OntarioSheltie
Sep 18, 2008, 02:02 PM
We planted new sod this summer and aren't enjoying looking at all of the dead patches left by Sadie's pee.
My husband and I have been training Sadie to relieve herself in a specific corner of our back yard so that there is just one larger brown patch instead of many little patches every where. If we're successful it will also be nice to know that we don't risk stepping in any dog bombs randomly in the yard that we may have missed. My hope is that eventually we can just open the door and she'll run to her corner.
Sadie is stubborn and not liking the change. Some days she's so cooperative and I'm so proud of her. She gets lots of pats and treats those days! Other days she refuses to go unless until she's desperate, which is bad if we're trying to get her to pee before we leave for work. We have a phrase we use to make her go, and it usually works but some times she just stands there (or even sits or lies down) with a defiant look on her face as if to say, "Nope! I don't want to and you can't make me!"
It doesn't help matters that she's still having unexplained attacks of diarrhea and vomiting (Noted in Sadie has loose bowels again thread under health). Some times we're not sure if she's just being stubborn or if her bowel's are off and she doesn't need to go.
We're really trying to make it a positive experience for her, we get really excited when she relieves herself in the right place and bring a carrot out for her as a reward. Some days though she is so stubborn!
I just wondered if anyone else has tried this type of training?
We would have liked to start this when she was a puppy but couldn't. Our yard had no grass then and bad drainage so we had to constantly move her to the driest, least muddy space in the yard. Sadie is 13 months old today.
My husband and I have been training Sadie to relieve herself in a specific corner of our back yard so that there is just one larger brown patch instead of many little patches every where. If we're successful it will also be nice to know that we don't risk stepping in any dog bombs randomly in the yard that we may have missed. My hope is that eventually we can just open the door and she'll run to her corner.
Sadie is stubborn and not liking the change. Some days she's so cooperative and I'm so proud of her. She gets lots of pats and treats those days! Other days she refuses to go unless until she's desperate, which is bad if we're trying to get her to pee before we leave for work. We have a phrase we use to make her go, and it usually works but some times she just stands there (or even sits or lies down) with a defiant look on her face as if to say, "Nope! I don't want to and you can't make me!"
It doesn't help matters that she's still having unexplained attacks of diarrhea and vomiting (Noted in Sadie has loose bowels again thread under health). Some times we're not sure if she's just being stubborn or if her bowel's are off and she doesn't need to go.
We're really trying to make it a positive experience for her, we get really excited when she relieves herself in the right place and bring a carrot out for her as a reward. Some days though she is so stubborn!
I just wondered if anyone else has tried this type of training?
We would have liked to start this when she was a puppy but couldn't. Our yard had no grass then and bad drainage so we had to constantly move her to the driest, least muddy space in the yard. Sadie is 13 months old today.