Won't Go To The Bathroom Outside

southerngirl

Honored Member
My Nana's dog Shadow a 6-8year old Jack Russel/Chihuahua has refused to go to the bathroom outside soon after my nana's other dog died a few months ago. The two weren't friends, Shadow was a bit bullied by the other dog.
We will put him off the porch and he just runs right back to the porch if we keep doing it he hides under the porch. When we leave him out there by himself he just waits on the porch. He is kept in the laundry room with a baby gate when he doesn't go potty to keep him from going in the house.
Side note he is Very shy
 

jackienmutts

Honored Member
Aww, poor thing. How about if he had a different exit instead of that one? Sounds like (since he's a shy guy) maybe some bad assoc from that exit and porch. Will he go if someone walks him a little bit on a leash, outside? Does he have a potty 'cue' word (ie: go potty, hurry up, let's go, or something like that?). If so, maybe start all over with him like when he was a puppy - take out on the porch to his area on leash, ask him to potty, and when he does, throw a nice party, altho since he's very shy, make a toned-down version, don't scare him or make it something he'd hate - but take great party favors (fabulous treats!:LOL:) and make going potty out there a good thing. If he's really scared (for some reason) to go out there, it may take some doing and lots of patience. Could it be the other dog may have bullied him into just plain not liking it out there? Or did something else happen out there? Or could something (or someone) be scaring him out there? If that could be the case then it could take some time. Go slow with any shy dog, take lots of time, have lots of patience, and go only as quickly as he can go.

Not sure what else altho am trying to think of other angles. I'm sure someone else will think of something tho.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
My Nana has tried taking him out the back and he does the same thing. I had asked her the last time I was at her house if anything happened that might have scared him and she said the only thing that has happened was another dog in the yard he ran of. This dog has been in the yard before though. He does not like leashes he does everything he can to get out of them. He does have a potty cue "let's go potty"
I did carry him to the yard and put him down and said "go potty" he ran to the porch immediately. After two or three times of doing this he ran under the porch so I had to coax him out. Next time I'm over I'll bring a leash he shouldn't be able to slip out of.
 
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