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How To Train A Dog To Potty In One Spot
Choosing one area in the yard for your dog to use for potty breaks helps keep the rest of the yard nice and green, clean for kiddos to run and play in and your garden area urine free.
Here are a few tips to potty train dogs in one area:
- First choose the area to best serve this purpose. The size of the area needed will depend on the size of the dog. A little poodle isn’t going to need the same space as a German shepherd. No hard and fast rules, but try setting aside about 6 lengths by 6 lengths (1 length = the length of dog). This gives them a little room to roam a bit as well as provide some clean area for the dog to work with if you can’t scoop between each potty break.
- The area can be covered with grass, mulch, gravel or a surface that the dog will accept–some have no problem with just concrete or patio blocks.
- Can an adult dog be trained to a certain spot? Yes! It’s easier with a new puppy just being house trained, but adult dogs can learn quickly too.
Training Method
- After choosing the best location, place a scoop or two of the doggy’s ‘doo’ within the area. Make sure there are no other droppings in the yard and water the rest of the lawn very well to remove traces of past urine spots.
- Choose a command that the dog will understand as potty time, such as “time to go potty” or “do it”, and use this command consistently.
- When your pup shows signs of needing to go potty (like sniffing around or lowering his butt to go), attach a leash to his collar, take him outside and lead him to the area. Give the command “time to go potty”. For new pups, usually 30 minutes after meals, after exciting play time, before bedtime and first thing in the a.m. are times to go. For adult dogs you know his schedule, work with that.
- Tip: Take the dog to the spot first thing when letting him outside and don’t let him run around to play in the yard until he’s done his business–keep him leashed. This teaches him to get his business done right away and will pay off for you down the road.
- Each time the dog performs within the area, give lots of happy praise, playful pats and a treat. Whenever he shows signs of wanting to go in an area that’s off limits, say “no” or “not there” and lead him to his area.
- If there’s a slip, give no praise, no treat, no attention and no play. Make sure to clean up immediately and water the area well so he won’t smell that spot.
Being consistent and watchful is key and you’ll have to hover over your dog and keep him leashed when outside for at least two weeks to make sure he consistently goes in that spot. After two weeks you can try letting the dog out without his leash and watch. If he goes directly to his spot first to take his potty break, you know the training is working. If not, keep the leash on for another week and then try without the leash again.
After a solid four weeks of perfect performance and close monitoring, you can relax and be confident that the habit is being set successfully. Still keep your eye out though and correct mistakes immediately.
Important
- Be sure to keep the assigned area clean. Dogs aren’t too happy tip toe-ing through stacks and piles of poo and urine. They like their bathroom areas clean like we do. During training you’ll want to keep a scoop or two within the area so the dog has an idea where to go, but be diligent in keeping the rest of the area clean. Water the urine spots well with water and scoop the poop as it happens, do a daily cleaning and watering if possible. After the habit has been set, you’ll still need to do your part in maintaining the potty area or the dog will start looking elsewhere to do his business.
- Keep affirming the behavior each time with treats and praise for at least a couple months.
- Take regular walks with your dog so that he’s also accustomed to doing his business in back alleys or side roads and fields (remember to bring the doody bags to clean up after him). The one thing you don’t want to do is train your dog to think that there is only one spot he can ever go to the bathroom. This will be a real problem if you travel with him or have him stay elsewhere when you’re away–the dog will suffer and absolutely not go potty until his body physically forces him to. The idea is to teach your dog there’s only one place in the yard he can go, not just one place no matter what.
Be diligent, be watchful and consistent. A few weeks of training will provide a lifetime of benefit to you as a dog owner 
.
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do NOT go to the spot where the dog has pooped days before or hours even this is a comon habit but does not work
Dog urinates and poo’s on furniture and bed. Odour impossible to get rid of. Please help, she is a delightful puppy of six months old and I find that she does it more often if I have left her alone for any length of time, even if she has access to little garden.
Your advise would be greatly appreciated,
Regards.
C
THE VERY BEST, LEAST EXPENSIVE, AND ABSOLUTELY FAIL-SAFE IS A DILUTION OF ADULT (HUMAN) SHAMPOO MIXED WITH WATER. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MAKE IT TOO CONCENTRATED . IF YOUR DOG URINATES ON CARPET, FOLD A BATH TOWEL IN FOURTHS, PUT IT OVER THE SPOT AND STAND ON IT. THIS GETS MOST OF THE URINE. NOW POUR THE DILUTED SHAMPOO ON THE SPOT AND RUB IT IT. ITS ALRIGHT TO DRENCH THE SPOT(DOWN TO THE PADDING) BECAUSE NOW YOU WILL TAKE SEVERAL FOLDED TOWELS, STAND ON THEM ON THE SPOT. THE WETNESS WILL BE ABSORBED BY THE TOWELS AND ABSOLUTELY NO SCENT OF URINE WILL REMAIN.
