I have tried, and have been dedicated to teaching our 5 mo GSD to go poop in one specific area in the yard (since the first day we got him at 8 wks). As you can see, I said "tried". When he is on a leash he will poop right where I want him to, then 15 minutes later when he is off leash he will go somewhere he isn't supposed to. Sometimes he will go where he is supposed to, even if he is off leash, which gives me hope.

Is this even possible, or should I just resign myself to doing daily yard patrol? Do I just need to keep him on leash 100% of the time in the back yard until he is older?

BTW - the area is a large box I made from 2x4's and is about 5'x6'.

Thanks

I think he has been trained that when on leash, this is the potty spot.


Is the desired area kept picked up?

When he DOES go there off leash, what do you do? (I hope the answer is "party hearty.")

When he starts to squat elsewhere, what do you do? (He has on a leash, right? You just don't have it in hand?) Do you lead him to the correct (cleaned up) area, and then praise, etc., when he goes?

He will need on- and off-leash practice with you right there so no unwanted habit can get any kind of foothold. But yes, this can definitely be done, with consistency.

PS

Important:

Be sure you also take walks with him sometimes at poop time, during this practice. A dog who thinks there is only one spot to poop in, in the world, will really suffer. The idea, of course, is: one spot in this yard.

John , we trained Kasey to go in one place -we have a gravel area on the side of our house because we didn't want our lawn to die. There is a sidewalk that leads to the gravel area so he doesn't have to walk across the grass to get there, but the grass IS right next to the sidewalk. I used the leash for quite a while to ensure that he didn't go off into the grass - which he definitely prefers. It became habit for him to go only to the gravel after about a year. He kept getting better as time went on, but up until then he would often want to veer off into the grass. He's 5 now and always just heads for the gravel - even if he's on the other side of the yard, he will cross the grass and go to the gravel.

If you dog has to walk through some grass to get to the part of the yard you want him to use, that makes it harder. Have you tried using food to reinforce him using the box area? That might speed things up.

John, one of our terrific members PMed me this, which pretty much covers my suggestions from above, only much better.

http://tipnut.com/how-to-train-a-dog-to-potty-in-one-spot/

Also, http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/a/Dog-Potty-Train-One-Spot.htm


They don't seem to mention the walks to make sure the dog knows he can go in other spots when outside the yard, so don't forget that crucial part!

I always praise when he goes in his area, and afterwards we play with his jolly ball, which he loves to do. I don't scold him for going where he isn't supposed to (if he is in the middle of his business when I see him), but maybe at this point I should start. If he tries to go somewhere else, I give a sharp NO, and tell him to go in the corner, and he will.

I try to keep it picked up, and honestly, I would have to say that I am not as diligent at that as I should be. Will definitely take care of that better, starting now.

I don't keep a leash on him in the back yard, since it is fenced, and right now it is a sloppy mess of rain, slush and snow. The leash gets soaked and the leather ones get ruined in short order. I would have to say that I am also guilty of letting him out by himself on occasion when he whining at the door - and I know that is just asking for trouble too.

When we go on walks, I don't let him do his business, I just keep a quick pace and keep things moving. He does know that he can go other places though, and when it is appropriate, I just tell him to go potty and he will.