How to Teach Your Dog NOT to Pee on Your Grass

To avoid cleaning your yard, you can teach your dog to not eliminate on the grass.

One aspect of pet ownership is training your dog to be a responsible, safe and respectful member of your family. The part of training which should start immediately upon acquiring your dog is housebreaking. Your dog will need to eliminate and it is important to teach her the proper place to do so. Due to the damage pet urine can cause to your well-kept yard, you may choose to teach your dog to eliminate on a piddle pad or liter box inside your home or placed on a patio. (Ref 1)

Things You'll Need

• Piddle pad or litter box
• Dog treats

Instructions

1. Determine the location you wish to put your piddle pad or dog litter box for the dog's use. You may choose to place it outside on a patio or a porch. However, you may place this inside your home. If so, choose a location out of the way and off of carpet. As your dog learns to use this new area instead of the grass, he may make mistakes. Placing the pad or litter box on tile or hardwood makes his mistakes easier to clean up.

2. Take your dog to the piddle pad or litter box and allow him to sniff and explore it. Be sure she does not try to chew it or use it as a toy. If she does, remove it from her mouth, and firmly say, "no."

3. Feed your dog a full meal and immediately take him to the pad. Dogs typically need to eliminate after a meal, so this makes it more likely your dog will need to eliminate for training purposes. Place him on the pad or inside the litter box and say, "go potty." Be patient and keep him there until he finally urinates. When he does, immediately provide him with a small dog treat and lots of praise and say, "good potty." (Ref 1)

4. Repeat this process after every meal or other typical times your dog needs to eliminate. Other ideal times might be when you return home after a long day or after getting the dog out of her crate. As the dog becomes more reliable and understands the process, she may use the pad or litter box without your supervision.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a spot remover handy as your dog learns this process.

• Do not allow your dog to go outside while you are teaching it not to urinate on the grass because this will only confuse the dog. When it is trained, however, you may resume going outside with your animal.

References

• National Beagle Club: Housebreaking

Resources

• Dog Breeds.net: Puppy Housebreaking Tips
• The Dog Training Club: Home
• American Kennel Club: Obedience