Dog reluctant to 'go' at home?

[Spudlet]

I find this most odd, has anyone experienced similar? Henry is very reluctant to 'go' in the backyard! Normally it doesn't matter of course as he goes on walks, but I'm poorly today and haven't been up to walking him. I've managed to coax a wee out of him with the aid of chucking a ball out of the back door repeatedly until all the running about triggered things, but no poops, not even one. He seems fine (dog's got a cast iron bowel) but I can't understand why he doesn't want to go at home? He's always been praised for going outside, and he has no problems fertilising the parents' garden when we go there.

Do you think it's just because he doesn't normally go at home? In fact, we rarely ever go out there, the backyard is depressingly shady at all times, and overlooked by the halfway house at the back, so I rarely ever use it.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Neither of mine like going in their dog runs. As you say, it's not a 'normal' place for him to go, what's that they say about poo'ing on your doorstep/back yard!!!

If I am being particularly lazy I will dig out the flexi-lead of doom and let the pup find the nearest agreeable patch of grass. When I had the chest infection after Christmas I just drove him to the beach, let him out for wees and poos, lifted the latter and drove him home

 

[blackcob]

Neither of mine will go in the yard - a good thing really, it's tiny and would soon stink of wee but even Ricoh who pees approximately a gallon every five minutes won't wee out there. Has to be leads on and over the road to the green, even if that's in my PJs at 3am.

Dax used to be a terror for not going in strange places, she once held her wee from 6am until 4pm with a climb up Snowdon in between then wazzed for England the second we got out of the car at home. It took multiple events and days out for her to get over it.

Both merrily crap in the MIL's vegetable beds.

 

[paisley]

I have a tiny lawn, and mine wont pee or poo on it, which is actually rather nice!

It has to be in the field behind the house-I only assume its cos as a puppy we lived in a house where you had to walk down the path to get to the actual garden, so he thinks thats what you do

 

[muddygreymare]

Harvey is the same, he used to 'go' in the garden when he was younger but he refuses now. He just gets a two minute 'wee stop' walk to the postbox up the road or I take him in the field behind the house and he'll do his business there instead. Strange dog

 

[Vizslak]

Flora isnt a fan of going at home, conversly the lurcher will walk for hours and go when we get home before we go back in the house! I force the issue with Flora I have to say, not worried about poos so much but I dont like her holding wees could lead to infection or something.

 

[Willeeckers]

Our two labs are/were completely the opposite!

Both would very rarely, if ever go whilst out on a walk, the only occasional exception would be the younger one sometimes peeing in the sea!! They would both go only in the garden at home, which did prove problematic when my parents took them to France!!

Now in her older years the remaining lab will sometimes go whilst out on a walk but at 15yrs old I guess her control isnt what it used to be!!

 

[whisp&willow]

betty is the same! will pee in the garden, but no number twos!!

if there are any you know she was absolutely bursting. i was off sick for a few days last year (dying from flu plus sickness bug!!!) and calum was away. i had to scrape myself off the sofa twice a day and walk to the end of the road where there is a grassy area i can fling the ball around in. the walk there and back damn near killed me- but the dog needed a crap!

 

[Clodagh]

My lurcher jumps out of our garden, across the farmyard and jumps into the m-in-laws for her morning crap! Fantastic - no poo picking for me!!