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TRAINING A DOG TO GO IN JUST ONE SPOT
QUESTION: How do I teach my pup to go to the
bathroom in just one spot in the yard. I don’t want to be
stepping in her daily deposits. She lives in the house most of
the time, but plays outside in the yard and is trained to go
to the bathroom outside.
ANSWER: Pick an area in the back corner of the yard.
8 ft X 8 ft square is a good size for a large breed dog. 4 ft
X 4 ft for a small to medium breed dog. Remove all sod, so it
is just carefully raked dirt. A couple of inches of Pea Gravel
can be put down over the dirt if you worry about her tracking
dirt back into the house. Every time she has to go to the
bathroom, leash her and take her there. When she goes in that
spot, praise her lavishly. Then turn her loose to play in the
rest of the yard. Make her urinate and defecate both there.
This training takes time and much patience on the owner’s part
but is worth it in the long run. Expect to work at it
diligently for at least a month, often longer. While some dogs
catch on right away, others take time.
Once she gets the hang of it, you can begin to firmly tell
her "No" if caught going elsewhere in the yard.
Immediately take her
straight to her spot to show her where you want her to go.
Always pooper scoop the entire yard, each and every single
day. If you do it every day, it is only a couple of piles to
pick up, no big deal. If you do it only once in awhile, then,
of course, more work involved.
When first teaching her, leave one or two her past deposits
for her to get the idea. Then, once she is trained, keep it
picked up daily too. Let it build up there and she will soon
be forced to pick another spot that is not so dirty.
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