Hello All,
Does anyone have any ideas if it is at all possible to make your dog mess in the same area every time in the garden. Ours leaves piles all over and I have to go searching every time he goes out and before I can let the children play out there.

Thank you in advance.

We've been really lucky because our cocker will only poo on the patio. This started when she was a little puppy as we used to take her outside on her flexi lead and if it was raining my hubby would stand in the house by the french doors - the lead only reached as far as the patio!!!

Even now, when she's nearly 12mths old, she still only poos and wees on the patio.

I'm not sure how to train your dog now, though as we started when Holly was a pup.

Fiona
x x x

hi guest
we are still working on it but our lad is restricting himself to a concreted area of the driveway .if you know his routine !!and watch him close you will know when he wants to go-and give loads of praise and treats when it's in the right place . also we found what helped is to leave the area abit 'dirty' so they'll smell it and that seems to stimulate them to go in that place
hope that makes sense !;)
Liz

Like you, we have children, so we have put a fence across the top of the garden to stop the dogs going onto the grass unless supervised. It's only a low fence, about 2' high. They now have the concreted area behind the house and under the carport at the side, although they tend to 'go' if they have to next to the fence, where there's still a strip of grass. They prefer to 'go' on grass but are starting to use the concrete. It's much easier to pick up poo from the concrete of course and to wash down. Also having the fence should save the grass from being completely wrecked during the winter (it's only gone up at the end of Aug!) and wet muddy dogs coming charging into the house!! :D
sas

with three dogs and two kids, and after re-turfing the lawn twice in one year (no exaggeration), we decided to put up a dividing fence in the garden. the dogs have a large patio area, which is the first third of the garden, fenced and gated, you can see through the fence to the top garden as the fence is kind of ranch style (boarded horizontally which small gaps inbetween) its easy to hose down and the kids have two thirds which is lawned and has all their play equipment in. its been brilliant. I don't have to worry what the kids are a) treading in and b) playing with!! the only trouble we have now is that the neighbourhood cats now realise that the dogs are not free running in the end garden and use the playbark under the climbing frame as a litter tray. YUK! Actually, my pet shop sells lion dung from the local wildlife park as cat deterrent - anyone heard of this????does it work??

segregation worked for us, maybe worth trying?

issysmum, the vision made me laugh, what a good idea!!!

julie