Dog on Dirt

How to Make an Outdoor Potty Area for Dogs

Believe it or not, saving your lawn from your dog's destructive 'fertilization' is actually really easy! All you need to do is create an outdoor potty area for dogs and train your pup to use it.

The Problem

Your dog pees and poos all over the yard, destroying your grass.

The Solution

Create a basic outdoor potty area for dogs with some mulch and train your dog to use it.

How to Create an Outdoor Potty Area for Dogs

  • Pick a small area of your yard to make into your potty outdoor area and measure it to get the square footage. It needs to be big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around, but it doesn't need to be huge.
  • Buy some simple mulch, using the measurements from before to make sure you get enough.
  • Spread the mulch on the new outdoor potty area so that it's about 1-2 inches (2-5cm) thick.

Training Your Dog to Pee in Their Potty Area

Next, we need to train your dog to use the new area! Luckily, dogs are really good at understanding location when it's separated with a clear boundary, like with the mulch we used.

  • Whenever you take your dog out to potty, take them on a leash to the potty spot and make them stay in the designated area for ten minutes or until they go potty, whichever comes first.
  • If they go potty in their new spot, praise them profusely with lots of love and, "Yes, go potty!" You can bolster this with treats!
  • If they don't go potty, take them inside for 5-10 minutes (watch them very carefully!) and then repeat steps 1-3 until they do go.
  • Do this for about two weeks to really cement it into your dog's brain.

Tips and Tricks for Using the Potty Area

There are going to be some screw-ups here, so have patience! Here are some tips to help you out.

  • If your dog starts to go potty in the yard, immediately clap loudly to surprise them, then lead them to the potty spot to finish going.
  • If they poop anywhere besides the potty spot, use a doggy bag to move the poop to the outdoor potty area and then praise them. Yes, praise them for pottying in the right spot, even though they didn't, as soon as you move the poo.
  • Dogs tend to have to go after a play session, so if you play inside make sure to take them out right after. If you play outside try to get them to potty in the right spot both before and after play.
  • Be consistent! Your dog will learn where to go in no time.
Best of luck with your new potty spot!
Cassie Mackin with Dog

Our pets are a responsibility, not a privilege. We have to give them the best lives possible, if only to pay them back for all the wonder they give us.

-- Cassie Mackin


Products Helpful for Creating an Outdoor Potty Area for Dogs

3 Comments

  1. […] See my post about creating a designated potty spot so your dog doesn't ruin your lawn here. […]

  2. […] How to Make Your Own Potty Area So Your Dog Stops Destroying Your Lawn with Feces and Urine […]

  3. […] It’s also a great way to encourage them to go only where you want, like on the grass, gravel, or their own unique potty spot that you created. […]

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