Doodle won't pee in normal spot anymore

[Elle, Rusky&Piper]

Hello everyone, we have a 9 month old Labradoodle who is house trained and has always pee'd and pooped in the same area, which is a small area of dirt on the side of our house.  But just this week, she has started to use our concrete patio as her spot and won't go on the dirt anymore. .

 

My husband waited 2 1/2 hours last night with her in normal area, and she finally went, but she was very hesitant and reluctant and seemed scared to go. He gave her praise and treats when she went. This morning, he only waited for 1/2 hour and gave up, and as soon as he went in, she peed on the concrete.

 

When we know she has to go, we supervise her, and she just walks around the patio, and the moment we go inside, she pees on the concrete. (does dog urine stain concrete, by the way?) So she knows she shouldn't be going on the patio.

 

We don't think it's because she doesn't like the feel of wet dirt on her paws because on the other side of the house is an area of dirt where she dug two holes in the wet dirt. He placed bark all over her normal bathroom area to see if it was the wet dirt she doesn't like, but she still just stood frozen on the bark and did not go.

 

It seems like she is really spooked now and refuses to go in her normal spot and we don't know what happened or what to do to get her to go back to her normal spot. If anyone can help us figure this out, we would be very grateful. Thank you in advance!

 

The only thing we can think of is perhaps another animal peed in her area, and that is why she doesn't want to go there anymore.

 

Any help would be great, thank you very much.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's very possible that another animal left its scent in that area and that is why she doesn't want to go there.

But also, depending on how large the area is, it might actually be offensive to her at this point. 6 or 7 months worth of urine and feces in one small area may have made that particular spot unappealing to her, even though I am sure whatever can be cleaned up has been cleaned up. This is just something I'm throwing out there, I really don't know if that happens. I do know my own dogs have never wanted to stand in a place where there is or has recently been waste.

I've never had a dog who consistently used just one small area for pottying over a long stretch of time. They might prefer a general section of a yard, but not just one small spot.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

interesting that she just stopped all of a sudden. My two have the run of the yard and I don;t think they ever have gone in the same place twice. Can tell because we have urine burn spots all over the yard in the summer grass. lol.  And I pick up most of the poop so know the area well.

They go in the same general areas for awhile then move to another area of the yard for awhile, then back around. Ofcourse it's never in the same end of the yard at the same time....that would make it just too easy for mommy to have to pick up poop!

We have friends that have a dog run outside their doggie door and their two have to go there all the time. Same situation as it's a side yard, cleaned up often, but it's been their potty spot for over a year. They don't get any other option, as it's gated on all sides and the only option is back into the house.

 

[Elle, Rusky&Piper]

We noticed it seemed to have started after the first rain of the season which was last week. She hates to go out when it rains.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The wet dirt on the other side of the yard where she digs probably doesn't smell the way the wet dirt in the potty area smells, lol.

My guy doesn't like go outside when it rains, either. I almost always have to leash him and take him out for a walk, where there is more pavement and less mud.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Could be she doesn't like to get her feet wet in a wet smelly area. Our Harlow hates to walk on wet grass. She will tiptoe as close to the flower beds as she until she reaches our patio and then she willvgo on the patio. As soon as grass dries she is back to using the yard again.

[F, Calla & Luca]

My two do just as yours do. Each one favors a poop spot for a while, then another. I always thought of training them to go in one place but never tried training them to do so.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

My Rooney has had a serious potty habit change - at 15 months.  He will NOT go potty after dark, will NOT get off the front porch.  Even when on leash and walked out of our yard and down the sidewalk he acts like the devil itself is after him.  I believe that he can smell the other animals, he hears them and he is afraid.  Have you tried leashing and then walking your pup?  Or trying a different spot in the yard.  I really wish they could talk to us and let us know what is going on.

[Joy Williams]

Jane, we have had the exact same issue with Maddie recently. When it starts getting dark, she will not get off the deck. Morgan will go out there by herself and Maddie just stands up there &watches her go. If I walk out in the yard with her, she'll go, but immediately runs back up to the back door. Not sure what, but something must have spooked her.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I agree with Karen, that this area may have become offensive to her now.  

One of my doodles has strange issues with potty from time to time.   Sometimes just a good walk around the block for a few days stops this behavior. 

I hate to see them ashamed and afraid to go out and come back in and hold it for so long.  I've seen what you are describing.

That's when I try the walk.  As I walk along, I reassure my doodle to ' Go Out' so she knows it is okay to go on the walk.

We have a big yard and they do each have a spot they prefer, but after a few weeks, they move on to another spot for awhile.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

When we were building our home and had no landscaping our dog did not want to go out in the yard either.  I bought a roll of sod and placed a small arborvitae tree in a pot on the sod and he would life his leg on the arborvitae and was happy as could be with his new potty area.  Even after we sodded our yard, he preferred that same area.  Good luck figuring out the issue.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

She may have been spooked but I agree with what Karen said that it probably seems unpleasant now to her? Good luck-I doubt that the urine would stain the concrete but I do not know.

[Elle, Rusky&Piper]

Thanks everyone! We moved some storage items on the side yard which will triple her potty space. And, we plan on adding new dirt/ sand for her as well. Hopefully this will encourage her to go there instead of the patio.