# Dog Refuses To Go Potty In The Grass- FRUSTRATED!!



## graficoartista31 (Feb 16, 2007)

Im so frustrated!!!

I recently posted a message saying my puppy started to poop in the house after being able to hold it since we got him 4 months ago (He is 7 mo. now). All of a sudden he started doing this and we just recently moved from an apartment to a house. He did great for a while so I figured I could just hook him up outside. Well thats when the pooping started. Whats worse, I started to go back outside with him to give him treats to praise for outdoor pottying... and i couldn't get him to go in the grass! He absolutly refuses. I have to DRAG him to his spot and stand there and make him go. He fights me and I dont know why. All i can think of is he is a short dog (westi poodle) and he doesnt like the tall grass right after it rains cause I couldnt cut it. or he doesnt like the wet grass after it rains. Either way.. i dont know what else do do. I treat, praise, and everthing.. He just isnt getting it! Some days he will go out of pure NEED to.. but when Im out there ... its a struggle just to get him on the grass.. cause if i dont wait and stand there till he goes, he will wait till he comes inside to poop there. We have a cement slabthat he hangs out on when he is out there. What can I do!!!!!


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

First off - take a DEEP breath.  Now, go get yourself some patience, because you are going to need it.  
You can't get frustrated - I know it's easier said than done - but it only makes it harder if you remain frustrated, plus your dog can _sense_ this and that alone can compound the problem further. 
Unfortunately, you will need to accompany your pup on all potty breaks until you get this resolved. You can't just leave him out there on his own. We have all been there one way or another. Trust me, Rowdy hated going in the rain, but I have had my fair share of standing in the rain soaking wet waiting for him to finally go. It pays off, you just have to be willing to make the investment and not give up. Take him outside to the same spot in the grass, every time. Don't drag him, if you have to, pick him up and plop him down then do it and wait him out. If 20 minutes passes, take him back in, tie him to you, give him 5 minutes and then take him out to the same spot again. You should never be giving him the opportunity to soil in the house - that means if you can't watch him, he should be in a crate or he should be tethered to you. 
There is no quick fix for this, you just need to be patient and consistent and if you do the work now, one day this will all be behind you.


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## Scamp (May 24, 2007)

There is hope. My shepard mix has a doggie door and she still goes potty in my kitchen! I don't know why, she just does. When it rains, she will stick half of her body outside of the doggie door and the other half inside and pee. She is stubborn. I totally agree with BoxMeIn21, you HAVE to go out with her and wait. When the business is done...Praise, Praise, Praise, like there is no tomorrow Good Luck


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## graficoartista31 (Feb 16, 2007)

Yeah...I don't know what it is! He wines and wines in his crate to go potty (he doesnt wine unless something is wrong - Atlast thats what he used to do before when he wasn't so stubborn.) For the most part, he is starting to become better again with holding it. Last night however, he jumped on the couch and pee'd all over my robe which shocked the heck out of me! So he is still having what I call "Surprize" mistakes... but for the MOST part doing ok. The outside thing is just getting to me. What causes this? At our apartment we would love to go outside and he would run to his same spot everytime...in the grass! Now mind you, the grass was mainly dead from walking on it but still.. and when he was done, he would run off of it onto pavement. So nothing has changes there, but now he won't even GO on it. He has started to pee on my cement slab just to avoid the grass. I litterly have to DRAG him to his spot. I will try the picking up and placing him n the grass idea. He certainly doesnt like to be draged. I would either but I don't know how else to get him to go. I praise and prais and praise when he goes but he's got his ears slicked back with imbarrasment like "Do I have to be doing this here?" Even with treats it doesnt seem to phase him. He LOVES going OUTSIDE but not in the grass. Grrrr!!!

Anyone else experience this? How long did it take to resolve?


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## gizmobaby (Apr 30, 2007)

Maybe you can train him as an indoor dog? My puppy was doing well going outside, but then when I tried to "cross-train" him (indoor + outside), he stopped going outside. It was hard for him to go do his business outside..unless he really needed to go..he would just go anywhere. Luckily, he is doing well inside. Maybe you could do that? Maybe he just doesnt like the outside as his potty place? Or you could always find another spot for him to use? Either way, it takes a LOT of patience. My friend told me it took her like a year to teach her dog how to be potty trained. Good luck with everything!!


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

How utterly confusing for a dog - keep him going outside AND keep the faith, it will happen.


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## tracydel (Jun 26, 2007)

I'm going through the same thing with my 9 month old adorable Havanese. And with the end of the school year activities, it's just been insane trying to keep her on a schedule. My biggest problem is that she will go in her crate if she is left too long or even sometimes when she wakes up from a nap. Is this normal? I've been told that she won't go in her crate, but she does. Like today. I left her in her crate for three hours. She had already pooped in the morning (in my den!!! first time with that!). And while we were out she again went poop and peed IN HER CRATE!!!! We were only gone three hours and I took her out before we left!!!!

I have an Expen for a crate, but I don't think that should make a difference. She does hold it during the night, but when I take her out in the am, she doesn't go and seems afraid. I have to keep an eye on her until she goes.

I have an expen outside, could I put her in there for 15 minutes and see if she goes? Or will that frustrate her too much? 

Any ideas of how to discourage her from going in her crate? 

I was also thinking of putting a litterbox with the puppy pads OUTSIDE on my deck. 

The other weird thing is that most of the time, when she has a peeing accident, she saturates her coat and I don't find much on the floor. Could she truly be having an accident, with no control over her bladder at this age?

YIKES, this is SO much like having another toddler around. AND I THOUGHT I WAS DONE HAVING KIDS!!!!


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Dogs will eliminate in their crate if they have no other choice, so it's your responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen. It may just be a case of physical limitation - I would have a vet check her out, just to rule out a UTI if she is having more accidents than normal. Other than that, you just have to stay on top of her and sometimes you may need to do it even more. You need to accompany her on her potty trips outside so you there to reward her when she is successful, and praise her like there is no tomorrow. Take her out every 45 minutes if need be, and keep her tethered to you so she can't sneak off and have an accident in the house, crate her when you can't watch her at all. 
Ditch the litter box and puppy pad idea, you will only be confusing her more - just be consistent and be patient, it will pay off.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

graficoartista31 said:


> Im so frustrated!!!
> 
> I recently posted a message saying my puppy started to poop in the house after being able to hold it since we got him 4 months ago (He is 7 mo. now). All of a sudden he started doing this and we just recently moved from an apartment to a house. He did great for a while so I figured I could just hook him up outside. Well thats when the pooping started. Whats worse, I started to go back outside with him to give him treats to praise for outdoor pottying... and i couldn't get him to go in the grass! He absolutly refuses. I have to DRAG him to his spot and stand there and make him go. He fights me and I dont know why. All i can think of is he is a short dog (westi poodle) and he doesnt like the tall grass right after it rains cause I couldnt cut it. or he doesnt like the wet grass after it rains. Either way.. i dont know what else do do. I treat, praise, and everthing.. He just isnt getting it! Some days he will go out of pure NEED to.. but when Im out there ... its a struggle just to get him on the grass.. cause if i dont wait and stand there till he goes, he will wait till he comes inside to poop there. We have a cement slabthat he hangs out on when he is out there. What can I do!!!!!


Well I've read before that having a dog go in the grass could cause him to go on the carpet because sometimes they confuse the grass with the carpet since they are both soft. Try walking him down the street instead and see if he will go then.


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