Sharing a yard - dog and children...

[stelly]

How is your yard set up for your dog and child/ren?

We have a big backyard, but the dog is pooping all over it and I can't work out how to keep her using one area so the rest is "safe" for my toddler to play in...

Even if I collect the waste very quickly, there still might be residue that I don't want my child (or visiting children) to come into contact with.

I've tried visual markers (dog side/child side) but neither of them care for that. I've tried a short fence, but the dog leaps over it. I've tried taking her on the leash to the same area, but as soon as she's off the leash she just goes wherever she wants.

Short of running a proper fence down the middle and creating 2 separate backyards, does anyone have suggestions?

Thanks.

[lonegirl]

1-The dog should never be left alone with a child less than five years of age. A young child may challenge or injure the dog unintentionally and the result could be tragic. Dogs and children should be separated at snack time so the dog doesn't learn to steal food from tiny hands.

2-The dog should have a place he can call his own, a retreat, a private room, a den. This can be a pen in the back yard or a crate in the house. The children should never be allowed to bother the dog when he is in his place.

3-If the dog has access to a fenced yard, owners should make sure that neighborhood children cannot accidentally or intentionally tease him. Kids often begin by goading the dog to bark, then to snarl. Or they may throw things at him to chase him away from the fence. However it begins, the end result is usually the same: the kids learn that teasing the dog gives them a feeling of power tinged with the possibility of danger and the dog learns to hate kids. This hatred may be manifest as fear or as aggression, and may end when a child is bitten and the dog is taken to the pound to be placed in a new home, (if lucky).

3-If the dog does not like the children, the children must change their behavior. Most dogs are wary of staring, of quick movements, and of high-pitched screams, all of which are typical of small children. Here's a few hints to alleviate the tension between dog and children.

4-Provide a crate where the dog can escape the attention of boisterous or over-zealous children.
Teach children to leave Ranger alone when he's in the crate, to pat him gently--no squeezing around the neck, please--and to leave him alone while he's eating.

5-Do not play tug-of-war with any dog who has access to children. A dog that learns to tug on any item will soon figure that anything he can grab is his, even if it's a child's toy, clothing, or appendage.

6-Teach children not to run past the dog and scream, for this can excite the dog and lead to dominant and even aggressive behavior.

7-Never tie a dog in the yard. Children tend to tease tethered dogs even without realizing it, which can lead to aggressive behavior. Many instances of dogs attacking children occur when the dog is tethered in the yard and a screaming or running child enters its space.

[mistymama]

Not sure what Lonegirl's response had to do with your questions since you didn't mention anything about leaving the dog/child together, etc?

Anyway - the best way I know to get your dog used to going in one area of the yard is to take him there on a regular basis on the leash and lavishly praise him when he goes in the area you want. If he's pretty regular, I'd make sure for the next few weeks you catch him at potty time and take him to a remote area of the backyard to go. I'd also move any poop you find in the yard to that area.

Maybe someone will come along behind me with better answers! I'm hoping you already know not to leave your dog/child alone and tie it up. :loo

[greenmagick]

hmmm, well several of those are actually not true....playing tug correctly is actually great for teaching a dog control and a child running and screaming does get many dogs overexcited, but its not about dominance.

As far as the yard....well I just keep a bucket outside and scoop as I can....the hose is right there as well so if it is a messy one I spray it off. I will be honest though, it doesnt really bother me much. You can teach a dog where to go though by putting "go potty" on command and teaching it in one area.

[lonegirl]

Sorry my information may not be what the OP was looking for....I've been suffering with a very bad case of the flu and didn't read her post properly.....but

Originally Posted by greenmagick

hmmm, well several of those are actually not true....playing tug correctly is actually great for teaching a dog control and a child running and screaming does get many dogs overexcited, but its not about dominance.
.

I just wanted to address the tug of war (even if off topic)....it isn't a good game to play with child and dog....here is a good article: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...C=2&A=1604&S=1
This is a very reliable info site used by veterinarians.
It does not write off tug-of-war but does go into it with children and why it can be dangerous.

[mistymama]

lonegirl - I do agree to some point about the tug of war - esp if you have a dog that tends to be aggressive. I don't allow anyone to play tug of war with our mini dachshund for that very reason.

Hope you feel better soon!

[greenmagick]

Well, the statement is dont let a dog play tug if it is ever around children. I disagree with that but agree that a child should not be playing tug. Tug used to be advised against as it was thought to bring about dominance issues and aggression etc....most have changed their mind on that now though. Its just there need to be rules...only the tug toy gets tugged, if they dont drop when you say drop, game over..if they accidently touch skin, game over, etc. With those rules it is a very good game to teach control and for bonding.

sorry you are not feeling well....hope you get better soon!

