About a month ago, I got a dog. He’s about a year old, so he’s not a puppy, but he is young. He was house trained when we got him, which is good, because I’ve never trained a dog in my life.
Here’s the problem. He won’t go potty out back anymore. He did when we first brought him home, but now, he only goes on the front deck. Right now, it’s a winter wasteland, but in the spring, we use the deck a lot. I don’t know why he’s doing his business on the deck and I don’t know how to change his habits.
Our other dog goes out back, maybe that has something to do with it.
Please help me keep the deck from turning into a doggie toilet.
Crate 'im, give him plenty to drink, wait a while (but not too long :)), then take him out the an appropriate area of the backyard on-leash and keep him there. Repeat many times.
Sounds like you’ll… have to dig out a coat and some ‘poop boots’ and correct the behavior.
Your dear pooch has found a spot he likes for his business duties. No one’s told him it’s not a good one, so hey, whatever works for him, right? If you want to correct the behavior, you’ll first have to let him know that it’s not okay
I’d recommend you start going out with him and make sure he leaves the deck before he gets… erm… busy. Praise the living heck out of him for doing his stuff OFF the deck, give him a treat when he runs back to you with that “see what I did? SEEE?” look on his face…
If he decides to migrate up to the deck, a stern NO and being shooed (or led) away will make him understand that he’s not allowed to do his stuff there anymore.
Breaking behaviors in dogs is kinda like breaking bad habits in humans - if you change the routines, you’ll break the habitual pattern the pet has gotten into.
I would say block off his access to the deck, which should force him to have to use the yard. When he does ‘go’ in the proper place, give him a treat and lots of praise. It shouldn’t take him more than a week to connect the treat with pooping in the yard. (Of course, pup #1 might then insist on treats for this, too!)
