How to protect lawn from urine

[Judith and Griffin]

We live in a townhouse now and walk Griffin (8 mo) up the road by the woods and that's where he always does his business.  For poo I either find a stick and flick it into the woods or pick it up in a bag.  The few times the kids let him pee in the yard resulted in totally dead grass :-(  We're looking to move to a  house with a fenced yard (and no woods) if all goes well selling this one... and i'm not sure how I should handle his potty needs if we move!  How do I keep him from killing all the grass? I feel like this is dog basics 101 but for the life of me I can't figure it out!  Suggestions please :-)

[Kimberly Cook]

Here is a couple suggestions from a thread I started. :)

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/puppymadness/forum/topics/designa...

[Suzanne Newman]

Judith, we also live in a townhome with a smaller yard.  We purchased a Tinkle Turf, and have it outside.  It has a hole in the bottom and sits to the side in a gravel area.  Whidbey always pees there.  She knows it is her pee place, and she doesn't pee in in the yard.  She does poo there, but that is easy to pick up and in our case doesn't destroy the yard.  Hope that might help for you????

[Judith and Griffin]

Thank you both!  Any ideas on how to train him at 9-11 months (depending on when/if we get the house we want) to potty in a whole new way/place?  We don't have any signal words or anything really, since once we're by the woods it doesn't matter where he goes.

[Kimberly Cook]

Lead him on a leash for the first month to the area you want him to use using the words you now ask him to "Go Potty". When he goes in the designated spot reward him however you wish just like when you first potty trained. After a month walk out to the area with him off leash and repeat potty command. Most dogs learn this pretty easily. Just make sure you direct him to the area first thing when he goes out. If he makes a mistake in a non designated area: If you catch him in the act clap your hands a couple times loudly saying eh! eh! Then lead him to the potty area and give lots of praise if he goes.

[Judith and Griffin]

He's used to walking for a while before pooping. He *never* does that right away unless he's desperate.  Sometimes he'll pee in a couple minutes but sometimes he walks a good while before doing that as well - depends on distractions. Like blowing leaves lol.  Maybe I should start training him with his potty word now when he goes so it will help as a signal later?

[Kimberly Cook]

Yes, train him to go as soon as he goes out. Sometimes it takes 2 trips for both. ;) Chopper will stop and go to the potty area if he was running around and playing a lot now.
And yes we have the distraction problem as well. If Chopper hears another dog he wont go and once he was mid squat and stepped on a cicada that buzzed at him angrily...lol..he freaked out and ran past me to the back deck door leaving me for dead. /:) For a week after that he would sniff that area and quickly jump back a foot just in case it was still there.

[Judith and Griffin]

LOL about the cicada!  I'm sure it wasn't fun to deal with at all though!  At night Griffin sometimes gets freaked out about something in the woods.  And then he freaks me out. And then we go inside :-)