need help understanding ettiquette (clean, poop, train, rescued)

[gunslinger256]

new dog owner (rescued dog).

I take my dog for walks 3 times a day usually around the block and she sniffs and marks every other mail box until she runs out of liquid and then she'll try to poop instead. Just came back from a 1.5 mile walk around the neighborhood and she pooped 3 times.

questions:
1) is it normal for a dog to not completely eliminate at once
2) should I be training her to go on our own property before actually walking (no fence)
3) not sure how her elimination and marking on neighbor's property is perceived (yes I pick up after her poops)

thanks in advance.

[cheesenugget]

1. What your dog is doing is marking. Not so much as possession of territory but leaving what I call "business cards" for other dogs. Dogs communicate mostly from smell. It tells them who was here, when, health status, sex of the dog, in heat or not, etc.

2. Some dogs can be trained that way. However, you have to see from a dog point of view. Territory for man is not territory for dog. Like I said, they communicate by leaving urine and feces as scent marks as well as relieving themselves. This is natural. Just pick up after your dog.

3. Some neighbors don't like it. Some don't care as long as you pick it up. Try to use grass on curbs, public areas, etc. Again, dogs don't see that boundary like we do.

[Katie1]

You CAN train her to Go Potty in her yard. When she potties add the command Potty & give her treats! So heres the plan take her where You wan her to go & Wait till she Goes. Say Go Potty .happy up beat voice & Good Girl ...when she goes & When she finished give her a Treat. THEN Go for the Walk. Yes when she goes out side her yard repeat the same commands BUT Clean up Before you give her a treat. In a Couple of weeks she will be more than happy to do her business at home. ... Not saying she wont go on the walks as being active gets things moving BUT she be more incline to do it quickly where she don't have to wait on the treat while you clean up. Don't forget to once a week clean up her potty area

[corgifreak]

Training your dog to go potty on command and in your own yard is a valuable skill that will pay dividends.

I do not allow my dog to urinate on neighbor's flowers or shrubs (some will yellow and/or die from urine) or any man-made item. This would include people's mail boxes, parked cars, trash bins, street signs, park benches, etc.

Yes, it is normal for them not to completely eliminate at once. The activity of walking stimulates the digestive system, hence, the multiple poops. They deliberately save up some urine for marking. Dogs can be trained to not constantly mark. I let them sniff and mark certain areas, and then it's time to exercise. When we reach good places for sniffing and marking, we take breaks.

It is important to allow your dog ample opportunity to sniff and mark - it's how they communicate and gather information about their world, but you can train them to do it only in acceptable places.

[CSD610]

I see no reason for you to not train your pet to potty on your property only, then go for those long walks.

[Jessiegee40]

I've trained Bella to pee and poop before we go anywhere. I bring bags with me just in case but normally don't need them. She has never marked with pee so that's not an issue I've had to deal with.

[bassetluv]

I agree, most dogs can be trained to go before heading out for a walk. My dog knows the 'go pee' command, as well as the 'go pee again' (that one is for poop, I know, weird command). Usually with mine though, he goes whilst we are out, as there are places I can take him to eliminate during the walk, and then I just clean up behind him. Whenever I walk him I do allow him to sniff and explore, but when walking past personal properties he's not allowed, I just curb him in and then let him sniff to his heart's content once we're in more public areas, and he's allowed to go in certain places. If he's checking out something I don't want him to urinate on, I'll let him sniff for a second and then redirect him.

Oddly though, my guy isn't one to mark his territory a whole lot...he might do so two or three times at most, but that's it. But my last dog - a female - would constantly want to mark territory by urinating on bushes and grass.

[twelvepaw]

Sure you can train your dog to potty on command and have them do that in your yard before you go out to walk. Be aware though that your dog may still need to potty along the walk- it is the way their bodies work- exercise and smells stimulate both marking instinct and the bowels.
Where I live there are green strips along most neighborhood streets between the street and the sidewalk. My dogs aren't allowed to potty on lawns, gardens, or shrubs, but instead have been trained to potty at the various light and utility poles along our walk.
And yes, always always pick up the poops.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I do not allow marking when I am walking my dogs. We move briskly, it is exercise, after all, and I keep the dogs under control.

It irritates me when a dog dawdles and I have to wait for him at every post and bush. It irritates my neighbors if my dogs pee all over their stuff. I don't like my dogs snuffing up worm eggs from unknown dogs. So, I don't allow it.

When we get to an appropriate place to mark or pee, I stop, let the leash go slack, and give the dogs their command to pee. After the dog has relieved himself, we march on, at a clip that is too fast for sniffing and investigating.

Yes, OP, many dogs, and especially young dogs, have their bowel movements in two separate movements.

[PeachSalsa]

I call it "pee mail". They have to read pee mail and leave their own pee mail.

Never on other people's bushes or flowers though - that could kill them. In fact, I do not allow my dog to walk on other people's yards, only on public paths.