variety of sizes but is not waterproof https://amzn.to/3IYhtrO Using a ong leash allows the dog some space if you have the yard space & the leash is lightweight so dog feels more free, yet you can direct where they should go. If you have a smaller area you want the dog to use then use a shorter leash. This leash is just 6 feet & waterproof https://amzn.to/3UcaUEt I have male dogs & like waterproof leashes because they lift their legs to urinate & just in case they pee on the leash I want a leash that is easy to clean, or when it drags on the ground.
Next you need a great reward, not the normal treats, these need to be very special & high value to your dog so they associate this special treat with the act of going where you want them to. I will be honest I tried to use a treat that was less valued, & it wasn’t good enough, so I got out the highest valued treats to both my dogs. I use Stewart’s Freeze dried Liver treats https://amzn.to/45fu5lT they also come in Wild Salmon https://amzn.to/3HeDZMA They come in chicken, but I personally avoid chicken because many places give chickens antibiotics & hormones to bulk them up & I don’t want to risk this getting into my dogs. I cut them into pieces about the size of a mini jellybean & put them in a thoroughly cleaned out old pill bottle. This makes them easy to carry, harder to spill & treats don’t get smashed in my pocket or hand.
You will need a word or 2 words to let your dog know what you want him or her to do, such as “go potty” “business” or “go dodo” of course you can use any word or make up a word, dogs don’t understand our language anyway. Just remember your neighbors, or your kids may hear you, so consider that. You need to be consistent so the dog can associate the word with the act. Everyone taking the dog out needs to know the words so be sure & let all family member or dog walker know what word you are using.
Once you have your leash, your potty word, high value treats & know what area of the yard you want to teach your dog to use, your ready to start training. Dogs need to go potty first thing in the AM after a good night’s rest, so I think this is great time to start this training. Get on your shoes, leash up your dog & head right to the area you want your dog to use. Most dogs will find a spot in the area pretty quickly if they have a full bladder. When your dog starts to relieve themselves softly say your word in an upbeat tone, you don’t want to scare them & they won’t empty their bladder. Be sure you are standing close as you can so as soon as they are done you can praise & give a treat. I don’t suggest opening the treat holder too soon or they may not finish their business. I started rewarding urinating & now I am just rewarding when he poops in the right area. Hunter is a creature of habit, so this was challenging & we are not 100% there yet, but only in our second week. As soon as your dog has completely finished eliminating you can give off leash time if you choose as part of the reward for eliminating where you want him or her to. If your dog doesn’t go potty right away give them 5 mins or walk around the area to help get things flowing. Stay positive & upbeat, they don’t know our words but they read body language & tones.
I had to walk Hunter back & forth several times encouraging him to go potty. The first few days I would say were the hardest for him. I would say this is easier to start when your off work & home more so you can go out with your dog & not be as rushed. If they don’t go potty each time you may have to go back inside & then go back out in 30 minutes & try again. I also realized Echo wanted to use part of the same area & when we were in it he went poop where Hunter previously would go. I cleaned it up immediately & started moving Hunter a few feet away from where we were. It is important to keep the area clean, keeping one poop in the area you want them to use is fine if it is a new area & their scent isn’t there already. Hunter likes the area clean & cares way more than Echo does, so if I want him to use an area I have to clean up asap. I keep a pooper scooper close by so I can clean up the area right after. Here are two types, mine is more like the 2nd one but they are fairly similar to each other https://amzn.to/4ffrGw2 or https://amzn.to/45axO48 of course you can have a holder with bags that attach to the leash like this https://amzn.to/3GVIjAm.
After a full week of taking him out on long leash I started letting him off leash, but always going out with him & watching him & being close where I can see him so I can reward as soon as he finished going poop. I still on occasion am rewarding him for urinating on the side of the yard where I want him to poop. Hunter is not the smartest dog, but he is a creature of habit, so once he figures out what I want he will continue to do it. This is our second week so habits can take up to a few weeks to a month to form. I will keep up this routine till I know he has it & then randomly I will give a reward which may be a treat or praise. Hunter loves rump rubs so that would be a great reward for him.
Some people say ‘my dog isn’t treat motivated’, I’d say your reward value may not be high enough. If the Stewart’s freeze dried treats aren’t working, try steak, or if your dog is play motivated use a toy that the dogs doesn’t get to play with until after they eliminate, then play with them or give the toy.
I hope this was helpful & gave you some ideas. This is my 67th post in the 6 months that I have been writing my blog. You can find a table of content for my other posts on my home page in the upper left corner by clicking on the 3 lines. If your are learning from my posts or they make you smile, please do me a favor & share my blog on your social media sites. Liking posts, commenting, visiting often, subscribing & sharing all help my blog to be found by more people. My goal is to help pets owners help their pets to thrive. If you have ideas for a post or question please email me & let me at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com Special thanks to all my subscribers, I appreciate you, Debbie
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