I am so glad to finally get access to this site. I have been reading everything that is written, biting at the bit to ask some questions, the most pressing one is below. By the way I have the puppy video and the OB video.

I am having a little problem that I could use some help with. I don’t want to let it go too far, because I know dogs learn something from everything you do. About a month ago I got Sydney, a 6-7 month old yellow lab. For the most part, he was already house broken. But because I have small children playing in my yard, I wanted him to “go” in a specific garden area. Everyday, after feeding, I would take him on a leash to this area and he would obediently go “potty”. Well about two weeks ago, he stopped. He would pee, but then refuse to step over the perimeter to poop. In fact, no amount of urging would even get him to enter the area. So at that point (day 2) I put him in his crate and went to work. By the time I got home, he had pooped in his crate. I immediately took him outside, but he only peed. When I brought him back in, he tried to find a place in the living room to “go”, but I was watching him and took him out immediately to the area and he had to go so badly, he went ahead and pooped where I wanted him to. Then it started all over. The next day, no poop in the garden. Following some advice of a friend, that day, after I had tried to coax him to go in the garden, I gave in and let him go where he wanted to, but picked up after him. The second time he did this, he went in a totally different spot and I realized that I was potentially going to have the problem I was trying to avoid all a long. I did not want poop all over the yard and I do not intend to have to follow behind him for the rest of his life. So we were back to our stand off again, with him waiting until he could hold it no longer. I took him to the vet’s to make sure his stools were normal. I kept feeding him normally and included snacks. But because he wouldn’t poop, I kept him crated alot and allowed him out only to try to go potty. Another friend suggested that I try giving him snack to encourage him to go and I did. This worked well for a few days. I would give him snacks only when he pooped. The day before yesterday day, he went out, peed and would not poop again, but he would sit looking up at me expecting a snack. When he doesn't go, he stays in his crate until I can take him out again. When he can hold it no longer and goes, I praise him, give him a treat and he gets to come out and play with the family or go for a walk. I think that he is testing me, but I have gotten all manner of explanations from other friends. I have friends that say, the area is too "dirty" for him. I raked it to give him space, but when he does go, it's in the part I have not raked. The area is large and there is plenty of space. There is a black border around the area and he stops right at that border and refuses to go any further. Please help before this becomes too much of a power struggle.

I would treat this as an obedience problem. Most dogs are going to start to test limits at some point as they age, it doesn't have to be a knock down drag out fight that you see with a real dominant dog, but there is a point that they try and puxh to get their way over your way. The only thing that fixes it is getting the obedience down. Just continue what you are doing and work the obedience 2-3 times a day until the dog has it down. As you gain more control in the obedience area you will find this other problem will resolve at the same time.

Just curious, do you pick up his stools that are in the designated area or do you allow them to accumulate? Just anecdotal, but mine do have preferred areas but if I haven't picked up and there are several old stools already there, they'll avoid it and go elsewhere.

Response to Richard:
Thanks for your advice. I have not been training with him so much because he goes to the crate when he does not poop. But I will try to keep that up. Maybe I am making him spend too much time in the crate. When he does go, we take him out and play with him or if I have to leave the house for a short period, I will leave him free in the laundry room and not in the crate.

Response to Lee:
At first I was not picking it up. Then a friend suggested that and so I raked the area in the middle clean. Funny thing is that when he does go, he avoids the clean part and opts for where he has been along the sides of the garden.