Dear C,
I suggest you kennel train your dog, this gives your dog a bedroom and a place to be when your not home. I assure you if you buy the correct size kennel for your dog he won’t poop or pee in it. Dogs do not like to set in their own stuff. It reall isn’t a good idea to allow the dog on furniture or in your be either. when a dog is allowed in your bed he feels equal to you not submissive. So if you want to be the one in charge in your home begin kenel training, work with him on basic sit stay commands with leash about 30 min / day and take hime out to poop in the Am, Desiganete a spot for him and praise when he perfoms and keep him on leash indoors when your home kennel him when you are gone and the mess will immedeiately dissapear. Go to a local pet store and for a couple of bucks you can buy a basic dog training book that will change your life as a dog owner.
By the way, Kennel training also makes it easy to take puppy on airplanes without the abusive stuggle I have seen at the airport where you see the owner and airport personell trying to force a dog into a kennel having never seen one before.
Good Luck
Mark
I’ve read all the tips with interest and will try to apply them to my dog. I got him a few months ago from the owners that never toilet trained him. He never relieves himself at home, but taps on the patio door when needs a poo. He doesn’t have a problem with urinating during a walk, but he will not poo anywhere else but in the garden – every time in a different spot! If I can never get rid of the habit of pooing in the garden, I need to train him to do it in the far corner, so I can actually still enjoy having a garden… but he is really stubborn, and as soon as I tell him off for trying to poo in a wrong spot, he gets all distracted and confused and doesn’t do anything any more. He just sits on the grass, looks at me and shivers (he does that a lot but isn’t a very nervous dog overall). Please help, he is a lovely dog, but I am not sure how long I can stand his toilet manners in my garden!
Jo
Dear C,
Crate training is an excellent and very sucessful potty training method – the only one i have seen that really works and quick. It teaches the pup/dog to “hold” it for periods of time and then eliminate immediately upon being led outside. It then associates potty time to “outside”- Look it up and follow it- don’t succumb to “puppy eyes” and you will see that they actually feel safe in their crate as it becomes a pleasant sanctuary as long as they have a positive experience.
As for the odor left on your furniture- I found an EXCELLENT product- it’s called Odo-Ban and i have only found it at Sam’s Club-but let me tell you it’s cheap, comes concentrated and lasts forever, mostly- it’s a miracle product- i found it and initially bought it for my cat messes which if you are familiar with are THE WORST and nearly impossible to rid of – the cat could never find any lingering smell to go back to and always went to her litter box, not to her “accident” spots. Hope all this is helpul and good luck!
Adriana
My dog is almost a year old and he has been potty trained since he was three months. For the past seven months of owning him, he has pooped and peed outside in the same spot. Once the snow came around he was a little confused but we were able to teach him he still had to go in that spot. Now that the snow melted he will not do anything at all in that one spot. He has to go to the front of the yard to pee and will not poop outside at all. He is pooping in his cage during the night now. I have no idea what to do because I feel like I have tried everything.
Jo & Sue
Congratulations on being such understanding (yeah, I know, but at least you are trying!) and stubborn (!) people!
Jo,
“…and as soon as I tell him off for trying to poo in a wrong spot, he gets all distracted and confused and doesn’t do anything any more. He just sits on the grass, looks at me and shivers (he does that a lot”
Please don’t scold the dog for doing wrong. He won’t understand. Try as suggested in the article and pick up the poop and move it to where you want him to go.
from article:
“Tip: Take the dog to the spot first thing when letting him outside” and don’t scold. Praise when he does it where you want. Comitment is huge, and simply pick up the poop w/out any fanfare – I think someone needs to remind me about this – w/out the dog noticing you doing it- and move it to where you want it. Distracted? Nicely urge him to walk to the permitted place.
Sue
“He is pooping in his cage during the night now”
Is the crate the proper size, first off? It isn’t too big, is it? I mean, where he can fill like it is a separate part of the room?
