training to "go" in just one area

Shauna

I've had my puppy (almost 9 weeks old) for about 3 weeks now. I've been letting him "go" right outside of our back door (and into the backyard) because it's winter where I live and making a path through the snow would have been too hard since he was so little.

Well, I really don't want him going there once the warm weather returns and would rather he go on the far side of the yard. He's starting to be able to get around the snow now and has been expanding his um, poop circumference, and though I'm glad he's at least going outside I really don't want his poop all over the yard.

Should I start training him now to go in the area I want him to and how do I go about that? Will a dog even want to go in the same area time and time again? If I waited until spring to train him would it be more difficult or is this something an older dog would pick up without any problems?

Thanks!

fawkese1

you should check out the sticky on "housetraining how tos"

the best thing to do would be to move the spot and reward heavily for going in the new spot. if he does happen to go in the old spot, give him a less valuable reward... eventually he will choose the spot/area that he gets the best reward for going in.
don't go back and forth tho... if you can't commit to taking him to the new spot every time then you won't have the desired results... so let's say it is snowing and you don't feel like going out to the far side of the yard with him... you can't expect a pup that young to just do so on his own...make sense?

i have a really small backyard and my dog always goes in the furthest end of it bc that is where i always took him to go....but if i get lazy and don't clean up, he'll go in other spots... and when other dogs are over he will often pee wherever they have gone but still usually poos at the "toilet" end....

Mikey

I would train in the spring then-and like Fawkese said-do it consistently and reward heavily for going there.

There are 'potty sticks' which smell ot the dog that you can purchase and put int he spot you want them to go.
You can also move their poop to the spot you want them to go.