How to Stop Dogs from Urinating on the Sidewalk
Urban dogs can acquire the habit of urinating on the sidewalk. For their owners and other pedestrians, the habit can be an unsightly annoyance. Cities such as Bangor, Pa., have gone so far as to pass an ordinance banning urination by dogs on a public sidewalk. Stopping your dog from urinating on the sidewalk requires patience and persistence, but eventually your pet can be broken of the habit.
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Instructions
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Retraining Your Dog
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1
Check with your dog's veterinarian to establish that there are no underlying medical problems with your pet such as a urinary tract infection, bladder disease or kidney stones. Research the surface she might have urinated on as a six- to 10-week-old puppy in order to better understand the psychology behind this problem; that surface is where she naturally will want to go.
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2
Place a 2 feet by 2 feet concrete slab in the area of your yard where you want to train your dog to urinate. Scatter a handful of grass clippings over the surface of the concrete. Bring your dog to the grass-covered concrete slab when you normally would walk her. Encourage her to urinate on the concrete slab.
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3
Increase the volume of grass clippings on the piece of concrete over the course of two to three days. Continue to bring your dog to the concrete slab. Encourage her to urinate there.
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4
Keep coming to the concrete slab in your yard when it is time for your dog to urinate. Remove the slab after it is completely covered in clippings, and your dog has shown a consistent willingness to use the spot in which to urinate. That should have re-established her desire to urinate at the time and location of your choosing.
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Tips & Warnings
This type of strategy can be adapted for use if dogs show a preference to urinate indoors on paper or carpet.
Never rub your dog's nose in her urine nor engage in any other acts of punishment for her inappropriate urination.
Avoid cleaning urine accidents on sidewalks with ammonia-based cleansers because that odor mimics the smell of urine and could encourage your dog to use that spot again on the sidewalk.
