Pup with Toilet Stage Fright :/

Ayla

Any suggestions for getting your dog to learn to pee/poo while on the lead?

We've just rehomed a 6-mo old pup who was exclusively an outdoor dog and now we're retraining her to be indoor. She is amazing in every way, and walks brilliantly on the lead, but she will walk miles (literally!), but never go to the bathroom. Only once she's off the lead will she finally go.

Stage fright maybe, but any suggestions for helping her along? I should mention we have a couple acres of ground, and also walk along a quiet country lane, so it's not like we're trying to teach her to poo on concrete.

Zapperzy

You could try a long lead or a retractable lead to see if she'l poo on that? Does she poo in your garden or will she only poo while on a walk away from your house?

You say you walk her miles, it might be no harm to cut down on the walking a little until she's fully grown. Large breeds especially can damage their growing bones and joints by over exercising before they are fully grown. They recommend 5 minutes per month of age, so 30 minutes a day of walking, preferably on softer ground until she's finished growing at 12-18 months.

Any pics of her?

Ayla

Thanks for that - I should clarify:

We don't walk her miles at one time, but have 1 30 min walk in the morn and then countless walks around our site (2 acres) throughout the day.

It's completely hit-or-miss when she'll go on the lead, so we've been letting her loose on the site just so she'll go outside at all. Otherwise she would come in from whatever walk we'd just done outside on the lead & then wet the floor. :cool:

She's brilliant on and off the lead, so the only reason we put her on the lead at all is just to train her for the times we'll be in a more populated area.

Must get pics - we've only had her since Sunday but she's going to grow up so fast