toilet behaviour

Since i now have to walk harley twice a day, the problem is where i live, i have to walk along pavements to the farm track or field where he can run, he always, always poos on the pavement before we get to the track, can i train him not to. ??

You can train Harley to do his business on cue. If you follow him into the garden and have a phrase or word eg "Be clean" "Hurry up" "Do your business", as he is circling and sniffing around and as the deed is about to be done, Harley will then associate your phrase with having a poop.

You can then say "Good boy" and treat him. If he then gets to go walkies, he will be keen to do his business knowing that walkies will follow.

It may take a little while, but if you find he can't go unless he has a good run, just try to give him the cue in an appropriate place and see what happens.

I like to let my two into the garden to empty and then they know walkies will follow and games for Murphy.

If they have No. 2's again and I feel a sudden drag on the lead behind me I quickly pull the dog into the gutter and give the cue word.

Hope this helps.

As above, yes you can train them to perform on command, but many dogs only seem to be able to "go" after some exercise. The answer is always to carry poo bags

Please please don't pull them into the gutter - it's very easy for a car going past to cause an accident - resulting in tragic consequences for perhaps both your dog and you

thanks for the advice, he seems to go within a minute of us starting the walk on the path, we would both be run over if i pulled him in the gutter, its a very busy quite narrow main road, we live in a little village, and the amount of traffic is too much for the size of the road. I always carry poo bags, but if he waited a couple more minutes we would be on the farm track where it doesnt matter. I think its the excitement of going for a walk that does it. di

Just a thought, but could you walk really fast for those first few minutes with constant pressure on the leash so that Harley knows that he has to keep up with you? That way maybe you could make it to the farm track and you can let the pressure on the leash relax more and he can do his business. I'm not talking a lot of pressure, just enough so that he knows he should keep going.

harleyfarley said:

, but if he waited a couple more minutes we would be on the farm track where it doesnt matter. . di

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I think you will find that where ever you are that you are required to pick up your dogs poop especially if it is a public footpath - so it does matter....you should always pick up poop

Exercise will bring on the dogs need to poop, you cannot stop a dog from pooping when he/she needs it - just like you could not stop a child - thats why you find that you have poo bags in all pockets, just in case the the urge comes......

I live in a large housing estate and I generally walk Holly there when i'm a bit pressed for time. I put her to go in the garden before we go out but even when she poos she always needs to go again, generally right outside somebodys driveway. I always pick up and spend the rest of the walk toting a stinky bag! I think it's just a fact that exercise makes them want to go, and this should be accepted and prepared for (with bag).
I wish all of my neighbours who allow their dogs to run around unsupervised and poo everywhere would adopt the same approach. I'm fed up cleaning up after these dogs, especially as they always seem to be HUGE and seem to love my front garden as a toilet.

Nicki said:

As above, yes you can train them to perform on command, but many dogs only seem to be able to "go" after some exercise. The answer is always to carry poo bags

Please please don't pull them into the gutter - it's very easy for a car going past to cause an accident - resulting in tragic consequences for perhaps both your dog and you

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Nicki, I appreciate you saying the above. I'm always very careful. On the odd occasion when I have done this it is on our road which is very quiet, or in a quiet grove near the park and I always watch for any traffic, cyclist whatever. I also shield the dog to protect him. If it was busy, then an poop on the pavement can be cleaned up anyway, no problem.

Incidentally, when I used to push my child in the pushchair or the pram I used to always go ahead to watch out for traffic and pull the pushchair behind me.

I never understand why Mums push the baby out in front of them in pushchairs or prams when crossing roads.