This is going to sound weird, but believe me, I am desperate! I need suggestions on how to keep at least a part of the garden dry. I have 7 Papillons and most of them utterly refuse to go outside if it either is raining, or the ground is very wet.  They will reluctantly go out when told but then they just stand there and do nothing. Pee on wet ground? You've GOT to be joking! Only the two male dogs will as they can cock their legs. The bitches won't. So they come in, wet and muddy (tiny mainly white very longcoated dogs.....) and do all their business indoors. This is it for as long as it is wet outside, which often is all of the autumn, winter and spring too........ I'd much rather have snow as then they'd stay cleaner and would happily go outside. We all like snow.

Anyway, it has started raining heavily today after many weeks of little or no rain, and I REALLY don't want another autumn/winter of this. I need suggestions on how to keep at least a small part of garden dry enough for the dogs to want to go outside. And it has to be something that doesn't require planning permission as this is the front of my bungalow. I have a huge front garden. Half of it is grass, and that is fenced off, so I can shut the gate and keep the dogs off the grass when it is wet -no problem. Then I have a gravel area and a path next to the house from the gate to the door. (The gate to enter the property via, not the gate to the grass.) If  I could just keep the path reasonably dry that would help a lot -but it even takes ages to dry once it stops raining. They are tiny dogs, it is no problem picking up poo and washing off pee near the front of the house. I am even thinking of sticking a gazebo outside the front door, just to keep some dry ground. But would love to hear if anyone has any clever ideas! I know this isn't just my Paps -it seems to be a Papillon thing to refuse to go outside in wet weather. 

I was going to suggest a gazebo of sorts, but if we have high winds that may not be good ! I have a huge yard in the back and it is block paved. The rain drains very fast and within 1/2 hr of  rain it is "touch" dry. We never get puddles on it. Another suggestion would be to put up some sort of covered run, maybe a large puppy run and cover top and the most exposed 2 sides with a tarpaulin ? For paps I would have thought it would be possible to make up something not to big. Have you hedges or fences if fences could you use  that as one side of a run to cover over with a tarp ?
A car port with no sides probably does not need planning permission, you could then tack some plastic round it to keep the worst off. Does the front garden run down the side of the house at all ? could you utilize that area at all? using the side of the house to make a covered area with ?
Aileen

Just an idea, I seem to think you have a cat run, could you possibly cover that and use it in emergencies ?
Aileen

My neighbours put up a pergola over their patio and then roofed it in with triple walled polycarbonate.  Not only did it keep their patio furniture dry, they could sit out in all weathers and it kept their two JRT's dry off the garden unless weather was fine.

So a covered area like this would be my vote.

My pap used to cock his leg outside the back door with the rest of him inside in bad weather!
I think a gazebo would work or maybe an awning down the side of the house if doable?

do you have to stop the rain falling on them? or would a patch of artificial grass work as it drains well and is dry to walk on even just after rain.

What about something like this? https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t34.0-12/10726353_943454899014708_1668315158_n.jpg?oh=39f64087004f45cc17c8a04d0d016704&oe=5434B61C&__gda__=1412790268_ffc502885c76dc06ca7b374e29e53098

Thanks everyone a few things to think about there! I didn't even know you could buy pergolas ready made like that (in fact I didn't know what a pergola was!), found it when Googling -that could definitely work. The cat run is grass and the entry is via a window so not practical for dogs (although it is great for when I have a Papillon bitch is season as then I can throw the only entire male dog out the window -so to speak!- to keep him apart from the bitch when going out, he climbs the ladder easily, it is like half an agility A frame.). The cat run covers about a third of the front of the bungalow, then a third is clear and within the fence, the final third outside the fence as the garage and drive are obviously outside the fence. But yes we have metal kennel fencing all around so could use them. And yes they do both hate getting wet and walking on wet ground. Earlier today when I let them out I counted six and kept calling and calling, eventually found the last one hiding under a cupboard!! She knew it was wet outside!

Found quite a few images of 'covered Pergolas' like thttps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=covered+pergolas&newwindow=1&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgil=kTXMSdTOvwM3sM%253A%253B_qcsOXwqWMv3fM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.topdeck.biz%25252Fpergola.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=kTXMSdTOvwM3sM%253A%252C_qcsOXwqWMv3fM%252C_&usg=__3dz4V8tU6zZIEyXLkDIlNNtFaOI%3D&biw=1061&bih=518&ved=0CEsQyjc&ei=bQIzVKq7AcXVau3wgogJ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=kTXMSdTOvwM3sM%253A%3B_qcsOXwqWMv3fM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.topdeck.biz%252Fimages%252Fpergola_covered_large.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.topdeck.biz%252Fpergola.html%3B586%3B475his one:

Polytunnel??   Seriously, if you have a sheltered area, not subject to sudden squalls, then a gazebo-type cover might be the answer.  If, like us here, you are subject to sudden squalls, then I can't see this working.   I have a min-greenhouse, 2-tier, and despite being loaded (heavy) and with the cover zipped, we had horrendous winds one night and I woke up to find it on it's side across the garden, with all the tubs /bowls inside smashed.

A purpose built kennel and covered run may be your only answer unless like mine you insist they go out, rain or shine.   Would coating those who are the worst about this, be worth considering.  My Whippet has a rain mack and tolerates walking when it's raining, provided she's wearing it.

I had this problem with my old girl.

She'd stand there for hours on three legs (bedlingtons can look so pathetic it's unreal)   when I was toilet training her.

She could hold it in for days!    Of course,  she'd also stop drinking too :-(     I got wise and used to soak her food.

'making then go out,  rain or shine' doesn't work,  nor do coats.    Tried it all,  and never cured her.

I'd take her for walks and she'd still not go,  no matter how long we stayed out.    Actually we went for drags,  as she was reluctant to move at all.      She busted my knee good and proper once,  5 mins after leaving home.    How?   Why?    There was a puddle I hadn't noticed and she lunged right across me,  spinning me on one leg.     Took over an hour to hobble home,  and 2 years before I could walk without painkillers!   It's still dodgy.

I tried a small gazebo,  but she still wouldn't go as she could hear the rain falling!  And of course,  she had to get her feet wet to get to it.

The only way I got her to pee outside in the rain,  was leaving her out until she did,  and checking with a tissue to make sure,  otherwise she'd hold it in until she had to go,  then pee indoors!

Luckily,  her daughter was the 'out and in quick' type so no trouble with her or the grand-daughter.

Good luck with this Marianne,   hope you find a practical solution,  you have huge sympathy from me.

What about a golf brolly plonked in a flower pot in an emergency? You would need to weight the pot to stop it falling over, but might give enough cover for them to do what they have to do. That way you could also move the brolly/pot around too.

How about a small aviary run, with a waterproof roof and sides (maybe the sides could be drawn up on fine days)?

Dill you cheered me up no end -somebody else with a dog with very firm ideas! Admin  a gold umbrella could at least do as a temporary measure, can do that right away.

Goldmali your paps sound like my daughter´s whippet!  My own pap will go out whatever the weather, but then he´s a boy!  He´s also quite happy to go for a walk and return covered in mud.  The whippet however will not go out the door if it´s wet, cold, snowy or anything other than warm and dry - until he´s utterly desperate and then he will poo immediately outside the door.