Rescue pup toilet time?

Question

Hi I hope u can help me please. I have a 9 month rescue pup, he has lived with us for 3 months now. I have been desperatly trying to train him to poop and wee in a quite large gravelled area at the back of the garden but he keeps going on the grass. His pee has burnt the grass but worse than that, he is running on the grass and walking the remains of the poo(after i have picked all that I can up) into the house(YUK!!). I go out every time and show him where to go but he waits fro me to go back in(after about 10mins) and just goes back on the grass. I told him off this morning and now he has just pooed in the middle of the lounge!! He wont go out at all! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks x

Thanks for all your help with this. I do take Rolo for 2 long walks a day on the beach and across the downs. He always seems to want to poo on the shingles at the beach so thats why i bought loads of bags of shingle. Its the 1st morning tiolet that is the problem coz he wants to go as soon as i wake up. not enough time to get dressed and out for walk with a 9 year old and 6 month old im afraid

Answer 1

hire a dog trainer or ask a friend who is used to dog's. my advice is! when your dog need's it will let you know, then the thing to do is, take it for a long walk (day/night). i bet you have local park's. get out and get some fresh air. use this as a mean's of exercise and a bonding session between u and ur dog

Answer 2

You need to stay outside with him until he's gone where you want him to. Then bring him back inside and give him lots of praise. He might be getting a little confused between the grass and the gravel, probably figures as long as he's outside, what does it matter where he goes. There are products that you can purchase for the burnt spots in your lawn at your local pet supply store that will fix these. You might also want to check with the vet about the high acidic content in his urine, usually it's the female that burns the grass, for some reason the males usually don't.

Don't leave him in the back yard alone until he's going consistently where you want him to. It will take a while, some habits are harder to break than others, but if you're persistant, you will win. Just remember to give lots of praise when he's done his job where you want him to, you might want to consider fencing off the back of the garden and letting him run free in there instead of the whole back yard. Make it sort of like a doggie run for him.

Good luck, and don't be too hard on the little guy, he's still learning.

Answer 3

Ok, first of all, "telling him off" doesn't work. Dogs don't respond to logic the way (some) humans do....and the sound of your anger only frightens them beyond measure. Rather than scolding him when he goes where he shouldn't, try really PRAISING him when he goes where he should. You'll want to start by taking him out on a leash each time...gently urging him to the gravelled area...patiently waiting for him to do his business there. Once he's done...PRAISE PRAISE AND MORE PRAISE. Offer a treat, an affectionate pat on the heat/tickle behind the ears. If he tries to go on the grass, gently nudge him towards his "area" with a no, no no. Continue to do this each time he goes outside, never failing to praise him when he's done right. Eventually, you should be able to remove the leash and stand nearby as he does his business where he's supposed to. Then, once the dog has learned that there is considerable praise waiting for him if he goes in the gravel and not on the grass, he should be able to go in his place all the time.

The key to your success is patience....

Answer 4

It sounds like you may be trying to train him by scolding him for going on the grass. This isn't a good way as it doesn't work well. Try rewarding him every time he does it NEAR the gravel, gradually restrict the reward to only if it is closer and finally only reward when he is on the gravel. It isn't difficult but it takes a while, and try to make sure he is not stressed about it or frightened as rescue dogs have often been abused and there is nothing like stress and fear to screw up a dog's toilet training. Good luck!

Oh I just had another thought, perhaps he hates the feel of the gravel on his paws, I bet that is it. Could you perhaps clear some of the gravel back to dirt or something? Most dogs don't like to walk on gravel.

Answer 5

It is difficult to train a dog to go in a certain area.

My suggestion is to try to stop him pooing in your garden at all.. take him out first thing in the morning for a good walk and he will do all his business out and about. Once he realises that his walkies is at a regular time, he will wait and hold on for his walk.

As for the peeing on the grass, as someone else suggested, take him out to the gravel area and praise him heaps if he manages to go on it, he will get the idea. If he does pee on the grass, put the hose on for a minute and it will not burn when the sun comes out.

Perseverance will pay off, he is still very young.

