# Paved Toilet Area



## Blaablaa (Dec 4, 2011)

I may be looking for problems before they arise, but I wonder if anyone can help here. I'm bringing my puppy home in a couple of days and this is my question:

Although I'm surrounded by nice grassy areas for walks later on, I don't have much of a garden at the back of my house where I'll be letting my new puppy out - and the small area I have is all paved. I want to train him to 'go' in one particular corner if possible. I've heard that some dogs don't like to go on hard surfaces, so I wondered if anyone had experience of dealing with this?
Is there some kind of doggy equivalent of a cat litter tray or is that not really necessary? (And would that be practical outdoors?) Obviously I'll be cleaning up after him anyway, but I'm wondering if that area will become a bit unsavoury. What do people do about it?

Ideas anyone?


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## susanb (Jan 19, 2012)

I have no idea - but will watch for answers! I also hope to train our puppy to go in the same place each time. We have a big garden with some paving, some grass - and a couple of trees. Don't know whether to aim for the paving, the grass or the trees!


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## janail (Sep 2, 2011)

We ended up having to fence off our grassed area as Kiaya couldn't resist having a good old dig, and pulling up lumps of grass, whilst out there. She now uses an area outside the back door that has a line of paving slabs and then a border of gravel. She took to using the gravel really well and only occasionally goes on the paving slabs. If she does we just chuck a bucket of water over it. I was a bit concerned initially that she would think that all public paths were her personal toilet or that she wouldn't want to use grass anymore. So far it's not been a problem. She does occasionally go on a path when we're out, but that's just puppy excitement taking over, and she happily uses grass when it's available.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

In my experience a dog will toilet where you teach them to ... mine are happy to toilet on paving as well as grass, woodchip...

You could use the puppy training pads and place them in the area you wish your puppy to toilet... lots of praise is key to toilet training ... ignore the accidents and clean it up quickly and well  

Hope this helps a little ... xxx


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

A lot easier lifted and cleaned up on the paved area, in my opinion - a wee hose down afterwards finishes off.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Dogs will empty on paved areas. Once your puppy learns where toilet is you will have no problems and like others have said so much easier to clean.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh and of course *some* boys will pee up anything and scent mark everything   move your lovely garden furniture...


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## Benji (Nov 12, 2011)

I brought my puppy home two weeks ago and talked to a friend of mine before who is a dog behavioural specialist. She said put a collar on him with a lead and take him out every hour then less as you know when he will do a wee/ poo ... we are also Crate Training him which is working wonderfully! Highly recommend it! He so enjoys peace and quiet in his crate.

Anyway, we tried him on the grass in our garden - it was too muddy and wet ... I decided to use a corner of our patio on the back side of the kid's trampoline. He is absolutely wonderful now going there ... He had a few poo accidents inside and I realised he doesn't like pooing outside when it is rainy/ wet (he doesn't like the grass/ mud / wet as well). Now, if he won't go when I say "Be Quick" then I tie him to the post of the trampoline and leave him outside. Within a few minutes if it is him poo time then he will do a poo - (I watch him from my front window) then I go outside and give him a treat. If he doesn't poo he doesn't get a treat ... reminds me of when I potty trained the kids. 

It doesn't always work and he doesn't perform. Then I put him in his cage (with interesting and fun things to do in there - often with a few tidbits) and try again in 20 minutes or so (if I'm waiting for a poo - now that I know when he goes) - normally after eating and once at bed at 11pm. He won't go in his cage during the day, but at night he's had a few accidents - I tried getting him out at night, but he never went ... he was just too excited to see me in the middle of the night and then he'd cry for a while ... so realised the accidents are ... well ... accidents ... This morning I had a doggy wet bed to wash and my daughter had an even worse wet bed to wash ... oh well! 

Anyway, long story short ... my puppy (after two weeks) knows where to go ... on the patio in the corner. I just leave one poo always out so he remembers what to do ... and I don't clean the area with a hose (the rain seems to be doing the trick) and I think the smell of his urine and poo reminds him what to do there (at least for now until he has truly caught on!)

Don't despair ... lots of accidents to begin with ... just to encourage ... my friend's son who she thought was potty trained this summer is now doing 8-10 accidents a day ... my puppy does possibly 2 and those are my fault for not keeping an eye on his behaviour (sniffing around with a sneaky squat!)

Good luck !!!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Hi Barbara,

Before we brought Basil home we fenced off our garden only leaving access to our patio. We have a small garden with not much grass and I'm quite precious about it!!

To begin with we made a frame and filled it with bark. Basil toileted there straight away without a problem. As the weather deteriorated and we got more rain, the bark became very soggy and he was reluctant to go on it.

My final cunning plan which has worked was to go to the garden centre and buy a small length of artificial grass! We attached it to a wooden frame so that we could lift it up and hose it down and spray it with Jeyes Fluid on a weekly basis.

Basil is coming up 8 months now and is becoming more reluctant to use the artificial grass .......so we're about to dismantle it. We go on regular walks and now just pop a lead on him and take him out to the verge in between times. 

Oh, there is a puppy training spray that you can buy from Pets at Home which encourages your pup to pee in a particular place so may be useful if there is a particular area you would like your pup to go on. We found it quite successful.  

Karen x


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

they do make fake grass matts for dogs to go on too...but some dogs are just fine going on paved surface


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## Blaablaa (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks so much everybody, I'll bear it all in mind. Only one day to go!


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