For those of you who have a dog...

**miss mopple** · 22-06-2010, 05:29 PM

have you penned off an area in your garden for it to use, and if so how have you done it?

My garden is pretty small and we have a puppy who is obviously using it for toileting at the minute. I'm not happy letting the children play out there while she is using it for her business so the solution would probably be to section off an area for her to use. Am just a bit bamboozled about the best way to do it so wondered if any of you have any advice?

I am feeling really hemmed in with all this lovely weather and not being able to let the kids out there (we go out for outdoor play) so need to sort it asap really

**newandlearning** · 22-06-2010, 05:54 PM

hi .. I think I can help with this... I bought some of that really low to the ground wooden fencing.. and put it across one part of the back of the garden.. and told my dog to go there...

I tell him to 'go pee!'.. when peeing..
and
I tell him 'in the bushes' .. when I want him to poo...

with a puppy its really easy .. everytime he pees say to him 'go pee' or
'in the bushes' if he's not in the area of the garden which is his.. then pick
him up put him where you want him and say again rather 'go pee' or 'in the
bushes' ..

dogs are generally really clever and I bet after a couple of weeks everything
will be ticking along fine... a lot of the time my dog goes in the area he should do .. occasionally I have to gently remind him.#

hope that helps

**Trouble** · 22-06-2010, 05:59 PM

my dogs have a seperate bit at the back which only them and me are allowed on

they are not allowed in either front garden

**kats** · 22-06-2010, 08:25 PM

We have made an enclosure for our lab puppy out of garden fencing, we have put a plastic kennel in there for him and when the mindees are outside he goes in there and is more than happy. It is also useful when he is being a pain inside the house, it gives him and us some peace, im so glad we did it, it makes life much easier as he does all his business in the enclosure

Kats x

**Hebs** · 22-06-2010, 08:27 PM

no

**AliceK** · 22-06-2010, 08:40 PM

No my dog is far too old and set in his ways for that. He goes out in the morning before mindees arrive, then I clean up after him then he goes out again after lunch and then after his tea when mindees have gone home at which point he can go in and out as much as he likes. He just sleeps all day anyway. As long as you clean up properly I can't see a problem really.

xxxx

**miss mopple** · 22-06-2010, 08:45 PM

Thanks everyone, has given me food for thought

Alice- I do clean up as soon as she goes, and we try to walk her when we know she needs a poo so it doesnt get done in the garden but its not always possible. I just dont like the thought of the little ones playing where she has been, even just to do a wee.

**mushpea** · 23-06-2010, 05:40 AM

I havent penned a bit of in our garden for the dog, he is a very lazy 4yrold labrador that sleeps most of the day anyway , his routine is that he has a walk in the morning and a long walk at night which helps, he has the run of the house and garden , when the mindees are here he knows he has to stay in the kitchen or go out in the garden when they are indoors, i clear up after him straight away and wash where he goes with detol and water soloution each time which i keep up high but ready. we have blok paving all through our garden so easy to clean up after.

**HomefromHome** · 23-06-2010, 06:42 AM

this is a bug bear for me - my dogs dont have a separate area - they are healthy so dont do 'bad' ones, i clear it before children arrive.

my argument for not having a separate area is that the children are exposed to far worse when walking over the fields and play parks! and the

paths!!!! there isnt a little sectioned off area in the middle of the field for dogs to do their business!!!!!

rant over!

**PixiePetal** · 23-06-2010, 06:53 AM

Originally Posted by HomefromHome

this is a bug bear for me - my dogs dont have a separate area - they are healthy so dont do 'bad' ones, i clear it before children arrive.

my argument for not having a separate area is that the children are exposed to far worse when walking over the fields and play parks! and the

paths!!!! there isnt a little sectioned off area in the middle of the field for dogs to do their business!!!!!

rant over!

That's what I think too, at least I know my dogs are wormed etc.

I go out first thing and check round, again in the evening after they have been out. During the day they are out of my play area of the garden or sitting near me on a lead so all ok I feel.

Parents know the score too.

**HomefromHome** · 23-06-2010, 06:59 AM

thank you pixie - glad someone agrees with me!
also your dogs get into

a routine - mine only do one a day and that's after they've been fed in the evening after everyone's gone! picked up that evening usually and garden checked again in morning.

**sweets** · 23-06-2010, 07:11 AM

i havnt got a dog and dont want one

it would worry me tho if as i parent if i had a crawling baby and they were regulaly crawling on grass where a dog had done his business, i know you all pick it up straight away but surely some little bits remain on the grass? (TMI sorry

) i wouldnt want to crawl on it!

really dont want to offend anyone but it would bother me or am i just being a fuss pot clean freak?

