retraining house broken dog to go on leash

[hmbmarohl]

Everyone on here has been so helpful so i am asking for a little more. Our 2.5 year old BC (who we've had for 2 weeks---adopted)is used to having a yard to do his business. we live in an apartment thus we cant just let him go off leash whenever. we do have a fenced in area for dog play. we have been having this problem since we got him, he doesnt like to do his business while on leash---he has when he had to go. but, for example, yesterday we went on a 45 minute walk and it was later in the day and he hadnt gone yet so i knew he had to go, but he refused until we got to the fenced in area and within a minute he went. and this refusal to go on leash is causing him to go in house, which is never good. so i was wondering if anyone has any ideas/tricks to get him to go while on the leash. our lab has a walking/potty break scheduale that we are trying to get Sam on. there is no shortage of time that he has to go outside.

 

Sam is my first rescue/adopted dog, ive always worked with puppies, and im finding its a hell of a lot harder. but im willing to do the work, i know he has the ability to be a great dog....we just need to push out the bad habits and grind in some good ones. and one being going on the leash!! haha. thanks for your help!

[SecretBC]

If you are having problems on a traditional 6' leash, try using a flexi. It's not uncommon for dogs who have normally had "free roam" potty privileges to have a problem going so close to people. My dogs need to have flexi's when we go to trials, for the simple purpose of getting them to go to the bathroom. They will potty on a short lead, but won't poo unless they can get away from me.

[mbc1963]

I kind of have the reverse problem: my dog does not want to go in his 1/4 acre fenced-in yard, but likes to save his bathroom breaks for when we're off walking, away from his territory.

 

One trick that did work for me was giving him a verbal cue, which is (embarrasingly) "Go potty." He at least knows what to expect from me, so when I ask him to do it, he will go, even though it isn't his ideal situation. (Still no poop solution: he'll only poop on his own property if he has the runs. Go figure.)

 

Good luck!

 

Mary

[Lewis Moon]

I kind of have the reverse problem: my dog does not want to go in his 1/4 acre fenced-in yard, but likes to save his bathroom breaks for when we're off walking, away from his territory.

 

One trick that did work for me was giving him a verbal cue, which is (embarrasingly) "Go potty." He at least knows what to expect from me, so when I ask him to do it, he will go, even though it isn't his ideal situation. (Still no poop solution: he'll only poop on his own property if he has the runs. Go figure.)

 

Good luck!

 

Mary

 

"Go Potty" is an embarrassing but useful command...however, it is MUCH easier to say if you have kids

 

We taught this to Cerb early on. It's useful if only to shorten his "sniff sessions" that always preceed the deed.

[hmbmarohl]

I kind of have the reverse problem: my dog does not want to go in his 1/4 acre fenced-in yard, but likes to save his bathroom breaks for when we're off walking, away from his territory.

 

One trick that did work for me was giving him a verbal cue, which is (embarrasingly) "Go potty." He at least knows what to expect from me, so when I ask him to do it, he will go, even though it isn't his ideal situation. (Still no poop solution: he'll only poop on his own property if he has the runs. Go figure.)

 

Good luck!

 

Mary

 

 

haha we use "hurry" for our lab, trying to get sam into it too.

[urge to herd]

Take an old cloth or a paper towel and wipe up some of his urine when you take him to the dog park. Save it in a plastic baggie. When you go on a walk, drop the pee soaked cloth in a couple spots along your walk. He'll smell his own scent, and be a little more comfortable relieving himself on leash.

 

The advice about the flexi is good to try, as well. Hope you can figure something out.

 

Ruth

 

ETA - clean up the urine in your home with an enzyme urine remover, like Nature's Miracle. You don't want to leave any scents inside that will remind him to go there!

[hmbmarohl]

on a kinda funny kinda scary note....after not taking a poo all day....the ups man came by around 630pm (mind you i took sam out 6 times, once on the 30 foot training leash) and sam bolted past my husband and the ups man, ran around the corner, he came right back....not sure why both myself and my husband were yelling for him. we are assuming he decided to go potty and he just couldnt hold it anymore bc he has been restless all day and now hes sound asleep. sigh. what to do what to do.

 

oh and its not peeing hes having issues with, no problems there--he does the regular male dog thing and pee a little on every tree and bush.

[2 Devils]

First, I would treat him as a puppy with housebreaking. If he does not do his business when out for a walk, then in a crate he goes when you get back. I would not consider the dog housebroken since he poops in the house hence he can't have freedom.

 

If he is having accidents in the house you can only blame yourself, sorry to say. A long leash is a good idea if he has a shy bowel but if you keep giving him freedom in the house so he can poop in the house then he will not learn to go outside.

 

I also give commands for going to the bathroom (pee - do your business, poop - finish your business) and yes the dogs have learned the difference. When they are just learning to be housebroken then I will praise them for going outside and I try not to give them a chance to go inside. My rescue tried to poop in the house the 2nd night but since she was not given much freedom I was able to catch her in the act and get her outside before she actually pooped in the house. She tried it once more after that and again, I got her outside quickly. She has not attempted to poop in the house since. I did not yell, hit, etc... I just said no and picked her up and took her outside.

[Gloria Atwater]

I'll second what Kim said. Treat is as if you're house-breaking him all over again. Take him out, encourage him to go ("go potty!" is our command, too) and if he doesn't, crate him.

 

But DO try the long flex-lead or other long leash! My boy Nick will potty on leash, but he likes to do a lot of sniffing and sorting to find the "right spot." When I'm traveling and going off-leash is not an option, the flexi-lead allows him to get a distance from me and find that perfect spot. It may simply be that your boy is not comfortable going right next to you. That's kind of how both my BCs are: they want to find a spot that's somewhat private. So the flexi-lead or other longer leash may help with that.

 

Try that, and also don't allow him freedom of the house if he hasn't pottied. It may take a couple weeks, but it will save you trouble in the long run.

 

Good luck!

 

~ Gloria

[Star]

We say, "Go potty potty." (That's what happens when you've potty trained kids!). Thank goodness Star will do anything on command--the first time we left home with her she did not want to do her business (any business). I thought she'd explode and finally I thought, shoot, I just need to tell her to go. Of course, she did. I still have to tell her to go potty whenever we are away from home or she won't do it. So training that command would probably help. Here's a thought (maybe you'll think it's stupid, but....)--try turning your back in addition to the long leash.