Thank you for that advice, the only trouble is keeping him in the area we have designated!!! He trys to go off and play and then toilet after playing for a while, he finds the garden so interesting the last thing on his mind at first is toilet. Any advice for area training? He just does not stay put long enough. Thanks again in advance.xxx

keep him on the lead!!
you should join! im sure youll have lots of questions!!!!!!

You could always fence off a particular area and take him to that bit. I must admit I've never tried teaching a dog to only use one area of the garden, but have simply cleared up after them wherever they perform (yes, I had children using the garden too). I personally think that trying to lead-train and house-train at the same time would be very problematical, so personally I'd concentrate on getting pup to perform outside rather than put a collar and lead on as well, because that could be even more distracting than the garden.
:)

ive never had a problem,but i wasnt getting them to walk on a lead just  be restrained by one, mine didnt need it after a few goes anyway as the soon got the idea

I agree with JG, learning to go outside, preferably to a command word, can be the first exercise and learning to do it in a specific area, using the command word to facilitate it, can be the second exercise.  You are always going to be with pup during this phase so cleaning up should be straight forward.  I use a torch at night as last thing at night is the very time when you will want to be sure they have done all the biz :)

what exactly are you frightened will happen to the children?

I have fenced a small part of the garden for mine to go toilet in.

I would not like the kids falling in some pooh that has not been picked up    ie- done late at night.

Lucky to have 2 back doors though, one for the kids & 1 for blue.

Jo
xxxx

If I had a ten acre garden with one poo on it, I guarantee my daughter would manage to tread in it! ;-)

I have a son like that Havoc, if there is any dog poo about his size 10's will find it.  He came home from school the other week and there was so much dog poo caked on the bottom of his shoe I don't know how on earth he managed to walk properly :-(  - but he pretended he didn't even know it was there.

We have part of our garden fenced off for a play area with swings, slide, sand pit etc and have a gate on to keep the dog out.  We did this when we used to have a German Shepherd because he used to charge down the garden to see who was passing the front gate and if my daughter got in his way he would have knocked her over in his hurry.  He did try to sneak in though if the gate was left open especially if we were sunbathing in there and he was on the other side of the fence, he hated that.

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