Does anyone know of anyway to stop my dog urinating on my lawn?

Question

She is only 10 months old and she uses the mud at the back of the garden for number 2's but uses the lawn for urinating. We would like to put a stop to this now she is older. The main reason being we dont want her weeing where the children will be playing this summer. Any suggestions??

Many thanks to the people who have been very helpfull. I would like to add one thing to the patronising idiot who was mocking me about my 'precious lawn', it's not my lawn that's precious it's my children's health. SOME people think human well being is more important than a dogs

Answer 1

When she needs to urinate direct her to the mud area, and encourage her to relieve herself there, and when she does praise her. Repeat the process until she learns. I remember having to do this with my golden retriever, repetition and praise works, you just have to work out.

Answer 2

I can understand your feelings about the children, they are the most precious things in your life, but you must love the dog also for you to be asking this question. I can suggest one thing but not only will you have to teach the dog but the children also. Try building a small sand pit where the dog can go to do both things, but please keep it clean and put fresh sand in it on a regular basis. You will have to teach her to use that and only that, but also you will have to teach the children that the sand pit belongs to the dog and it isn't theirs to play in. I am assuming that the children are only young but they can learn along with the dog that this belongs to her and the rest is for them. I wouldn't worry to much about the odd accident on the lawn it is the feces that carry all the germs. Just make sure they wash hands before eating. Hope this helps a little and good luck.

Answer 3

The same way you potty trained your dog not to go to the bathroom in the house can be used to not go on the lawn. She may associate this with any lawn which could be trouble if you are at a park or something. You will just need to go outside with her and discipline her for going on the lawn when you catch her in the act. Then take her to the correct spot to pee.

Answer 4

hi i have a small wall with a fence on top and a gate to get through in my garden seperating my lawn from my patio so the dogs can only get on my patio but i also take my dogs out many times during the day so they do nearly all their poos elsewhere and just have the occassional wee on the patio which is easily power washed away and i dont let my little girl play on there any way the grass is where she plays

Answer 5

You can retrain any dog of any age using a method called 'target training', devised by John Fisher.
Make a spot for her to use as a loo, mark it out so its obvious. From now on until she gets it, take her out on the lead to the spot, do this every 2 hours. Wait patiently with her. If she doesn't go, take her back indoors. When she does, reward her for using the spot. After that she can have a short playtime, then its back indoors.
Make a ritual such as saying 'do you want to go out?', then take her out and wait. Eventually she'll twig. You'll say 'do you want to go out?' and she'll bounce up and down, use the loo, then look forward to a fuss and her reward.
You can point at the dog loo and say 'busy' or 'thats the spot' and she'll get the idea that its ok to go there, thats a useful trick when you're out in the park.
Ignore her when she goes in the wrong spot, never punish her for it. As long as you're consistant it will work.

Answer 6

Personally, I think you can only train a dog to do so much. After that nature and instinct will control the pets' natural urges. My only suggestion is if you can walk your pet your chances will better that the pet wont go specificly in your lawn . Still we respect our neighbors' lawn as well. You'd have a better chance teaching the children where not toplay.

Answer 7

Give her a spot that she is allowed to go and teach her to go there. If you are going to make her go in the ' MUD ' in the back of the yard, be prepared to clean up the area. Once it's dirty and smells, she isn't going to go there anymore, and your precious lawn will be subject to abuse again by a little bit of dog pee that soaks into the ground and wouldn't hurt anyone anyhow...

Answer 8

The only way you can do that is if you carry her to the spot you want her to go EVERY time she goes out, and keeping her in that one area until she pees.

Problem is, a dog drinks, runs around playing for 10-20 minutes and has to pee again. Unless you pen or kennel her away from where the children play..... there's no way to stop it.

If you just cut her loose out the back door, she's gonna pee anywhere.

Answer 9

Thought dogs were supposed to wee on the lawn? You dont know how many cats and other animals are peeing on your lawn when youre not around?

Answer 10

The training should really have been done by now...However. Section off a piece of land where you want your dog to soil. Take her there on a lead if necessary and as she goes give her a key word (I use "Get Empty)
Because of the fact that you haven't trained her already you will have to spend more time with her and when she goes in the right place give her masses of praise. Even when it is pouring hard you will have to put a coat on and wait until she goes in the right place in order to praise her.

Always remember that you get out of a dog what you are prepared to put in.

Good luck

Ted (Author of "One Dog and Her Man - The Life of police Dog Bess.)

Answer 11

Have a section fenced off just for her. Teach her that this is her new "bathroom" just like you taught her not to go in the house. REWARD her with little treats so she knows she's got it right (pieces of string cheese work great). Teach her this is her "potty" area. Condition her with this long enough, and she'll get it. Don't forget to scoop her doody. If you let it accumulate, she won't want to go in a dirty "bathroom".

The more she pees on your lawn, the more you'll have a spotted lawn as doggy pee kills grass. To fix, just cut out the dead area, fertilize and sprinkle with grass seed and cove lightly with hay so the birds don't eat your seeds. Make sure to water and you'll have new grass in no time.