How to Train Your Older Dog to Poop in One Place

Hello, To train a dog to go in only one location you would need to take them to that spot on leash each time, reward with a treat once they go potty there, and prevent access to the yard except when they have already gone potty in the last hour the rest of the time. This tends to take about 6-12 months of doing this. You can also work on spraying a potty encouraging spray on the area you want her to go on once a day, give a treat whenever you see her going in that correct spot, like when you first take her out there in the morning, and she may begin going to that spot on her own more often. This may help prevent as many different potty spots in the yard but being strict with the leash for a long period of time would be required to prevent pottying in the rest of the yard at least some of the time. For the pottying in the garage, you need to prevent accidents in there first, then encourage pottying outside by rewarding when she does that whenever you can, keep the garage clean for about six by preventing so that holding it in the garage becomes a long term habit and she doesn't revert back to accidents, then you can transition back to freedom at night in the garage. To do this, I would crate at night, set up an audio baby monitor so you can take her outside to go potty if she takes needing to go out in the middle of the night (At this age puppies usually need 0-1 potty trip at night until 5-6 months when most can hold it 8 hours overnight by that point). Don't ignore middle of the night potty needs on the monitor when you crate though, or too many accidents in the crate can lead to pup beginning to go in the crate too - where as right now, most puppies have a natural desire to keep a confined space clean so will attempt to hold it in the crate, and start to generalize that desire to the rest of the nearby area - like the rest of the garage overtime. To encourage that desire, the crate while potty training needs to be sized where pup can stand up, turn around, and lie down, but not so big that she can go potty on one end and stand in the opposite end to avoid the accident. The crate also shouldn't have anything absorbent in it. For a dog bed, I would wait to give a plush bed that is absorbent and may be chewed up and swallowed; instead, use something non-absorbent like www.primopads.com or possibly k9ballistics crate mats. Depending on her size, you may also be able to train her to use a disposable real grass pad kept in the garage. I would have her sleep in an exercise pen with grass pads covering half of the pen flooring and a non-absorbent bed on the other end. This option allows you to get more sleep at night but for some dogs could result in needing a grass pad in the garage long term in order to prevent future accidents when the grass pad is taken away (although the exercise pen part could be phased out once trained); whereas the crate and potty trips outside, although it may mean some temporary lost sleep, should result in more consistent potty training. Clean any accident spots well with a cleaner that contains enzymes to fully remove the pee and poop smell completely. Dogs' noses are a lot more sensitive than ours as you know, and they can still smell old accident spots and can be attracted to potty in that spot again if it's not cleaned well with a cleaner that contains enzymes. Even bleach doesn't remove the smell as well, and ammonia based cleaners should be avoided on the floor because they smell like urine to a dog. A couple of disposable grass pad brands include: freshpatch.com porchpotty.com Found on Amazon often too Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 2, 2022

Hello Tony, Is pup sleeping outside at night or asking to be let outside at night? If pup is sleeping outside and going potty in that spot without you present, then you will need to block off access to the area by the office door outside since you aren't there to teach pup at that time. If you are letting pup outside, pup needs to be taken out on a leash for long enough for pup to develop a habit of going in a new location. I would take pup on leash, walking them around slowly on leash so that the movement encourages pup to go potty. I would also purchase a potty encouraging spray and spray that on the spot you want pup to go potty on instead before taking pup outside each time temporarily. If pup won't go potty when you take them on leash, you will need to hold out giving them access to the area beside the office for long enough for pup to finally go potty in the other part of the yard. If pup has accidents inside when they aren't given access to the office door area, then you will need to crate train pup and crate pup between potty trips if they don't go potty while outside - until they go potty and can stay out of the crate until it's time to go potty later, crating again if they don't go potty when taken potty later also, until they finally go potty away from the porch. It's very important that pup is taken potty on leash to the area you want them to go potty at, for pup to learn. This needs to be done long enough for pup to develop a habit of going in the other part of the yard. Don't crate pup when they go next to the office - that's not effective. The crating is just to prevent accidents inside while holding out for pup to go potty in the area you are taking them to on leash. I would also reward pup with a treat when they do go potty in the correct spot. You can tell pup "Go Potty" when you take them there, so they will learn to go more quickly in the future when you take them on leash. If the office door isn't the door pup goes through to go potty outside, another option is to use a pet barrier device designed for outside use, to keep pup away from that area outside in general, but I would only do this is that's a door you never want pup to enter and exit through, since you would be teaching pup to avoid that entire door area. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

July 5, 2022