**Ticktoria** · 23-06-2010, 07:12 AM

I have just fenced an area off but only because it was implied that the inspector would prefer it, mine have been trained only to go in one half of the garden,they got it really quickly and your puppy should too.

I know where your coming from homefromhome, but in my last house they could go where ever and I got annoyed at the grass being wrecked, so they now have low maintenance gravel and their very own plants in tubs to wee up with the plants changed regularly due to death

- for those of you with boy dogs I can reconmend a good old new zealand flax, mine has survived and grown with 5years of dogs weeing up it many times a day!!

**HomefromHome** · 23-06-2010, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by sweets

i havnt got a dog and dont want one

it would worry me tho if as i parent if i had a crawling baby and they were regulaly crawling on grass where a dog had done his business, i know you all pick it up straight away but surely some little bits remain on the grass? (TMI sorry

) i wouldnt want to crawl on it!

really dont want to offend anyone but it would bother me or am i just being a fuss pot clean freak?

i can see your point but then blankets are usually out for crawlers just as they would be in a park plus our bouncey enclosed round thing that i have (i have no idea what it's called!) is used too. i usually stick to the patio area for crawlers too, to be honest (stil plenty of flora to poke about in). i think it is up to each individual who knows their animals, their house and their garden, we all have our ways of doing things and as long as you are comfortable with it, risk assessed everything

and have fully explained to parents how you do things, then it should be a win win situation!

**PixiePetal** · 23-06-2010, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by sweets

i havnt got a dog and dont want one

it would worry me tho if as i parent if i had a crawling baby and they were regulaly crawling on grass where a dog had done his business, i know you all pick it up straight away but surely some little bits remain on the grass? (TMI sorry

) i wouldnt want to crawl on it!

really dont want to offend anyone but it would bother me or am i just being a fuss pot clean freak?

I pull up the grass too if necessary!

Actually my garden is huge and kids play area has been fenced off so I can keep track of them - house is in middle of plot. Dogs prefer to keep out of the way anyway although pup is small enough to fit through fence if she wanted - I tell her to go away

**HomefromHome** · 23-06-2010, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Ticktoria

I have just fenced an area off but only because it was implied that the inspector would prefer it, mine have been trained only to go in one half of the garden,they got it really quickly and your puppy should too.

I know where your coming from homefromhome, but in my last house they could go where ever and I got annoyed at the grass being wrecked, so they now have low maintenance gravel and their very own plants in tubs to wee up with the plants changed regularly due to death

- for those of you with boy dogs I can reconmend a good old new zealand flax, mine has survived and grown with 5years of dogs weeing up it many times a day!!

love it! brilliant!
yes girlie dogs wee does wreck grass but then so do kids! i have a 4 yr old dd so at the moment i'm happy for grass to have bare patches!

**estrelas** · 23-06-2010, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by kats

We have made an enclosure for our lab puppy out of garden fencing, we have put a plastic kennel in there for him and when the mindees are outside he goes in there and is more than happy. It is also useful when he is being a pain inside the house, it gives him and us some peace, im so glad we did it, it makes life much easier as he does all his business in the enclosure

Kats x

How old is your lab puppy? mines 15 weeks, he's been really good with wees and poo's always in the same place, I don't use the back garden at the moment with mindees

**Cammie Doodle** · 23-06-2010, 10:27 AM

Don't have a dog at present, but used to (and will do again) I cleaned up after her and it caused no probs at all. Not one of my Mindees were EVER at risk nor have any of them been ill due to my dog.
I think it is just common sense really. I worry more about VISITING cats that I have no control over

.

**HomefromHome** · 23-06-2010, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by June

Don't have a dog at present, but used to (and will do again) I cleaned up after her and it caused no probs at all. Not one of my Mindees were EVER at risk nor have any of them been ill due to my dog.
I think it is just common sense really. I worry more about VISITING cats that I have no control over

.

i was going to put common sense but didnt want to offend anyone! mine always wash their hands well when we come in from outside too.
as for cats - i got 2 cats so that solves that problem!

**AnnieM** · 23-06-2010, 10:25 PM

I have 4 dogs, we gravelled most of the back and have a large decked area which is where the children are encouraged to play. The dogs go on the gravel and it is cleaned up as soon as they've all 'been'. About once a week I make up a solution of kennel disinfectant and go over the gravel area with it. The dogs never mess or wee on the decking and I am sure babies would not want to crawl on gravel as it is the irregular limestone type, so would be very uncomfortable. I don't ban children from the gravelled area but do not allow them to pick it up and it is just used for ball games really. The dogs are wormed about once every 4 - 6 weeks and don't scavenge, so that should never be a problem. As long as you keep on top of things it should be fine, I do know people who have trained their dogs to go in a certain area though, so it is possible, but like any training takes time.