Weeing In Public Places

[WinGus]

Pepper has been housetrained using a puppy wee pad. We have tried to get her to wee and poop before we go on walks, but most times she won't do anything. Then when she's on the walk, she will wee and poop!!! I haven't really reacted to her doing this, but is this teaching her that it is okay? I'm a bit funny with her weeing on other people's lawns or on the council strips/parks. Poop I just pick up.

I have a feeling it is because at home, she doesn't feel she needs to go, but out in the wide world, she smells other dogs' urine and has to go, or the movement of her legs during the walks makes her then go. Is this a correct assumption?

She's also started weeing a lot of times in the past week when walking. Do female dogs scent mark?!? She sniffs a certain place then will wee there, even though she has already wee'd at home or earlier on in the walk. Normally it's one wee and one poop. This week it's been numerous wee's and some days, two poops! I haven't changed her diet?!?!

Does weeing in public really matter? Am I just worried over nothing?!?! :D :p

[Paganman]

Yeah my girl marks and even cocks her leg sometimes, shes just as bad as my boy. I dont let them wee on peoples gardens but they do wee on nature strips sometimes I think most peoples dogs do. I always pick up the poop in a bag but I dont really worry about wee usually its just a dribble anyway.Dogs like to wee and poop away from where they live its like not messing in their den I think, my two will even hold on sos they can do it down the road or at the oval.

[GotAnyBlacker]

I think its fine :D

Its natural and your dogs don't see anything wrong with it.

As long as you clean up after them its fine :p

My girl Daisy wont poo when we go out and up until lately she wouldnt wee either and only does so when she's busting. She saves it till she gets home! Poppy on the other hand goes everytime we walk! The walking makes them need to go, so if it was my dog I wouldnt make them hold it in.

[Kavik]

I wouldn't worry about it. It is more of an issue if your dog won't toilet in public in case you take your dog somewhere. Zoe prefers to poo on walks but Diesel and Kaos prefer to go at home. Diesel can be an issue if we take him somewhere as he takes a while to be comfortable toileting - especially poos.

[Erny]

Initial light exercise tends to encourage animals to empty themselves. I've never worried about whether the dog toilets on walks or not. I always make sure I've got some poo-bags so I can collect it and put it in the bin. As for marking - I like my dogs to "mind" me (ie consider me) and not expect that I should "mind" them (ie that I don't have to stop and wait and go everywhere the dog wants to go, when its wants to go there). So if it is a matter of a dog who likes to mark everything in sight, I keep walking and don't allow it. Especially people's property such as letter boxes, plants in their front garden etc.

[jillybean]

I don't think anyone minds if your dog pees on their lawn - it's not like they'll ever know unless they see it happening! And again, as long as you pick up the poops they'll never know!

[cavNrott]

That's what dogs do, they leave their calling card to let other dogs know they've been there.

I always pick up after my dogs.

[WinGus]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I definitely clean up after my dog. I get really annoyed when I see other poops all over the place. :

Erny, you're right! I guess it is a training issue. I normally let Pepper just sniff her way around as I know she really enjoys it. Unfortunately that does mean that she pulls and tugs me everywhere!!

She didn't mark tonight. Just did one wee, one poop and sniffed her way around the rest of the walk! Maybe it was just a one-off thing?

Oh well, back to the leash training!!

[Garloch]

If you can catch her in your yard when she does either form of elimination, praise her a LOT as she is doing it, and name it wee or poo, and immediately treat her.

Its constant training, but you can actually teach them to go on command. Takes patience, and lots of watching though, with treats at the ready. Treat Cannister at the back door helps. Helps if you have an intelligent breed. My friend who trained her dog to go on command has a Shih/Lhasa too, so there is a precendent for you!

With walking, I don't stop for mine to sniff around. Hard to pee on the run!

[Tilly]

My boy will go at home and when we go walking.

What I find really annoying is that he must also go 10 minutes into the walk when we are at the local forest (yes dog are allowed on leash).

The only problem with that is there are no bins so I have to carry around with me on the 3 hour trek. I thought I would outsmart him by taking him for a short walk so he could do his business, I could then take it back to the car and then I wouldn't have to carry it for the next 3 hours ... only for him to do another one 10 minutes up the tracks again. And this is from a dog who hadn't eaten since 5:30am the day before. I swear that dog laughs at me having to carry his poop with me for 3 hours!!!

He will pee and poo when he is told but that doesn't seem to stop him from also going when he wants to.

[Swizzlestick]

What I find really annoying is that he must also go 10 minutes into the walk when we are at the local forest (yes dog are allowed on leash).

The only problem with that is there are no bins so I have to carry around with me on the 3 hour trek. I

He will pee and poo when he is told but that doesn't seem to stop him from also going when he wants to.

Do you return the same way you leave. I'd pick it up in a bag, stash it behind a tree (as long as no-one is watching) and collect it on the way back. I live in the bush, and I've done this with my jacket many times whilst out riding my horse. Works for me

[Tilly]

Unfortunately it is a loop so I don't go back the same way. I usually double bag it and then hang it off a clip on the back of my backpack.

After seeing the number of cigarette butts left laying around the place I was tempted to leave the poop on the ground to break down but I just have to pick it up as 2 wrongs don't make a right.