How to stop dogs from pooping in the house

If you want to stop your dog peeing or pooping where it's not wanted read on for our top eco friendly DIY tips on Poop & Pee prevention outdoors. 

We have to admit we’ve been very lucky with our dog Willie. He was easily housed trained and has never had an embarrassing moment in the house.

City dwellers, we have a small back yard mostly paved with little garden bed. We hoped that like the two cats he lives with Willie would choose the garden bed to fertilize with his doggy doo and pee…….   We were wrong!

This is not such an issue except that the one favored spot he has chosen on our paved yard (especially in rainy winter months) is the covered area right outside the door to our outdoor laundry and storage shed….. Ever stepped in dog doo in your ugg boots?...... Not happy.

 After some epic fails we’ve found a few winning solutions that fit with our preferred eco friendly ethos. Of course no two dogs are the same so you might want to experiment to see what works for you. Here are our fav’s and the pro’s and con’s.

 THE WINNERS

1 – Vinegar!!! That’s right $1.20 for 100mls of poop stopping genius!

Just spray or pour vinegar over the poop zone. Dogs are highly sensitive to smell and hate the scent of vinegar. Willie now refuses to go anywhere we’ve sprayed it.

If your area is under cover you’ll need to re treat the area around once a week until pooch has gotten the message. If your yard gets rained on you’ll need to repeat the treatment immediately post shower. You can dilute the vinegar with water as you repeat the treatments your dog will remember the vague smell and just not go there.

PROS

• Dog friendly! Most importantly, while your dog might hate the smell it won’t hurt him / her. Vinegar is a strong odor they hate but it isn’t known to side effects. They just stay away. (Also non toxic to cats and humans)
• Price! This shiz is cheap as chips, it works just as well as commercial formulas which can cost $20 or more for only 500ml and are full of stinky nasty chemicals.
• Eco friendly, if vinegargets into the environment, either as a vapour our as a solution in water, it degrades quickly into a harmless substances. 
• Low scent for humans. While not the most pleasant smell to the human nose vinegar dissipates quickly and doesn’t have a harsh chemical vapour like commercial repellent products

CONS

• Can only be used on non organic surfaces!! Do not use this on your garden bed or grass as it will kill it.
• The smell, you’ll have to get used to part of your yard having a slight vinegar scent for a while. Honestly though if you gave me a choice between vinegar and dog toilet!!!
• You need to keep treating the area to get your dog out of the habit of going there.

 2 - Citronella oil

At $5.75 for 100ml’s it’s not quite as cheap as Vinegar but still a damn sight less expensive than store bought chemical concoctions !  Your dog, hates this smell, trust us…. Tried tested… snubbed by Willie for hours as punishment.

PROS

• A++ on the environment you can even use citronella oil on your plants or lawn (water it down) All natural this stuff is actually made from citronella grass. It will also keep the flys and mozzies at bay. 
• The smell, while strong, it is actually kind of pleasant and dissipates for the human nose after a short time.
• Staying power! Being an oil it coats surfaces and plants and lingers for a while after rain. This means less re applying.

CONS

• You still have to reapply after rain and time to keep pup at bay until they break the habit. At $5.75 for 100mls, even with watering down it’s not as cost effective as vinegar.
• Be careful, citronella in small doses of vapour is non toxic but if a small dog were to ingest a few mls from a puddle it would make them feel quite ill.

3 – Cayenne Pepper / Chilli powder

Like a flame thrower! Sprinkle cayenne pepper or chilli powder over the affected area. If the area is non organic ie, concrete, brick etc then wash first with vinegar or ammonia to get rid of the attractive pee scent. You can also mix the pepper / chilli with a little water and liquid soap to give it more sticking power. 

PROS

• Your dog will literally regret sniffing before they pee / poop there and most likely never try again.
•  Inexpensive a couple of treatments should get the message across. Unless your dealing with a large area you should be looking at just a few 10g containers costing around $2.50 each.
• Eco friendly this stuff is harmless to plants.

CONS

• OUCH!! – Be warned if your dog sniffs too much it can really burn their nasal passage, worse if ingested. Although not fully toxic, if your small dog ate or licked a large clump it would cause stomach upsets and some grief.

3 – Ammonia

This stuff is hardcore! Rinse the affected area with bleach to cover any tempting pee / poo odors. You can use straight or (recommended) water down a little.

PROS

• It works – they will give that smell a wide berth
• Cheap, at $1.60 a litre for no brand ammonia it’s a bargain. 

CONS

• Not so eco friendly, toxic to plants and critters ammonia will nuke all in its path. Be very careful
• Smell, this shiz reeks and it reeks for a while, caustic even to human noses and eyes.
• You’ll still have to repeat the treatment a few times to deter the behaviour and train pooch to a new spot.

Now,  what to do with all that poo!  Check out our earlier blog post on how to make your own DIY Pet Poo Composter! Here. 

TRAINING IS KING! 

With all this in mind, our top tip is still positive training. Teach your pooch from an early age to go in one spot of your garden / patio or balcony depending on your circumstances.

This takes patience but is the most effective method to keep you both happy.

Training is as simple as following a young pup to the toilet and rewarding the correct behaviour / spot with treats and praise while guiding them away from the spots that are out of bounds. .

If you’ve got more great environmentally friendly DIY tips for deterring dogs, please leave them below in the comments.

Also if you try any of these methods, we want to hear how you go! Drop us a line.

Alternatively.... When all else fails... pick it up with a sense of humour. 

SHIT HAPPENS - (DEAL WITH IT)  Bio degradable poo bags $8.95 with free laughs.  Here

Introduction

There is nothing quite as unpleasant as coming home, opening the door, and being hit in the face with the smell of dog poop. If you have just got a new puppy, you probably expected a few accidents, and knew you would need to spend some time and effort housetraining your new charge, but what if you have just acquired an adult dog that is pooping in your house, or if your previously housetrained dog has suddenly started having accidents?  

