# dog won't pee in our yard



## Mish Mish (Sep 1, 2008)

My new rescue dog, Charlie came to me and he's housebroken--he obviously has had some great training and I consider myself very lucky! We've had him two weeks--he's a min pin/chi mix.

The challenge comes in that he is almost TOO house trained, to the point where he won't pee (he will poop) in our back yard. He is crate trained and has had no accidents in the crate. When we are home, we let him out in the yard periodically in case he has to go...but he only pees on walks (he gets one in the AM and one in the evening).

Last night, he whined in his crate around 11pm or so because he had to pee. My husband walked him outside, but he wouldn't pee outside and instead he ran inside and peed on the carpet! I felt really bad because we ignored his whining at first, but then, I figured he must be trying to tell us something because he is usually quiet as a mouse in the crate.

I feel like I may be partially responsible for this--when we first got him, he attempted to lift a leg on one of my lavender bushes and I told him "ah-ah!" and he stopped. Since then, he seems to think he can't pee anywhere back there. I really want him to be able to pee in the yard, especially if it's too late for a walk or if the weather is really bad.

Any ideas about how to let him know it's okay pee in our yard?!


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

Just stay outside for a while, don't give it a few minutes then give up, just stay until he does and praise and treat him, if he doesn't, put him immediately back in his crate, don't give him the chance to go on the floor.


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## Mish Mish (Sep 1, 2008)

I will need to spend a long time with him outside (and try not to make an issue about where he goes!).


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

Well then if he goes you can use a word..."Go potty" or any word, then you can say it and they will go to the bathroom shortly after or that second.


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## Talynn (Sep 10, 2008)

Pepper said:


> Well then if he goes you can use a word..."Go potty" or any word, then you can say it and they will go to the bathroom shortly after or that second.


Yes! You can train a dog to go on cue. When you are on a walk, whenever he pees, say "Go potty!" or whatever you want to use. Say it over and over in a happy voice the whole time he is peeing. After a while, he will associate this phrase with the act. Then you can take him in the yard, say "Go potty!" in the same tone and he will likely react. It might take a while for him to make the link; I would try doing it on walks for a couple weeks before you try testing it in the yard.

When I first heard you could train a dog to potty on cue, I thought it was crazy. But it really works! A real lifesaver when it's raining. My Sadie doesn't care about the rain and will putz around, but I do!


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## blunder (Sep 2, 2008)

QUICK!! How did you train it not to?

Oh, my neighbors are gonna love you


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## Mish Mish (Sep 1, 2008)

blunder said:


> QUICK!! How did you train it not to?
> 
> Oh, my neighbors are gonna love you


Ha! Ha! My dog is really sensitive to voice correction, so I think it was just my "AH! AH!" when he lifted on the lavender bush...and we were done for! I swear, I am not that scary!


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## Nevythesevla (Sep 17, 2008)

Maybe give him treats when he poops outside or give him lots of praise, then wait awhile till he pees then really give him treats and loving.
Do you half catch him in the act, cause then while he's half doing it, clap or distract him, then make him go outside again and see if he'll go then.


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## Mish Mish (Sep 1, 2008)

The last three walks we have told him in a nice voice "go potty" while he pees/poops and then we give him praise and treats after.

I know he got that he was doing something right on our walk this AM because as soon as he peed he looked at me for his treat.

We will just stay with that for awhile.


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## Talynn (Sep 10, 2008)

> The last three walks we have told him in a nice voice "go potty" while he pees/poops and then we give him praise and treats after.
> 
> I know he got that he was doing something right on our walk this AM because as soon as he peed he looked at me for his treat.
> 
> We will just stay with that for awhile.


That's awesome! Glad he seems to be starting to understand that the words mean something. Yep, just keep it up. I would suggest at least a good week or two of this before you start trying to "tell him" to go in the yard. Make sure the cue is really solid. Good luck with you lavender-bush-aphobic!


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