Picky About Where He Toilets.

[pixie_meg]

Oberon has been great with toilet training. Just one problem we discovered this week is that he doesn't like to toilet in public. I've taken him to town and he has never wee'd or poo'd. We've been out for hours and nothing. We get home, and he does his business.

Problem was this week he was in Brisbane with OH for the last few days and not once did he wee or poo outside. He went to a dog park, nothing, outside the building, nothing. He did all his business on the tiles inside the office within 5 minutes of getting back inside. Not pleasant for the staff.

At home when we're out he stays in the laundry and if he needs to he wees or poos on the tiles.

So any suggestions to get him ok with doing his business out in public? OH wants Oberon to be an office dog but if he doesn't get used to toileting outside the home then that plan might be over.

[Nannas]

LOL, I thought I was the only one with this problem...

My girl (6yo) has always been really picky about where she goes, too.

Even in our own yard she tip toes about for 10 minutes before she picks a spot,,,(and it is always the same spot so I don't know why she has trouble picking it)

As she has gotten older she has had trouble holding it for too long,,,so sometimes when out all day she really has to go,,,,BUT she takes ages to find a spot,,,,then looks about like she is scared someone is watching,,,,AND if a car drives passed or someone walks passed,,,she stops and walks off like she wasn't doing anything.

I have no answers for you sorry..

Just think it's cool to know there are other dogs who won't 'go' in public!!

[pixie_meg]

I have no answers for you sorry..

Just think it's cool to know there are other dogs who won't 'go' in public!!

Kind of funny isn't it. silly things.

Anyone out there with suggestions?

[wuffles]

My dog is another picky one, but he only likes to go outside his yard, and he will face away from you so you can't see

Maybe Oberon is getting confused because he can go on the tiles at home so he thinks this is the toilet spot. Is there a reason he stays in the laundry while you're out? Do you have a fenced yard that he could be in?

Otherwise maybe you could try putting a patch of fake grass in the laundry with him and encouraging him to use that instead. Might help him associate the right surface to toilet on?

[pixie_meg]

My dog is another picky one, but he only likes to go outside his yard, and he will face away from you so you can't see

Maybe Oberon is getting confused because he can go on the tiles at home so he thinks this is the toilet spot. Is there a reason he stays in the laundry while you're out? Do you have a fenced yard that he could be in?

Otherwise maybe you could try putting a patch of fake grass in the laundry with him and encouraging him to use that instead. Might help him associate the right surface to toilet on?

Unfortunately he got out of the dog yard and then out of the outer fenced yard one day while we were out.

I could try bricking up the spot under the fence, but i'm just worried he will get out again. The whole house is tile or floorboards so when he has a woopsie thats where it is. Could try the fake grass but i'm thinking he will know its fake grass.

[corvus]

Well, I'm not sure, but it sounds like an insecurity issue to me. Or maybe he just doesn't know where the toilet is in this new place so he waits for something familiar? Erik gets uncomfortable about toileting in someone else's yard until I see that he wants to go, take him somewhere out of the way outside and give him his cue for toileting. So maybe teaching Master Oberon a verbal cue for toileting would help him. It's easy to teach. You just say your cue every time you catch him weeing. We use "Water the grass". And maybe take him somewhere well out of the way where he feels alone.

[mokhahouse]

Mokha will wee when we are out but never poops. He will always wait til we get home even if we have been out all day. It is completely pointless carrying poop bags with me but I do anyway. He will wee on command but has never liked to poop in front of anyone. I dont know why.If you try making a big fuss and treating when he does go outside perhaps in time he will be encouraged to do it. If he is weeing and pooping in the laundry when you are out it sounds like he hasnt quite got it yet. Persevere I am sure it will get better.He may be your office dog yet.

[leroysmum]

Ours is another one that won't do anything when we are out. He doesn't even do poo on the lawn at home, he will go onto the garden where there is bark or onto a gravel area and do his business. He will urinate on the grass though but it will be close to the garden bed. We don't mind as I don't have to be doing pooh patrol every five minutes when the kids are out there. He will always sit at the back door though to wait to go outside if we happen to have him indoors. We did do crate training with him when we first got him and continually took him to one place in the backyard for toileting. Perserverance to train him in the right spot...lots of praise and consistency.

[SmoothieGirl]

Yep, I've had a similar issue with shyness. My Dobe and now Bronte were like this. Both wouldn't go to the toilet off my property until they were about 7 or 8 months old. Don't know why they do this, but it seems to be quite common and you'll often get a break through with wee quite a bit before poos.

Best way I've found to combat it is to be very consistent with your toilet training procedure and teaching a verbal cue as has been suggested. When you take him out at home give him the cue, wait til he goes, then when he finishes cue him again and heaps of praise. The consistency is the use of the word, before and after as reinforcement of your message. I used the cue during the pee or poo too, but some very shy dogs see that as an interruption, so you will have to decide for yourself if adding it will put him off or not.

When this appears to be working at home, start it on walks, particularly if you know he's about due to go, instead of going in the backyard, clip on the lead and go for a walk, even just on the nature strip. Try the same cues, be light and easy about it and patient. He looks like a bright button, I'm sure he will get it soon.

Now Bronte will go happily elsewhere and she goes when asked, well if she needs too of course.