New Sod and Re- Potty Training

[Cass C]

As most of you know about 2 weeks ago I finished the remodel on my back yard, complete with new Sod. I also build a nice chain link dog run put a layer of straw on the ground specifically for the dogs to go potty in so their urine doesn't ruin the sod. I even placed it where they usually potty, to help the transition.

 

I don't know whether it's Lily's working genetics making her smart and eager to please or possibly just that she is about 6 months younger than Lyka, but she got the new potty spot down in roughly 24 hours. She doesn't seem to potty outside of the dog run unless it is an emergency and I took too long to get her outside.

 

My issue is that Lyka refuses to potty in the kennel. I've been trying to teach Lyka the same way I did Lily, which is by taking her out to the kennel on a leash and trying to wait her out. Lyka refuses we stood in the cage for two hours, but she refused to go. Then I started leading her inside and she walked and peed in the grass on the way back. I think I'm doing something wrong with her, because she just isn't getting it. I've been treating it like house training where the grass is the house, but do you think I'm just confusing her?

 

My grandma has her toy poodles trained to only potty in a dog run so I know it is possible, but they have been trained to go there since 8 weeks old.

 

I guess my main question is has anyone here ever retrained a dog to potty in one specific spot in a yard after they had been allowed to go wherever they wanted for 6 months? If so how did you do it?

[Root Beer]

How big is the dog run? Is it possible she is seeing being in the run as being "inside" of something? Especially since it has a different surface than grass. If so, that might be the issue . . .

[juliepoudrier]

^^I agree with this and also wonder if since she's used to doing her business in the grass and now you're asking her to go on straw if that isn't resulting in some confusion. I would think shavings would be easier to clean up than straw anyway, but that's still a different surface. My house trained dogs are sometimes left in kennel runs during the day, and generally, they do not go to the bathroom in the runs (the exception being the geriatric dog who has some incontinence--but then she will go in the house now too). The foster dog, who was raised in a kennel, doesn't have any compunctions about going on the shavings in the run.

 

So it really may be that being in an enclosure = being inside and therefore not a potty place to your older dog.

 

J.

[Cass C]

The dog run is a 12' x 6' long enclosure. The door to the run is always locked open, which I was hoping could avoid the issue of her feeling like she is in a no potty area.

 

My reason for using straw is that it is significantly cheaper than the alternatives in my area. I wouldn't say that she is used to going on grass as my entire yard was dirt and cheat grass before the improvements. She will potty on straw in my grandma's completely enclosed dog run but that is a 12x12 run I couldn't afford, so maybe the size makes her more comfortable or maybe it's because she smells that the poodles only potty in that's spot?

[GentleLake]

My guess is that the different surface is confusing her. If she's used to going in the other run, that may not be it, but the whole new setup may just have her stumped.

 

I'd say keep trying. If the pup is peeing there, it will soon start to smell like an appropriate place. Ignore peeing on the grass, but heap on the praise when she finally gets it.

 

I think you're right; it will be a lot like potty training again.

 

Good luck.