Cross Breeds

How can I get my dogs to do their business in the wet weather?

I hate this time of year - wet now, snow soon. . . I have 2 small dogs and getting either one of them to do their business outside when it's wet is a real chore. You'd think asking them to get their delicate snooches wet on the grass was like asking them to walk to the chambers! 7 months of the year, we let them out on the lead and walk away from the door. They sniff, do their business, walk around, and come back to the door to be let in when they're ready. But from November to March we have to stand outside and watch them like a hawk! They'll try every sort of evasive manuever or trickery to avoid getting wet. Meanwhile, I'M the one getting wet. Then, of course, they do their business inside where it's nice an warm and dry. Of course we clear a wide - and I mean WIDE - area in the snow for them to roam and sniff in to find the perfect spot. We've mulched areas of the yard to keep the damp grass off their prissy little doo dahs! Nothing works!! HELP!!

Public Comments

1. Spray bottle. Get them wet anyway. They will run out. Try it. Why not.
2. Take them outside and leave them out there until they do thier business. Tie them up or close you gate. If it takes 3 hours then so be it. They will get wet and they will have to go eventually. They will get it eventually.
3. Get a small child's tent or just a small covering of as sort. Set it up next to the back door so they can go from the door to under the tarped area. It will be dry, dry ground and not get wet if snowing or raining. Come nice weather just take it down. Even if you got a basic 2 person actual tent, that's only $30. I'd just rig up a basic 3' x 3' tarped area that is say 2' tall.
4. LOL When you figure that one out let me know. Last year my dog would only pee in the driveway. He wouldnt go inside, just hold it for too long in my opinion. I considered it lucky if he peed twice a day.
5. IDK, why dont you try pissing outside when its raining... or better yet. go to the bathroom when its freezing cold outside, ... id bet ud want to come back inside too... my advice to you, get somthing for the dog(s) for indoor bathroom habits... like an indoor bathroom or somthin.. idk... but if I were a dog, and I kinda am, according to the chinese callander .. lol, im a dog... lol anyway, think about what you would want, as if you were a dog, and think that its not very nice to pee outside, when its either cold, or wet, try to get like a special covering outside... so that they know thats its going to be dry at that spacific spot... and another thing... if you went to go to the bathroom indoors, and there was watter in the bathroom, or on the floor, would'nt that make things just a little awkward, knowing that your going to the bathroom in a wet place... dogs are living things too, treat others how you would like to be treated... and all will go well...
6. I have a suggestion for you... It might sound silly but I promise it works. I taught my dog to potty on command by chanting "potty, potty, potty" in a low voice each time she pees, then follow up with a treat and an enthusiastic "good potty!" now that i've been doing that for a couple months, we just go outside and I say "Go potty" and she goes anywhere, rain or shine, and I give her a treat and praise. That way you're not standing out in the rain for 10 minutes waiting for them to pee. You can also use "Hurry up" instead of "go potty". It might help if your dogs like treats as much as mine does. You can try using a high quality treat only for the potty - like frozen liver treats - most dogs LOVE those.
7. For this reason I train my dogs to use the pad. Toy breeds do not like to go to the bathroom outside when it's cold or wet. Why not putting paper down in a dry covered area such as the patio or in your garage.
8. OK, this will sound bizarre.... my friend, and our trainer both recommend this. If your dog just refuses to have a BM, i mean, it's clear they have to go, but it's too wet, cold, something over here smells good,there is a person over there, whatever... You light a match, blow it out, and stick it up the butt. No kidding. They poop right then and there(not on you though, it takes a few seconds). It sounds pretty gross, but it does work. I wouldn't do it all the time, but on those days when they just won't go.
9. Just give it time. My dogs were the same way. I moved from Vegas to Northern Idaho and it rains and snows all the time up here... which they weren't use to it. They would refuse to go out. I just kept letting them out, and they eventually got use to it. Now they do their business like nothing! Be patient and don't burn them with matches, spray them with water or tie them up outside for hours (that's cruel! you people should be ashamed!).
10. You go out with them, stay out with them, and make the whole experience fun
11. Two things: its important to take them out at the same times each day and stay out in the cold til they do their business. Since you've allowed them to come in w/o their doing their business, they know they don't have to do it outside. Dress warmly & let them know you're leader of the pack.
12. What breed are your dogs and (more importantly) how old are they? I have two puppies that are almost 1 year old, a beagle and a lab/dachshund mix (don't ask) and I've never had the problem you are describing. But then, we made sure very early on (from 2 months old) in their house training that when they were taken outside, they did what they were supposed to do. Now they don't mind the rain, and they love playing in the snow so much that sometimes it's difficult to get them back inside because I know they will freeze if they're outside for too long, we live in Montana. But they still go potty right when we take them out, then romp around in the snow. Have you been crate training them as well? Try taking them outside, then if they don't IMMEDIATELY go as they are supposed to, bring them back inside and put them into their crates. They will not want to mess in their crates, and they will also want to be around the house with you; trust me, they won't be happy, but that's the whole point. If they start to pick up on it and do their business outside, PRAISE them and give them treats to reward their behavior. Eventually, this should teach them what you want them to do, and they should learn. This is what we did with ours. But like I said, we started working with them to do this when they were 2 months old; they haven't had any issues or accidents inside the house since they were 7 months old, which was August. Your dogs might be too old to learn new tricks, but it's worth a shot.