Before you start working on training your dog not to poop in the house, you should try to determine why it is happening. If you have just acquired an adult dog, especially if they are a rescue or shelter dog, they may never have been trained not to poop in the house and you will have to consider how to house train an adult dog who was never shown the ropes. Some small dogs are even trained to poop indoors, on puppy pads or newspapers. You will need to make a decision. Do you learn the ins and outs of paper training a dog? If you decide to change this, you will need to teach the dog a new bathroom habit and read up on how to train your dog to go outside.

Also, a new adult dog may be experiencing anxiety about the change in their surroundings or may be confused and may accidentally poop in the house. In these situations, you will need to make your expectations clear, take some precautions to minimize accidents, and invest some time training your dog not to poop in the house. There are reliable tips and rules on how to potty train a dog in a new home, including reducing their anxiety about the change and giving them plenty of opportunities to go outside.

It is also advisable to rule out a medical condition, especially if your previously housetrained dog starts having accidents. Medical reasons a dog may break housetraining and poop in the house include tummy troubles caused by parasites, food allergies or illness, cognitive impairment, and bowel disease. If your dog is experiencing a medical condition, treatment of that condition may eliminate pooping in the house.

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Defining Tasks

The best way to teach a new dog, or revise the house pooping habits of an older dog, is to prevent the unwanted behavior and create a new habit. This will involve preventing your dog from accidentally pooping in the house, with careful supervision to intervene if your dog looks like they are going to relieve themselves on your carpet, using a crate, or tethering your dog, to reduce the likelihood they are going to poop in the house. 

Also, giving frequent bathroom breaks outside helps establish that outside is for pooping and prevents accidents. Having a designated spot in your yard, where you can direct your dog to poop, can eliminate some of the confusion about where they should relieve themselves and can make training easier.

You may be wondering are potty pads good for dogs? In some cases, when rain and wind are raging outside and you have a dog who doesn't cope well with tumultuous weather, then yes, training your little pup to use potty pads will come in handy. However, they should never be a replacement for going outdoors and having the chance to explore, mark territory and meet the neighbors, all things that our canine friends love to do.

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Getting Started

If you are training your dog not to poop in the house, you should carefully observe their feeding and defecating habits and schedule so you have a good idea of when your dog needs to go poop and can appropriately direct them. Keeping your dog in an area of the house where they never have accidents, or using a crate to confine them in the house so that they do not have the opportunity to make a mistake and reinforce their house pooping habit, will be required. Some owners use a tether method, which will require a lead and somewhere to tie your dog, such as hooks on a baseboard. Use caution tying your dog to furniture – if it moves, your dog could become frightened or injured. 

Creating a designated bathroom space outside, to direct your dog to, can also help eliminate any confusion your dog is experiencing about where to go to the bathroom. Lots of treats to reward appropriate bathroom habits should be available. The best reward for a dog defecating in the appropriate spot is a walk or outside play time, so make sure you have the time to provide this reward to your dog. Be prepared for some accidents, and avoid punishing mistakes, as it is generally ineffective in preventing the behavior and can just confuse and frighten a dog that is already experiencing anxiety or confusion regarding appropriate bathroom habits. If you are unavailable for large stretches of time to let your dog outside, getting a dog walker, sitter, or neighbor to help you may be a good idea.

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Put your dog on a short leash or tether no more than 6 feet long.

When you are in the room with your dog, you can tether the dog to your waist or belt, or you can put hooks on baseboards or door jambs and tether your dog to those. Most dogs will not poop when in a confined area, and if they are tethered to you, you will immediately notice if they look like they are going to poop.

Regularly take your dog outside, or if you seem them sniffing around indicating they might need to go, head to a designated poop area outside.

If your dog does not defecate, go back inside. If they do, give them a treat, and take them for a walk on a long leash. Reward them in an enclosed area with off-lead time if possible.

Repeat for several days, until your dog has established that pooping is rewarded outside and they have not had the opportunity to poop inside, eliminating that habit.

When you are not home or when you are not directly available to supervise your dog, confine your dog to a crate. The crate should be the right size for your dog to be comfortable, have soft bedding, and be stocked with a sturdy toy or chew toy to keep your dog happy.

Let your dog out every few hours and take them directly outside to a designated bathroom spot in the yard. Give your dog a command to poop.

Wait for your dog to poop. If they do, reward them with a treat and take them for a walk.

If your dog does not relieve themselves, take them back into their crate but do not use a punishing tone as you direct them.

Repeat for several days, gradually let your dog out of their crate for longer periods while still carefully supervising them. If they look like they are about to poop, take them immediately to the bathroom spot. After several days, your dog should have learned where the bathroom spot in the yard is.

Make sure your dog has lots of bathroom breaks; call in a dog sitter or neighbor if necessary, if you are away from the house for more than a few hours. Create an outdoor bathroom space for consistency and to eliminate confusion.

Give your dog lots of exercise and play, to reduce anxiety, and increase socialization opportunities. Provide lots of new experiences.

Take your dog frequently to their bathroom spot outside. When they use it, give them a treat and take them for a walk.

If an anxious dog poops in the house, never punish them. Not only is it unlikely that your dog will associate punishment with pooping if there is any time lag, but it will only serve to make an anxious or confused dog more afraid and confused. If you catch your dog eliminating in the house calmly but firmly say, “outside” and take them to the bathroom spot.

Be consistent and patient over several days. Direct your dog to one spot for eliminating. Calm, consistent, clear direction and interaction on your part will counteract anxiety and clear up confusion, so that your dog will learn not to poop in the house.