[Geigerin]

I've been wondering the same thing. We won't have to worry about it for a little while yet, but currently, our dog goes wherever he wants in the back yard.

[SophieAnn]

I never thought of this.

Our dog's poops are pretty firm, so once they're picked up there's virtually no residue, but there are other times...

Using the hose on the grass after picking up is a good idea if it's a messy poop. I think any residue that isn't visible will dry and become dirt-like pretty quickly and be relatively safe.

You may just need to be extra-vigilant with your child that they not put things in their mouth when outside (especially their hands). Wash hands as soon as you come back inside, and if you're spending an extended period of time outside, have some wipes handy to wipe your child(ren)'s hands if needed.

That's a tough one. I can certainly see why you're concerned. I would also be concerned about little ones crawling on the grass when there's a fresh pee spot.

[rhiOrion]

I think if your dog doesn't have loose poops that I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think I'd have a fecal exam done to check for worms, since some of those can be dangerous. But if doggy is worm-free, I'm just not sure I'd be that worried. I'd just pick up the poops.

If dog has loose poop or worms, then my opinion would change.

[lifeguard]

How long did you try leashing the pup & bringing him to a designated spot? Perhaps you could try this longer & add a command. With our girl we inadvertently did this (we didn't have a fenced yard at the time) & now she will go on command if she needs to at all. So after you stopped leashing him you could still encourage him to his spot & give him the command.

I also find nothing makes my dog poop more than a good walk - if this is true for your pup you could start the day with a good walk & then, hopefully, most of the pooping for the day will be done.

[mommariffic]

I have two huge dogs and a little backyard AND all the snow melted so my yard is like poop-city. I just say "watch out for poops!" and that does the trick, but now that I can SEE the grass and the weather is warmer I do one poop-up a day, since they both go just once a day.

Just try to keep on top of it I say. Dry poops aren't a big deal, and if my dog[s] get the runs or something I just bust out the hose. But my daughter who's 2 1/2 kind of knows about disgusting dog poo since she's grown up with the beasts so I don't have to worry about her touching it or anything.

Also, I agree that dry poops won't leave much residue. I mean think of all the other creatures taking dumps or pees in your yard you just don't know about.

[greenmagick]

lol

yeah one of the first things both of my kids understood was "watch out for the poop!" it gets them to halt immediately and look around

[Rabbit8]

My four year old plays tug with our dog all the time...he's a huge dog (over 100 pounds), but gentle and they're being raised together. He just turned two earlier this month actually.

Anyway, I'd pick up the poops as soon as you can and start teaching your toddler to avoid them. I did that with my girl when she was 2; we got our dog as a puppy when she was that age and I think kids are always smarter than we think when they're toddlers. For the messy poops, like others suggested with the hose and if your hose doesn't reach a large pot of water will do.

She now knows to avoid the piles, not that I leave many out there. Okay so right now the snow has melted and all the 'surprises' from winter are visible, we've been cleaning up the yard as the snow recedes. She's very good at pointing them out to me to pick up. lol

[stelly]

Thanks for the replies.

We have a gravel area in our backyard where the prior owner kept his boat. We spent about 4 days taking her there on the leash and giving her the command to go... nothing. Eventually after 23 hours of no toilet, we caved and let her go on the front lawn because we were worried she would burst. I know she doesn't mind gravel because the dog park we used to visit had it and she peed/pooped there fine.

Our yard is sloped, so my daughter finds it hard to run around without falling over every 2 minutes, that's why I'm more worried about it.

I will try and go out every day, and perhaps try a visual barrier again.

Thanks!

[SquishyKitty]

I would keep taking her to the gravel area if that's where you want her to go.

There's also some spray that's pretty rank, but if you put it where you want her to go, she'll make the connection if you continually take her there, same as you would when potty training a pup. Take them out, and wait there with them until they go. We had to do that to housebreak our frenchie, he thought it was just fine to pee on the area rugs otherwise lol.

[mattemma04]

I potty my dogs before letting them lose in the fenced yard.I try to watch them because they can still drop a load,and that is no fun to step in!

If you can afford it you can buy a kennel run from just about anywhere.Try craigslist for cheaper used ones.Some of these runs come with tops. If that is not an option then you could build your own run with wire fencing and T-posts.Not sure how tall the fence is that your dog was jumping.

I am more worried about raccoon droppings than dog ones.Plus,the dog eating other animal droppings....eeeeeewww. I am thinking of fencing off an area for the dogs,and also building an enclosure for our cats.Nice to have everyone in their place,lol. Hope you find a solution that works.

As for the gravel toilet I am guessing the dog will get used to it.When they gotta go they finally will.My dogs had a thing for snow piles.Now that they are gone they cricle and circle and circle till FINALLY going in a grassy spot.