training a dog to go to toilet in a certain patch in the garden...

Hi all

I was just thinking today, at the moment Georgie goes to toilet anywhere in the garden - and then I poo pick as soon as he's been ( nice I know )

When the weather is not so bitterly cold, my children will be playing out in the garden again. I was thinking today, that I would like to train Georgie to do his business in a certain patch in the garden, so I know it's all in 1 place, and the risk of the children treading in it are low.

I have seen in PAH they sell pee posts, that you can train your dog to wee by/on this post. Would the dog poo there too?

Also, do you think a dog would do their business on a certain patch if I put, say, sand on a square patch of ground and trained him to go on it? Would he only go on sand if I did this? Because I wouldn't want to confuse him as he only goes on grass at the moment.

Has anyone sectioned off a patch of their garden, especially as a dog toilet? If so, what were your results?
Any comments will be appreciated.

I read somewhere to put a urine soaked cloth at the patch where you want him to go...obviously your doggies urine lol

Ok thanks for the advice. Mmmm, I'm not sure how I would get Georgie to pee on a cloth tho LOL

When we were house training our dog we always took him to the same place to go and he got used to always going in that particular place which was great.

A year on and with him asking to go out when he needs to rather than being taken out on his lead he now goes wherever - I just make sure I always pick up straight away.

If I had small children I would fence off a piece of garden for either the dog ( or the children) so that there was no chance of anyone treading in anything.

Good idea about fenceing a bit off, if he goes pee put a towel under the flow...

Hi!!
When our son was one we fenced off a bit of our garden for him...chipped bark/swing etc. The dogs were happy (they had free run of the entire garden before that) but our son wasn't...he wanted to be with the dogs!!! So we just fenced off the patio at the house. The dogs aren't happy, but we have a garden again and my son knows he can play with the dogs on the patio!
We train the pups to toilet on command in the smae area. It's a fenced off (in the fenced off bit) bit...from the word go we take them there and give the command word when they go...it works but you have to be totally consistent.

If fencing an area off is a possibility (it was the wee that concerned me not the pooo) then I would do that, then take him to the area and have a word, praise and reward when he goes in this area. Sorry, I can't remember how old he is...it wll take longer as he's not a new addition and as I said, you have to be consistent. DON'T allow him in the garden to play or on his own for as long as it takes to get him going in his new 'area' consistently. We sometimes allow the pups on the grass, but not until we know if they need to go they will run to their area...also don't clean it too vigorously for the first few days, leave a poo down etc and don't wash it out.
As for spending on sand. Dogs get used to going on a certain surface...ie concrete/grass...they can get used to going elsewhere, but that takes time too and is possibly harder to train. Our BC likes to go on grass and still struggles to go on concrete, our X is happy anywhere!!!!

Good luck hope this helps and Happy Christmas

Georgie is 17wks now. He is fully toilet trained, and has been for a while now, so it's not a matter of training him to go.

I am also concerned about the wee, as poo is picked up straight away.

We have decided to corner of the bottom bit of the garden for Georgie's toilet, as the kids dont go down the bottom of the garden anyway.

I am going to scrap the idea of using sand, as thinking about it - I dont think it would work. I am going to fence off a bit of garden and he can use that.

I think I will buy a 'pee post' from PAH and see if it works. He goes to toilet on command anyway, it's something weve taught him from day 1.

They do work,but wear gloves when you handle it or your hands will smell like a public toilet (not joking either!).I have one in my garden and although it isnt totally effective-he does tend to wee in this spot atleast 70% of the time which is good enough for me.