Dog Community

Weaning Off Leashed Potty Breaks

Posted : 1/19/2007 12:54:20 PM

My TT is almost 5 months old. He has gotten very good about going to the door when he has to go potty. Thus far we have been takin him out into our yard (fenced) on leash and telling him to "do his business," which he does pretty quickly when he doesn't get distracted (car passing, leaf, stick, breeze, you name it LOL). When/how will I know when we can start to just let him out the back door without being on leash to do his business? (It's finally getting cold here on the East Coast :-)

TIA,

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 1/19/2007 1:03:55 PM

Since your yard is fenced, why don't you just open the door and let him out and watch him from inside to see what he does? He might just surprise you ... do his business and come back in. []

Joyce

Chuffy

Posted : 1/19/2007 7:03:14 PM

If its secure, I don't understand why he needs to be on his lead at all anyway?

If its secure and your door opens right out into it, go out with him without his lead on to do his business and give him lots of praise, give him his treat for this as you go in the house so he has an incentive to follow you back into the warm quickly and not linger.

If you can safely let him loose to do his business do it soon. Dogs are context specific and he may get the idea into his head to wait for you to put the lead on before "going". If he seems reluctant to "go" when he is not on his lead, that may have already happened.

CoCo Chanel

Posted : 1/20/2007 2:43:49 PM

my puppy is almost 5 months too...and we also have a fenced in yard...sometimes when I'm out there with her and she's not leashed and does her business.... well... it doesnt happen that much cause she likes to eat her own poop if she's not on a lead! lol

youre so lucky not to have to be out there w/ him!

Karin Rex

Posted : 1/20/2007 8:23:34 PM

Thanks for your replies.

The reason wy I don't just let him out there on his own yet is because I wouldn't be able to see when/if he's gone, and that would raise my anxiety level! ;-)

I have taken him out without the lead every now and then, but he gets so distracted that sometimes he doesn't "go." He always seems to go more quickly when I am there to verbally prompt him.

I certainly hope (as Chuffy pointed out) that he isn't under the impression that the lead needs to be on him to go. (That would certainly wreck my plan of backyard independence!)

Oh dear...now I don't know what to do!

Hannah YeahRight

Posted : 1/21/2007 1:52:40 AM

Hi there,

My husband and I are just going through the same thing! We are a little farther on than you and Rosie does now go on her own in the fenced yard, so here is some evidence that there's hope! I totally relate to your anxiety! I still feel anxious and peek through the windows much of the time! Luckily she's super housetrained, so if she doesn't go at night, it's not the end of the world and she can go in the morning. I want her to go though - doesn't seem healthy to hold it all night.

I would just take it step by step. Work more on the off leash potty breaks with you reminding him to go, move on to watching from window, then on to trusting that he went. Really, what's the worst that will happen if he doesn't go? If you catch him going inside, you get another chance to remind him that it's outside he goes! (Yeah, I say this, but just watched from the window to see if Rosie went!)

Good luck! I just noticed that your post is a month old - perhaps you're having success now!

Hannah