I rescued a puppymill shih tzu in Sept 05 we think he is to be 4 y/o. I have never had a small dog always Great Danes, Dobie's etc... He is wonderful, smart, sweet, calm and playful during the appropriate times. He gets along well with other dogs and has no issues other than his left front leg is deformed most likely from the mill cages. My question is he will not go potty in the backyard. The only time he will potty is while on a leash walking. When I first got him he would only potty on a hard surface like asphalt he now will use grass but not in my yard only walking on a leash. He has never messed in the house. How can I teach him to go outside without me on his leash on a formal walk. Even if I put him on his leash and walk him around the yard he still will not go. I have left him in the yard for an extended period of time without him having gone potty for hours, only to have him sit at the door and wait to be let in. As I watched him for 30 or 45mins he just got scared and started to scratch at the door with no potty at all. I have never had a dog that would not relieve himself when necessary. This little guy would go days without going potty I think if he was not put on his leash and fomally walked. This can not be healthy. Any suggestions?

Beth, I get a lot of personal emails from people like you that have house training problems. I have created a web page that serves as a diorectory of information on solving problems. Go there and do some reading:

Directory of House Training Information

Hope this helps

Your dog wants you to take him on long walks AND he wants to stake out his territory (the more he marks up your neighborhood, the BIGGER his territory is, in a dog's mind) -- He has you pretty well-trained <:-)

Solution: Take him for onlead pit-stops IN your yard to a designated relief area & give him a "potty" command like Get Busy -- If he does NOT relieve himself right away, take him straight back indoors & crate him immediately (but don't act like it's a punishment, just his new routine)...

Repeat the exact same process at 1 hour intervals until he does his business when & where you tell him to do so -- once he complies, praise him enthusiastically with a few !YES BUSY! markers & love him up lavishly (he will soon learn this behavior well before he bursts, LOL)...

Sorry Ed, I was writing my reply while you were posting yours, so I didn't see that you answered him til afterwards...