potty training problem....

ok, coco and cookie are great about not going in the house, but they like to go on the cement outside instead of the grass
i have a pretty big yard some of it is cement and the rest is grass, so why dont they go in the grass??? is there a way to prevent them from going on the cement anymore??

Well, first you'll have to really wash the cement. It'll take more than just water to get the smell out of the cement so that your dogs don't smell that they went there before and will be attracted to go there again. You could soak it in Nature's Miracle or some other pet cleaner, then scrub it and spray it off with water.

Then you'll have to prevent your dogs from having the opportunity to go on the cement. Walk out into the grass with your dogs, and if they even walk on the concrete before they've pottied completely, quickly move them back onto the grass. You might even have to put them on leashes to keep them out in the grass with you. It will probably take at least a week, most likely longer, before they choose to go on the grass.

Usually the pups look for a surface that is familiar to them. Puppies raised in concrete runs will actively seek out concrete when looking for a spot to potty. Could be this is what is going on. This can also work in your favor- my friend just got his new puppy and he says it's already housebroken. The breeder had them living outside on the grass, so his puppy is already looking for grass when he has to potty.

Another possibility with your dogs- if the grass is wet or dirty, some dogs won't want to walk on it.

I agree with Lizzybeth- you are going to have to prevent them from using the cement for a while. You could set up a temporary pen area on the grass or go out with them on a leash. My 76 year old grandma has an overhead tie out where she can clip her little dog and let her wander the grass without having to go out with her. That can work too, but watch them so you can praise them when they go in the right place.

try putting a pad or something to cover the smell on the cement, maybe even place some chairs or something there so they physically CAN'T go on the cement pad. my dog used to do that and i put a welcome mat there (i know weird, but it's all I had), and he realized that the grass was more comfy for his business. after a while, you'll be able to remove the obstacles and he'll go on the grass.

They will have to acclimate to eliminating on grass. I would use an exercise pen and prevent them any access to eliminating on the concrete. It will take many weeks for this tendency to go to the concrete to go away, so I would use the expen unless you are out there to directly supervise.

Tasty food rewards for eliminating in the grass can also be helpful to encourage dogs to use the grass instead of the concrete.