Tucker's new dog run...need advice...

[Berner_Mom]

So, Tucker is 16 months old now, and has been doing his business the whole time in our backyard- on grass.

Hubby has finally completed a 8X50' fenced in dog run for Tucker to do his business in one restricted area (to make clean up easier, and save our grass), but its cement patio tiles.  Its a beautiful dog run, shaded, but Tucker will not #1 or #2 on the cement!

We put some of his recent #2's in the dog run, thinking the smell would give him the idea it was ok to go there, but nope.   

I was off work yesterday (Canada Day) and my plan was that Tucker would pee when he really needed to pee, so he spent the entire day in the dog run,(well, going in and out of the house into the dog run- but not allowed onto the grass) with me keeping an eye on him, ready to shower him with praise and cheese the second he did his business...but he never did.

He held it for about 11 hours!  Hubby and I felt just horrible, and we could see him stressing out, a few times he'd pace and look like he was just about to pee....but then he'd change his mind and stand in front of the gate that would give him access to the grass.

Finally, as we were entering the better part of the 12th hour, we decided to let him into the grass to go (I'm sure it can't be good for him to be holding it that long, and believe me we were feeling guilty as heck about it) BUT I went with him, and used an old juice pitcher to "catch" the pee.  I then was able to pour it out inside the dog run, to get the smell there. I ended up doing this about 3 times last night, to "mark" different spots on the cement floor, hoping the smell would intice him to pee the next time.

Anyway, this morning, Tucker is back outside, restricted (for now, we'll have to go to work soon) to the dog run- but is still not going.

Any advice or ideas on how to potty-train to go on cement after a year and a half of going on grass??  It is frustrating all three of us!

Thanks, and sorry about the lengthy post.
-Sarah

[joyfulmama]

I really don't have experience with this, but I can imagine that it is frustrating! What about some washable astro-turf? Tucker might feel more comfortable going on that than cement. Maybe someone else here can weigh in on the safety of it.

Good luck! It sounds like Tucker has a really nice set-up!

[sc.trojans]

It's too late - not to mention not a good idea.  He is potty trained now and by definition - it means just that.  You are confusing the heck out of him and it often backfires in several ways so I don't recommend proceeding on this path.

When I foster dogs, I always know the puppymill dogs since they have never been on grass.  Dogs that have been trained to go on hard surface (or those who had no choice) are often a nightmare to live with....these dogs will even walk down the sidewalks and just go in the middle of the sidewalks (illegal here where I live).

The biggest reason however, is that cement is highly porous - and absorbs urine like nothing else.  There is no sanitizing cement if you speak with cement/concrete experts.  It is not sanitary or advisable as a result.  If he were regularly going on cement, it would take no less than 1 month to stink to high heaven.

I recommend you re-surface the dog run to make it dog friendly and something a dog would want to use - smooth pea gravel over dirt is often used and accepted by dogs......bark, as long as the dog is not interested in eating it and it is not a chemical laced or cocoa bark is also effective.  All materials should be on dirt however....not on cement to be effective.

You could TRY artificial grass on the cement....but without some kind of attracting enzymes, he may not take to it and this still won't be sanitary.

And, if there is any talking you both out of it - dogs and grass go together like cats and catnip.  I could never deny my dogs their grass - they roll in it, rely on its smell, eat it at times.....and they kill the heck out of it for sure.  So once ever two or three months, hubby and I buy a few pieces of sod and patch the pee spots.......th e more often you do it, the easier it is.....and we have trained them to go in just a few places (one is usually not enough) so on the side of the house, by the air conditioners, its all pea gravel, and they pee there first thing in the a.m. and last thing at night when sent out to do it...or when they are on the side of the yard.....at the other end of the yard, they are trained to go in a particular grass area, to keep it confined....an d will never go where they like to chew on bones, eat, or sleep....this is natural.....so it is not a lot of work in the end.  Something to consider if it can work for you.

Hope that helps.....