Dogs fill our lives with unadulterated happiness. They also can fill your house with a lot of poop if you do not train them to do the dirty work outside during winters. Generally dogs do not like to poop around the house if they have an option once they have been house-broken during their early years.
However, when the snow covers up the ground during winters, dogs have difficulty finding their ‘spot’ by sniffing (which is how they like to remember their pooping areas!). That is one the main reasons why dogs generally do not like to poop outside during the falls.
One more reason is of course, the fact that, like you, your dog also likes the warmth of central heating. It is smart enough to run back inside to take a dump in the warmth of your house instead of in the biting cold outside. Hence, it is important to keep your dog warm when you take it for a walk, especially if your dog is a furless variety.
Some of the ways that you can try out during winters to make your dog poop outside are:
- Make a clearing in the lawn by shoveling out as much snow as you can and exposing a small area of the ground beneath. Your dog needs to ‘find’ a poop spot by sniffing previous poop smells. That is their favorite way to go for a potty and if you can give them an area amidst all that snow, then they will love to finish off with the ‘work’ before entering.
- Warm them up by making them run around in the house before you take them out. That cheers them up and also warms up their insides which will make them want to stay outside longer. That means more time to get that poop out of them!
- Give them a reason to poop outside if they are reluctant. Reward them by giving them treats when they poop so that they can associate a treat with every time they go for #2. This will make them poop faster while taking their walk in the snow.
- Take regular walks and maintain a particular time. Timing is very important for dogs as their body clock maintains the motions accordingly. When you take your dog for timely walks, it is less likely that they will come back inside and poop.
