# Help dog won’t go on wet grass



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Kit won’t pee or poo on wet grass! It is driving us a little .... ok really....crazy. She won’t even step on the grass. This means it isn’t just when it is raining but when the grass is wet, which is basically 24-7 for a month. Think how much accidents I had to clean up. :shudder:! She would bark to go outside to pee then she would not do anything. Unfortunately it rains here in Florida everyday and this summer it is awful! It has been overcast for about a month with no breaks and daily thunderstorm! There has been a lot of kitchen accidents. She pees or poos inside after being let out which means she can hold it. It is always after she goes outside and sees it is gross that these accidents happen. It is clear that she hates dampness, water spray is about the only thing she hates on earth. Need help! Housebreaking crisis is driving me nuts. 

She prances around like grass is hot lava. Makes for a good video. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Wow, that’s a problem that I wish I could help you with but I don’t know.

My tpoo hated to walk on grass, wet or dry, so she would walk on the sidewalk and take one step onto the grass to potty then immediately back off. And my current minipoo has been fussy about different textures on agility equipment. For that it took lots of treats to lure her on the various textures and plenty of practice and now she doesn’t care about the textures anymore. 

Have you tried luring Kit on the wet grass and feeding her lots of treats and tons of praise so she connects wet grass with good things? Will she play on wet grass - chase a ball or chase Lucky, have a game of tug with a favorite toy?


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Lily is pretty offended at having to pee or walk on wet grass too. Then she was an adolescent and really housebroken if it was raining I could never be sure that she had peed or pooed unless I went with her. If she hadn't gone she would then sneak to the basement and leave her gifts there (at least not in the living areas, but lots of cleaning). My solution was to put her on a leash and go out in the rain with her. I put pottying on command and rewarded her very well if she went quickly, but at first I did spend quite a few trips dragging her off the deck onto the grass and waiting in the rain getting soaked. She now would never dream of using the basement as a potty spot. I wish you success with this.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Does she have to walk on the grass, or is there another place she can go potty? If she _must_ walk on grass, bring out the steak and give lots of praise for every step.


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Skylar said:


> Have you tried luring Kit on the wet grass and feeding her lots of treats and tons of praise so she connects wet grass with good things? Will she play on wet grass - chase a ball or chase Lucky, have a game of tug with a favorite toy?



I would stand on the grass and give her treats but she does the lava dance like I’m killing her and step off immediately. I think it might be a Maremma thing. My last dog hated the rain and would not pee while it is raining but holds it until it stops. Kit doesn’t pee at all if the grass is wet. We might need to do some rain training sessions.


ETA: she sits while Lucky rolls in wet grass. Even the Pomeranian who is as tall as grass will pee on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> Lily is pretty offended at having to pee or walk on wet grass too. Then she was an adolescent and really housebroken if it was raining I could never be sure that she had peed or pooed unless I went with her. If she hadn't gone she would then sneak to the basement and leave her gifts there (at least not in the living areas, but lots of cleaning). My solution was to put her on a leash and go out in the rain with her. I put pottying on command and rewarded her very well if she went quickly, but at first I did spend quite a few trips dragging her off the deck onto the grass and waiting in the rain getting soaked. She now would never dream of using the basement as a potty spot. I wish you success with this.




It is good to know I’m not alone. I wish I had a basement. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

zooeysmom said:


> Does she have to walk on the grass, or is there another place she can go potty? If she _must_ walk on grass, bring out the steak and give lots of praise for every step.




She does indeed have a poo spot and it is really really far end of the street. She enjoys pooing in that spot and it is very reliable. Unfortunately, they are putting in new sod (probably of all the dog who pee there) and blocked off the area. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Photos from Memorial Day weekend with tropical storm Antonio. It is not looking much better right now (last photo). It is gonna be a stinky summer.


























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

My dog who doesn’t like wet grass (or rain) is okay with wet mulch. Fortunately there is tree cover so that she can usually stay dry in the process. I often need to be outside and encourage her.


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

scooterscout99 said:


> My dog who doesn’t like wet grass (or rain) is okay with wet mulch. Fortunately there is tree cover so that she can usually stay dry in the process. I often need to be oitside and encourage her.




She did pee on gravel for a while but now won’t touch it either. I think her potty breaks need to be training sessions. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

My late Scottie had to be pulled or carried out the door. He could not stand the rain and refused to use any spot on our 4 acres as a toilet, so we walked in the neighborhood until mission accomplished. Rain and shine I would try to desensitize Kit’s aversion to wet grass with treats and walk her so there are no more accidents in the house.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well yes, you do have to train appropriate potty behaviors. Sadly as I said I got soaked doing my training duties with Lily more than once. Since you don't have a basement what about the garage? It is nice to know one isn't alone in some of these issues.


