Potty training an outside dog

hello,

I just recently bought a dog that is a year old. We keep him outside in our backyard only. He poops all over the place, but we only want him to poop in the very back of the backyard like our old dog.
How can I train him to do this? I tried tieing him up in the back first thing after we let him out from his caged area in morning, but he just barks, and after we give up and let him run free in the yard, he would poop somewhere in the front of the yard near the house..

Thanks,

Roiwa

It's very difficult to train a dog anything when he's ONLY an outside dog if you're inside. Dogs are very human-social animals and do best when with their families on a much more constant basis. It's hard to train a dog much of anything if you don't have that bond that happens from living with your dog together.

In theory, you'd have to prevent any elimination from your dog in any other place besides you're designated place. You'd have to be outside with him all the time and have him on a leash so you could show him where to go to the bathroom. He'd have to be reinforced each time for a long time, with a very high value reward. (a tasty treat and lots of praise) He'd have to be prevented from having free roam of the yard....EVER. (until trained to go in one area)

People who train their dogs inside often use a crate when the dog can not be supervised because crates discourage dogs from going to the bathroom in them. They take the dog often outside, reinforce for going outside and then supervising them like a hawk the rest of the time....or put them in the crate where they won't tend to go if at all possible, when they can't watch the dog. Never punish your dog for going someplace that you don't want. Just a forwarning, in case. It can cause him to fear going to the bathroom in front of you. He won't know for quite some time...until he's had only ONE place that is reinforcable/rewardable for him to go and no place else works for him. It never happens because you prevent it and therefore he is not reinforced for going in the "wrong" place....reinforced because eliminating is a pleasurable feeling.

In other words, I think it would be very difficult and impractical to teach a dog to go in one place when he's ONLY an outside dog unless you're ONLY an outside human. LOL.

In addition to Doberluv's excellent advice, I'd like to add that each dog likes to have his own private bathroom, so would I. He may be avoiding using the old dog's bathroom because he can smell the old dog's scent. Also, he may be relieving himself everywhere in order to establish his territory. Pick up the poop and place some of it in the "bathroom" area, bury the rest. When you take him to potty in the area that you'd like, on leash, run him around a bit. At some point, he will HAVE to go and he will be in the area you want him to go in. Treat, make a big fuss, then take him for a walk. He'll learn that walks happen after potty, and you'll get to spend some quality time with him.

Thanks Maura. And you made some good suggestions. I always forget about or skip over the scent factor....getting them to smell where they should go. Great idea. And I like the idea of using a walk afterwards for a reward....or to associate doing the business with a fun time.

Also, when your dog just begins to pee or poo, quietly say a cue, like "go potty" or whatever. After some time, as he makes the tie between the cue and the act, you'll later be able to get him to go when and where you need him to. (if he has to go) It sometimes makes them hurry up. Plus, a treat right after helps them to hurry it along I think. They get so they remember a treat is coming after they're finished.

We have a large property and when Blackie and Rose were outdoor dogs we taught them to poop in the field and not in our yard. They were kenneled when we weren't supervising, so my mom would just go outside, put them on a leash, and walk them out to the feild. When they went poop she would praise and reward, much like you would teaching a puppy to go potty outdoors and not in. She did that consistantly for a few weeks and after that it was just habit for them to run out to the field to go #2. To this day Rose will go to the very edge of the yard or into the field to poop, not matter how bad she has to go. If the dogs did happen to go in the yard, we'd pitch it out into the field with a shovel. (The poop, not the dog! ROFL)

:rofl1::rofl1::rofl1:

Tokie always went off to the woods or edge of the yard by the woods when she lived with me...or when she visits me. She just did that naturally. Jose` does it too...most of the time, just on his own. Sometimes I discourage him from going so far because I'm worried some wild animal will get him if I can't walk over there with him. "just go here Jose`" I tell him. Seriously, he seems to know what I mean. lol.