I would try to take him out more often. He may have to go more now for whatever reason. Also, you may have to take him to the vet to make sure there isn’t a physical reason. I know, always the popular advise! ;(
Thank you all for caring so much about your pets and the patience you have for them. They are soooo worth it.
Jo, I tear up thinking how wonderful it was for you to rehome a dog. They are the ones who seem to be more grateful, as if they realize they have a 2nd chance. I wish there where more out there like you, Jo, or at least those who when they get a pet are prepared to put in the effort and love needed. There is a quote I love and it goes something like this:
We give them the time and room we can spare, and in return they give us everything they have.”
I have now had a total of three dobies from Doberman Rescues, and I every day thank ( ) for them!
Thank you!
We have trained our dog to use one spot for a bathroom. She will run there to go poop, but always poops in exactly the same spot. But recently she resist going to the bathroom at all there. She will hold it and pee little amounts inside the house. She will go poop there if it’s a must, but would prefer going on a walk. It stinks horribly, any ideas for that? Also, she will pee in her kennel occasionally. The kennel is not too big for her, although it was too big when she was in it as a puppy. Are we just too late?
Thank you for some wonderful tips! My dog pops in the one area at home but it’s on the grass where my children play, today I’m going to attempt to get her to start using the concreted area down the side of the house. Georgie is 8, adorable but a handful when we go for a walk. She gets really nervous and either is constipated or gets the runs, it’s impossible to pick up. I’ve spent a fortune on training but she just isn’t good socially, she is constantly on the look out for other dogs and nearly yanks my arm off to get to them when she sees one. Its so frustrating! I know she just wants to socialise but if the other dog growls she attacks, if the other dog is quiet she’ll pull me over to it, sniff and show whose boss then let me walk on. She’d be a perfect dog if she pooped on the concrete, played nice with other dogs and picked up after herself when we go for a walk!!
Oh boy, I sure hopes this works because our lawn is piling up with poop and my son just told me how annoying it is. We pick up daily but really, it would be a whole lot nicer to walk in the lawn by the play equipment and not pick up anything else, if you know what I mean.
We have a mastiff that is very well potty trained at 9 weeks. I will hope to train her to one area.
Thanks for all the advice.
My wife and I have just rescued a bichon/poodle mix and he is a great little dog. A happy guy. We think he is about 1 year old and he is house-broken. I walk him about 4 times a day and he gets lots of exercise outside.
He has a weird habit of squatting down to poop and constantly turning in a circle while he is doing his business and sniffing the ground. I have had several dogs in my life, and none of them have exhibited such a strange “dance” while pooping.
Do you have any suggestions for reigning in this behavior? It is weird looking and the dog is always stepping in his own poop and the poop is spread around all over the place making it difficult to pick up (a plop here, a drop there). Any ideas to stop the dance so he can poop in one spot like most dogs?
Please help,
Barry
i think its normal becouse my dog does that to ever since it was one month old and it is 5 years old…….
Is there any other tip to help make the puppy want to poo in the potty spot?? My 9 week old boxer seems to dislike the potty area and sits and longingly stares at the rest of the yard. If I have him on a leash, he will happily poo anywhere in the yard BUT the potty spot. I am so frustrated. I have tried putting his poo in the potty spot, he could not care less. It breaks my heart to see him so sad and he is starting to dislike being on the leash because all we do is go to the potty spot to wait for him to poo. He would rather sit in his crate. Any advice is appreciated.
My Dog Is Now 7Monts Old Now And Hes Still Peeing And Pooping In The House Every Time We Catch Him Goin Toilet In The House We Shout At Him And Tell Him No Bold Boy And He Dose Go In This 1 Spot In The Back Garden And Every Time He Gos In That Spot We Give Him Alot Of Praise And Tell Him Good Boy And Give Him A Treat But It Dosnt Seem To Work Because He Still Go’s In The House Can You Give Me Some Advise
Signed LS.
Our dogs have decided to poop in our driveway. The strange thing is that instead of leaving a pile of poop in one location, they both drop bits of poop all over the place! We can’t figure out why and it’s really tough to clean it up. Has anyone seen something like this? How do we deal with it? Both dogs are rescue dogs. We’ve had one for 3 years now and the other for 2. They are great dogs in every other respect. Help!
WOW this is good stuff. My new dog, yellow lab is 3 and she is great but I noticed that in the last two days that we’ve had her she’s pooped in the same general area of the yard, now I just need to work on moving that area further back and away from the center so no one accidentally steps in poop. She’s a great dog so I think the learning process will be quick and effective.
Thank You.