Answer 6

They say you can get a pup to poo where you want if you take him/her to it every time, encourage him/her go and reward with treats make it a pleasant fun time for the pup by singing praises when he does his job.
When I worked at a pet store oh so many years ago, we suggested to pen the pup up unless you are playing with it in a crate, then when you take the pup out every time to the same place and say the same soothing words like "go potty". Don't come back in untill they go (remember to take them out when they will have to go). this has worked for us for us with many dogs. But we are not asking our puppy's to go in a certain space (although it is very possible to teach). One other thing that we have used in the past will help he burning grass put in some tomatoe juice in with your puppys dog food. This will keep the grass from dying. Sorry I couldnt solve all your problems but I can offer a few suggestions GOOD LUCK, remember that you being consistant is the key!

Answer 7

Its so lovely to hear that you saved a rescue puppy.

Its quite hard to actually train a dog where to go, he was probably taught to go on the grass early on. I mean as long as its outside and not in the house I wouldnt be complaining........LOL

After you pick up the mess, I would hose the rest of it in so he doesnt run through it.

Scolding a puppy will only make matters worse, you have to treat them kinda like a child, lots of praise and rewards for good things.

Answer 8

Please don't tell him off - if you catch him pooing inside grab him and take him outside but don't yell...

He thinks this when you tell him off -
"oh, mammy does'nt like it when I poop here - I better poop somewhere she can't see it next time"

Then you find one somewhere hidden in a corner next time.

The answer to your question is to REWARD good behaviour.
He won't like going on gravel as it is an unstable area - moves under his feet - he will always prefer the grass - our pup always tries to poo on the paved area rather than the grass in our garden. Yet the older dog does it on the grass.

pick a word - ours is TOILET and when he goes reward him with a treat. try to direct him to the gravel and even if he pees - reward him every time he goes on the gravel - walks on it - or anything and soon he will know the gravel is his loo!

Answer 9

Don't ever tell him off for not pooing where you don't want him to. He will only get confused and think he's beoing told off for pooing outside, then will do it indoors instead. If you don't want him on the grass, put a fence around it. I can't see how he can tread poo into the house. You watch him poo, then pick it up, so how does he tread in it?It sounds like you are just putting him outside and not going with him, then not clearing up the poo immediately and praising him. I think you need to have a word with the rescue place you got him from and tell them you cannot cope with the pup and perhaps return him. Dogs naturally prefer to go on the grass. Many years ago when I was on a television show with my Tibetan spaniel, we were staying in a top London hotel overnight and I spent half an hour walking about trying to find a bit of grass for her to go on as she had held on to it all for over 12 hours. I managed to find a tiny patch of grass growing at the base of a tree in the end and thought she would never stop weeing.
There is no magic wand. You simply have to make an effort, clear up immediately, and put a fence around the grass so he has no opiton but to go on the gravel.And never just put him out. You have to stay with him and praise him when he goes. Use a command word like "hurry up" or "wee wee" so he knows what you expect him to do. You must not tell him off. Ignore the mistakes and praise when he gets it right. If you cannot ignore the mistakes them let him go to someone else before you screw him up completely. If he is going in the wrong place, the fault is yours for not making it clear to him and making the grass area off limits by means of a fence.Personally it sounds like you are too uptight about it all and this will make him more anxious and less likely to get it right. If he ends up being a sh1t eater because you have screwed him up by yelling at him and confusing him, who will want to take him on after you have decided you cannot cope with him after all?
It sounds like he is going because you are too bus to see to him in the mornings, then you are punishing him when it was your fault all along. Did the rescue centre know you have a 6 months old child? I don't know of one rescue who will rehome a dog to people with children under the age of 5 years because experience shows that all kinds of problems occur from inappropriate toiletting because the owners are too busy with their children, biting due to the smallest ones hurting them etc.

Answer 10

Stay out there with him until he goes, train him to go on a comand word( i use get busy) and then praise him once he does it, he'll soon get used to the idea and wont take long. dont tell him off and dont allow him to have the run of the house unless you can keep a close eye on him. the reason he might not go outside easily is normally to do with confidence just need tio make him feel happy and secure in the garden make it a fun experience.