Any Suggestions...puppy Using Patio As Toilet

[Snoozie]

Hi all...

Well my new pup's been great except for one little problem.

She seems to think our outdoor patio area (which adjoins the backyard) is a good place for her to toilet. It's not that she doesn't use the grass but it's really a case of she just thinks "oh I need to go" and goes. It doesn't seem to matter to her that she's on concrete.

This pup is being raised indoor/outdoor and comes inside with us, sleeps in a crate at night time (doesn't like it, she hates bedtime - but is crate trained none the less and never causes a fuss or messes in her crate. We've only ever had one accident in there) , but then spends most of the daylight hours (7:30 to 4:30) outside with my other dog. She is not home alone all day, my fiance works shift work and is home by midday, then I am home at 4:30. She is also in and out the house intermittantly throughout the day.

So far the indoors toilet training has been going great with only 1 accident this week, 1 or 2 last week and the majority of the accidents indoors were just in her first week here when she was 9wks old (she is now 12wks).

I am wondering how I can encourage her more to use the grass rather than the patio area? Not only is she just going there but it is also causing my entire Lab male (whom I've kept entire for showing by the way before people jump to the wrong conclusion) to come and mark over the top of where she pees so you can imagine what I have to deal with!

So far I've tried saying "NO" sternly and picking her up and placing her on grass if I catch her. If I don't catch her in the act I've been going around and spraying the areas she's been to the toilet with a white vinegar/water solution to take away the scent and discourage her from going. The vinegar works on discouraging her from the defecating but not from the peeing and it only works for about a day and then I have to spray again...

If anyone has experienced similar issues with their pup and can offer some advice or give me the name of something I can use that's more effective it would be appreciated. Obviously this is not the first time I've toilet trained a pup, but it is the first time I've come across this little problem

Thanks so much!

[Leema]

When you take your pup out from inside, take them out to toilet on the grass.

Make sure you scoop/hose off any toiletting on the patio.

Feed the dogs on the patio! They won't want to toilet on the area where they eat.

That being said, one of my dog won't walk on the grass when it's wet, so chooses our paved area. Regardless of doing these things.

Hopefully those few tricks help you.

[persephone]

Most likely she was on concrete before you got her- so , when she's on the concrete, her body responds by urinating....

It is now up to you to get her to associate the grass with that Can you fence off an area .and carry her out there?

She sounds pretty good so far

[Snoozie]

When you take your pup out from inside, take them out to toilet on the grass.

Leema, I have actually been doing this from day one. It's only during the period when she is outside playing with the big dog that she chooses to go there herself.

I have been scooping it up and dousing the spots where she actually went with the white vinegar and water solution as mentioned to take away the scent.

It seems like this lil lady is very determined to go there though!

Most likely she was on concrete before you got her- so , when she's on the concrete, her body responds by urinating....

It is now up to you to get her to associate the grass with that Can you fence off an area .and carry her out there?

She sounds pretty good so far

persephone...I hadn't really thought about that. I just assumed that everyone takes their pups to toilet on grass. You could be right there as she was given away to me by people living in an apartment in Rockdale!

When she's inside I actually let her out the front of the house to toilet which is only grass so I hoped that would do it...but it's obviously still not working. I've spoken to hubby about fencing off the patio area and we might be able to do something temporarily until she stops, he needs to look at it though and figure out if he can do it.

She's been absolutely fantastic and really in comparison with what she could be doing, pooing and peeing on the concrete is not that bad

[sugclasco]

my 2 younger dogs both used to do this ,i just used to clean it up and now they use the grass ,they seemed to grow out of it themselfs but i have to admit my 2 older dogs have been teaching them so much ,cisco and shiloh would prob be ferrals without sugar and clarince

at one stage cisco was even pulling the mat out of his bed onto the deck and that is the only place he would wee ,i think he picked that up from me using puppy pads .

Edited August 16, 2008 by sugclasco

[GSDhandler]

i had/have the same problem. its better than your carpet. try to just make sure she is on grass. use a leash.

[bomberdon]

Cleo (8mth Staffy) used to do the same. Whilst inside, when Cleo looked like she was ready to go to the toilet, I'd take her outside and place her in the area that I wanted to be her toilet area. Whilst waiting for her to go, I would constantly say the word "wee wee" and when she finally went, I'd make a big fuss & noise and praise her. It was frustrating and there were many mistakes made, both indoors and out...but...perseverance paid off and after a few weeks I had Cleo toileting in her area (she wees and poo's there) & before she comes inside, I tell her "wee wee' and she atuomatically goes to her area & wee's.

time & paitence....It worked for me.

Good luck!

[Lynai]

I got my apricot female (below) at the age of 6 mos from a breeder who had her kenneled.

She would also go on the concrete. I just scooped up her poop and deposited it on the grass and rinsed off the concrete. I always left a little poop in the grass...now, she never goes on the concrete. She did learn but it took a while.

[percyk]

id be taking her down to toilet to the designated area and just waiting til she goes - it takes time but worth it in the long run

i had one pup who used to do that because i think he was anxious about being far away from me - as if he didnt trust that iwouldnt disappear on him

but now hes over a year old he happily trots down to either of the two areas we have set aside

if you havea similar flooring for patio and inside then the dogs can confuse the two

just be patient

they dont mean to displease you and it seems the dog is doing very well overall

you could try putting some soiled paper out to the area you want and making that area smell to inspire him

[Zombie Bait]

Our ridgeback did the same thing until she was about 5 months old. She is now nearly 7 months old and knows where to go to pee!

It was a long jouney of myself and OH taking her out to pee and encouraging her onto the grass and using her command (quick, quick). It has finally worked, hooray, now just gotta get her used to wet grass (she hates getting her feet wet). When it rains she still wont poo on the grass, prefers the concrete or pebbles as they are under cover. Cant complain too much though as she is now fully house trained.

She is also an indoor/outdoor dog, indoors when we are home and outdoors when we are at work. We also had the problem of our desexed male starting to pee over her pee on the concrete...grrrr. Now all good!