How to Train Your Dog to Not Poop on a Walk
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Introduction
Everyone has been there, you’re out on a walk with your canine pal and he decides to go about his business in a built up residential area. You reach into your pocket and realize you’ve forgotten poo bags. Now this was a pure accident and it happens to everyone, so you sheepishly head off with your hood up. But he then continues to offload a number of other stools throughout the walk, as some dogs do to try and mark their territory. Never mind-- you certainly don’t forget your poo bags again after that!
If he insists on only defecating on walks, there is no quick and easy taking him to the field over the road in the evenings. You may not have time to give him another long walk in the evenings, so training him to poop in a designated area will alleviate these concerns.
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Defining Tasks
Training your dog not to poop on a walk will involve training him to poop in a specific place instead. That will involve teaching him some obedience commands, but mostly it will entail establishing a consistent routine and taking steps to discourage him from going about his business mid-walk.
If he is just a puppy he should respond quickly to training as his brain is still young and malleable. If your dog is older you may need several weeks to successfully drill this training into him, as you’ll need to break a habit he has developed over many years.
Getting this training right is important if you want to be able to quickly nip over the road in the evenings to deal with his business. If you could just let him into the yard in the evening then life may be even easier again!
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Getting Started
Before you do battle with his bowel movements you will need a few things. You will first need to identify a designated space where you do want your dog to do his business. Once you have found that, you will need treats or his favorite food to incentivize and reward him.
A leash will also be required for training and you’ll need to find 10-15 minutes each day for the next few weeks. After you’ve sorted the above, you’re ready to tackle all of these toilet training methods.
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The New Toilet Method
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Find the right spot
Find an appropriate new toilet spot for him. You probably want somewhere close and accessible and perhaps not in your yard, as some dogs won’t defecate on their own territory.
Consistent schedule
Create a consistent meal and toilet schedule. If you feed him at the same time every day, you will be able to predict when he will need the toilet. His bowels will usually be stimulated 20 minutes after his meal. So a consistent routine is essential for getting control over his toilet habits.
Head out
After his meals or when you’ve decided it’s toilet time, put him on a leash and head to his new toilet area. If he isn’t going he may not feel comfortable in his new spot, so take some of yesterday's excrement on a piece of newspaper and put it in the new designated area. The smell of previous excrement will help him feel more at ease and associate that location with going to the toilet.
Reward
As soon as he does go for a number 2 in his new location, quickly give him a treat and praise him. It’s important you give your dog the treat as soon as he has finished his business so he associates the reward with the action. Continue to praise and reward him every time he successfully goes for a number 2 in the right location for the first couple of weeks.
Cut out treats
As he stops going on walks and increasingly goes in the designated location, slowly reduce the frequency of treats. The goal is that he will develop a habit of going in his new location and won’t need the promise of food to incentivize him anymore. Be patient with the training, it may take several weeks before he is fully into his new toilet routine, but he will get there eventually.
The Appealing Toilet Method
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Effective
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New toilet
Section off a small piece of the yard for him to use as a toilet. Many dogs don’t like going in the yard because they don’t want to defecate in their own territory, so it’s important to make a closed-off area that feels and looks separate to the rest of the yard. You can use mesh fencing or anything that will make the area appear distinct from the rest of his outside territory.
Wait
If you walk him within an hour of his meal then there is a good chance he will do a number 2 on the walk. Instead, take him before meals when his bowel movements are unlikely to yield anything.
Help him along
If he won’t go in the yard, wipe some of his previous excrement in his new sectioned off toilet. If he can smell a previous stool he will associate that area with a toilet location and be much more likely to go.
Reward
Reward him when you do see him go to the toilet in his new outdoor area. It is important you praise him quickly so he associates the action with the reward. Positive reinforcement is the quickest way to train him, so you can’t overdo the praise! As he goes where you want him to more frequently you can reduce the frequency of treats.
Never punish him
Don’t shout at or punish him when he does go for a poop on a walk. Dogs never respond well to fear, so simply ignore the behavior and quickly pull him away. Punishing him will only confuse him and make him scared to defecate, which is obviously a bodily reaction he can’t help. Instead, focus on making the outside toilet area comfortable, appealing and a place where he get lots of treats and attention.
The On Command Method
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Head out
Take some treats and head to an area you do want him to poop in. You are going to train him to defecate on command, that way he won't go poop on a walk unless you instruct him to. Teaching him obedience commands will also make training him other commands easier too.
Be patient
Wait patiently for him to offload his business and then say "go potty" in a happy, jolly voice. It is important you give the command as soon as he finishes. This will be the cue you are going to drill into him in the coming weeks. You must ensure your tone of voice is upbeat and praising!
Reward
Give him a treat as soon as you’ve given the command. You are going to reinforce the action and the cue with a treat. You can also pet him and shower him with praise.
Bring forward the cue
After a week, give the ‘go toilet’ command just before you think he is going to go for a poop. Then praise him when he’s finished and give him a treat. Now repeat this process every time he goes to the toilet in the designated area for a couple of weeks. Soon he will naturally want to go to the toilet when he hears the command and the promise of food afterwards will sweeten the deal.
Lose the treats
Wait until he is well into the habit of pooping on command before you cut down the treats, but then continue to do so until just the command is needed to have the desired effect. This training will take weeks so be patient and persistent and before you know it he will be pooping only when you instruct him to, meaning no more pooping on walks!
Written by James Barra
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 11/06/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Willow
Australian Shepherd
Eight Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
I love to take Willow on walks and Willow cannot wait to go on a walk, but lately, I dread walking her as she has developed an inconvenient habit: She poops every 5 houses. She has stopped to poop as many as 4 times and only a quarter the way through our walk; all in familiar neighborhood territory too. How can I break her of this habit?
July 27, 2022
Willow's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I would actually see your vet about this. Walking stimulates the bowels and the urge to go. If pup is needing to poop that many times due to something going on with her GI system or another medical reason then during the walks is when you are most likely to have those poops happen. Because pup is pooping more than once or twice during that time, I would want to know if there is something going on with their bodily system. You can train a dog to poop at the beginning of the walk so that they are empty for the rest of the walk if their system is like the average dog, and that approach can prevent the frequent pooping, but if something is going on leading to pup needing to poop more than usual, the issue may be medical rather than behavioral. If this were peeing this would be a marking issue, but with pooping I would speak with your vet first, and if nothing is wrong medically see if your vet would recommend a change in dog food, a probiotic, or adding something to pup's food to help. I am not a vet so can't give medical advice in this area though, so seek your vet's opinion. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
July 27, 2022
Bella
Mixed
1 Year
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
I take Bella out in the morning and she poops. But then on our walks she will poop in the middle of the sidewalk or street. or if we are at a store there also. Completely unexpected and unsettling when being out. Can you help?
June 17, 2022
Bella's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Alfred, Movement and the smell of where other dogs have gone to the bathroom both stimulate the urge to poop, so pup is probably pooping because its sort of being triggered in those environments. I would try walking pup around in wide circles or back and forth and spraying a potty encouraging spray on an acceptable area you are trying to get pup to go potty on before going on the walk or entering the store - like your yard or a grassy area near the parking lot by the store. Potty encouraging sprays are sprays like "Hurry!", "Go Here!" or others that advertise encouraging puppies to poop. Make sure you don't purchase the deterrent spray instead though. They are usually in the same sales aisle. Your best bet is probably to try to get pup to poop again right before starting the walk and store entrance. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 17, 2022