Potty strangeness

[burnsyboxer]

We just got our 3 year old boxer Max last week. I suppose we're still getting used to each other but I've started to notice some things that don't seem "normal" to me. For this thread, I'm a little concerned about his bathroom behavor.

The first full day we had Max he was fine overnight in his crate, in the morning we let him out in to our big back yard and he took care of his business. It seems since then he will not use the bathroom in our back yard. I've been walking him twice a day and he does use the bathroom on our walks...but it seems like no matter what he won't use the back yard. I think he needs to actually go because we've let him out only for him to come back in whining and anxious to go for a walk. Shortly after starting our walk he'll go.

This can be an issue because We may not be able to take him for a walk every morning before work. I'm not sure how to get him to use the back yard... I considered not taking him for a walk...which might sort of force him to go in the back yard...but I feel he needs the walks for exercise and etc.

Any thoughts?

 

[GoshenIrish]

His last owner probably walked him to go potty and that's what he's used to. It may seem better to have them just go in the yard, but IMO it isn't. The mess and smell very very quickly transforms your backyard. I started training Bella to just go in the yard and now I'm switching to walking on a lead to a certain part of the yard to go potty because the amount of poop all over the yard was just nasty. If you can walk him down by a sump or something and curb him three times a day it would be better for you and your yard in the long run.

 

[DyckDogs]

Just a thought....possibly the previous owner did not have a fenced in yard and therefore had to take him out on a leash.
Max may not know anything different???

 

[Box Boys]

You might try walking him in your back yard until he learns to relieve himself there; eventually work to taking off the leash. Walks are still going to be good for him though for exercise.

 

[burnsyboxer]

Thanks for the replies,

It is my goal in general to walk him regardless of the potty scenario. But I know there will likely be days when I have to go in to work early and a 20 minute walk won't be an option.

I tried leashing him in the back yard, but he never relieved himself. I took him for a walk in the neighborhood shortly after and he did. I don't know if it matters or not, but I had been scooping his poop during our walks, and I had been dropping the poo near a tree in our front yard...this morning he went number two near that tree which is good, because not only could I not get him to poo in the back yard, but he would never go in the front yard either.

Aside from wanting him to go in our back yard unleashed..I'd at least like him to go on our property, so I don't have to walk him around the neighborhood carrying the pooper scooper. I know the poo can be bad for the grass and etc...but I intend to scoop it and trash it when he goes.

 

[DyckDogs]

Give him time. I am sure he will figure it out.
Possibly on a day that you do not have to go to work, just keep letting him out in the back yard (rather than taking him for a walk) until he finally does pee/poop, and then praise him so much that he starts to understand it was a good thing he did.

 

[cocoboxers]

Try this...

You may want to try using a technique similar to what we did when we first got Apollo. To get him to use the bathroom in a particular spot in the backyard, I would wipe up an "accident" that he had in the house with paper towels/newspaper and put the paper outside in a certain spot in the backyard. Then, I would walk him outside to that spot, and I guess the scent from the paper made him realize that it was OK to use the potty in that spot. To this day, he still goes potty only in that spot (without the paper, of course!).

So, you could easily place the poop that you scoop from the walks in a certain area of the backyard (since you said that it worked with the tree). I'm sure he'll catch on soon.

Let us know how it goes -- Good luck!

BTW -- where are you in VA? I'm in MD...

 

[burnsyboxer]

I think I will try moving his poo to the backyard. I have at least gotten him to consistently poo in the front yard now. We still take our walks, they are more enjoyable now as he doesnt have to sniff every little thing on the way. The next step will be to try to get him to go on his own in the backyard. He seems to want to go outside alot, but only out front...not sure if its because he wants a walk or because he has to go. But if I just let him out in the back alone he pretty quickly comes back to the door wanting in. I feel bad because it seems like he always wants to go outside...but I can't spend all day out there.

I'm in Chesapeake btw