My dog waits for me to poop. How can my partner get her to potty?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely just him needing to get used to going out to defecate with someone else. I would recommend that when he is taken outside by that person, that they give him a longer time to go potty while he gets used to them. This should get better on its own. Best of luck!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Soska. This is a common issue for dogs who have been punished for having housetraining accidents - they become afraid to pee or poop in front of the owner, which then makes it extremely difficult to teach them where to go. I would recommend going back to basics with Soska and starting over with her housetraining as if she were a puppy. This means taking her out frequently for potty breaks, and rewarding with praise and a treat as soon as she poops outside. Inside, she needs to be supervised at all times to prevent any opportunity for accidents. You may need to be very patient at first, since if she is afraid to "go" in front of you, it will take her a long time to trust you again. See our article on housetraining for more information on how to teach her where to potty: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining

Designate one area and use it. Take her outside to that spot and wait. You can use a spray attractant to keep her interest to one area. As soon as she begins to go, say "Go potty", "Do your business" or similar phrase. Once she goes, offer profuse praise and a small reward then take her for a short walk. Do this every time she goes out. Eventually, she will go 'on command' because she knows she will get a reward afterwards. Be consistent. Be patient.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like either a preference or a timing thing. Preference- Some dogs prefer sidewalks or roads and will wait until you get to that kind of surface to do their business. Timing- you’d be surprised at how predictable a dog’s potty schedule can be. When I lived in an apartment, my dog would go potty exactly 8 minutes into our walk- regardless of where we were. So if you’d prefer he go on the grass, try changing up your walk pattern so that you’re on the grass at his usual “time”. Best of luck to you and Cooper!

You may need to spend more time with him outside. Wait him out, and when he does go poop outside, give him lots of praise and give him a treat. You may also want to consider crate training him. Get him a crate that is big enough for him to stand up and turn around in. Make it comfortable, in a nice quiet place, with his blankets and toys. If he's stubborn and won't go outside, put him in his crate and close it. If he cries, give him a few minutes to settle down, but if he persists, he may be letting you know he needs to go potty. By giving him just enough room, but not too much, your giving him a 'den' so to speak. Dogs are very reluctant to soil the place where they sleep, so by confining him, you're presenting him with a choice; ask to go out and get the job done, or possible make a mess and have to be stuck with it for a little while. When he has gone potty, put him in his crate but don't shut it. The presence of his blankets and a toy will reinforce to him that the crate is a nice place that is all his own.

Since Molly cannot talk, we will never know. Dogs are individuals and can be quirky just like humans. I recommend to go outside with her every time she potties to make sure that she uses the bathroom appropriately and so you don’t have a mess to clean up. If the stool appears abnormal or she appears to have problems with incontinence, I recommend to have Molly examined by her veterinarian. Best of luck.

This can be a normal reaction to dogs who are used to pottying in the backyard, off leash. When you walk them and they’re on a leash they become anxious and nervous about going to the bathroom out in the open and on the leash. My best advice for you is to try and walk him frequently so he gets used to being on the leash. If he is able to hold his urine and bowel movements then it shouldn’t be a big issue. He will need to lease go to the bathroom every 10 to 12 hours. When you do walk him on the leash and he potties use lots of positive reinforcement like praise and treats to let him know you are proud of him and did a good job. Consistency with walking him will help improve this problem. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.