Pet Waste – Dogs

Dog poo should never be left on the ground. It can carry disease and worms that can be transmitted to humans. It also has the potential to pollute waterways.

If you have no yard, you can either train your dog to use a pet toilet at home or visit a nearby grassy spot two or three times a day. Carry a plastic bag with you to scoop up and dispose of the waste hygienically – it only takes a few dogs to degrade the grass of a small park if this isn’t done. 19% of surveyed dog owners toilet their dogs before and after work, and 6% use artificial grass or some form of pet loo.

Most dogs can become quite regular in their toileting habits. The key is to have a reliable routine and an absorbent toileting spot that your dog is happy to use. A healthy, adult dog should only need two or three toileting opportunities per day.

If you’re planning to toilet your dog outside, your dog must learn to “go” on lead so you can go for toilet breaks quickly. Have poo bags attached to your leash to help you remember to pick up.

Observation, patience and positive reinforcement are the keys to toilet training a dog. Puppies generally need to toilet whenever they wake, after playtime, after eating or drinking, and whenever you see toileting behaviour such as sniffing, circling or squatting. At these times, take the puppy to his or her toilet spot and reward the puppy for toileting properly. Use a command word such as “toilet”, the pup will soon learn to toilet when you give the command – this can be very handy.

Don’t punish your dog for toileting in the wrong place – it can teach dogs that going in front of you is “bad” and lead to secretive toileting.

Clean up accidents quickly with an enzymatic washing powder or cleaner.

Ref: Strata Community Aust