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Paul walks her everyday bc she won’t go on her own. I probably need to pick up the slack. He was soooooo angry this morning and is starting to have displaced aggression. It isn’t like I crapped in the kitchen during breakfast 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> Well yes, you do have to train appropriate potty behaviors. Sadly as I said I got soaked doing my training duties with Lily more than once. Since you don't have a basement what about the garage? It is nice to know one isn't alone in some of these issues.




She barks nonstop if she is sequestered. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

snow0160 said:


> She barks nonstop if she is sequestered.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro



But if you took her to the garage at least you wouldn't be getting wet. I didn't really mean for you to just put her in the garage by herself, but to do some training on this there, like get the potty on command down so she goes when and where you tell her.


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> But if you took her to the garage at least you wouldn't be getting wet. I didn't really mean for you to just put her in the garage by herself, but to do some training on this there, like get the potty on command down so she goes when and where you tell her.




Great idea! She is smart but willful! Less willful with* food.

ETA: Typo
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Always pay (food or play) while teaching things.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Babykins doesn't like to pee or poop on our property - I have to walk her at least to the next door neighbor's yard or farther. In fact she seems to prefer to potty where lots of other dogs have pottyed. Sounds like Kit going to that one spot on your block. I have been out there in all kinds of miserable weather walking her to the couple of spots in the neighborhood that I know lots of dogs use. Theoretically I have a "go pee" and "go poop" command - she understands when I say it and bends her head down to seriously sniff out the right spot; but she won't potty unless it's the perfect spot, perfect scent. I often limit her to sniffing in a circle the diameter of the length of her leash to limit the sniffing. We always walk her to potty - she is never let out the door to potty on her own (our yard isn't fenced). We had a horrible time when there were several inches of snow on the ground here in winter - she can't smell all the pee mail left by other dogs and people don't walk their dogs - so she was forced to potty where we shoveled a grassy knoll for her to use - a large one. It would take her forever till she realized that she had no other choice but to potty there. My dog is definitely driven to finding the ideal spot. If we're home all day, she only goes out to potty three times to encourage her to potty quickly (morning, dinner and before bed)

I don't blame Paul for being upset - of course the displaced anger - well that's not pleasant and needs to be redirected into finding a solution.

Have you just put on your raincoat and maybe rain boots given the sometimes monsoon like rain you can have in Florida and just walk the heck out of Kit until she had to pee in the rain? Then follow up with a jackpot of treats immediately afterwards? I would only do this when you know it's time for her to potty.

Are there other materials that she will pee and potty on besides dry grass? Maybe you could build a faux grass potty spot in the garage?

Between the time you boarded her and her Pyometra these potty problems have gone on for awhile - sounds like you really need to get some solid successes in to build up good potty habits.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I haven't figured out weather Molly does or doesn't.....she is fine about walking in the rain, will follow a scent thru knee high wet weeds and grass, will pee on wet grass (with butt 'lifted' and not squatted low) but will not poop on wet grass....she will poop on the wet sidewalk or dirt though! It's ok with me, it's easier to pick up LOL!!!


----------



## angiefurst (May 24, 2018)

My standard doesn't care - rain of shine - when he has to go he uses the dog door and takes care of business. My toy is another matter. She hates the rain and wed grass. She is very small and the grass tickles her tummy. So when it rains - she goes on her pads. Don't know what I'd do if my Standard had that problem.


----------



## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

I want to sincerely thank everyone who posted on this thread and tried to help me. I am so grateful you've shared your experiences with your own dogs. It makes me feel not alone and I feel so much better now! In the past few weeks, Kit's behavior was driving me crazy and the weather isn't getting any better. I am going to try every single method mentioned here until we have this problem fixed. With training, practice, and a lot of patience, I know we will fix this. Thank everyone for the encouragement because I really needed it.


----------



## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

My Bella will hold it for 3 days had her to vets first time and he said she will go when she can't hold it any longer. She hates rain or now, he goes in the moring and again at night and always has unless upset tummy.


----------



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Remo has been our problem pee child lately. For him it was the backyard at night. One night about 2 weeks ago, he just said No. Did the grass get too long? Did something scare him? I go out with them at night, and I have no idea. 

After a few nights, knowing it wasn't likely to be good for him to hold it for 12-14 hours routinely, it occurred to me to harness him up and walk him in front of our house-boy never met a tree he wouldn't anoint. So, until tonight, this has been his go to bed routine.

I was going to keep trying the back yard and fall back to the front. Tonight, after our tree-watering excursion out front then back inside, he went to the back door on his own and looked longingly out. I thought he wanted a ball he'd left out there. To my surprise, he went and peed. On the grass. Without prompting. 

Tomorrow could be right back to front tree pee but we had one success, and where there's one, there's more  This is my offer of hope.

If you think it's the wet specifically, is Kit the same in the bath? Maybe try desensitization by wetting just her paws? or another sometimes amusing direction-booties  maybe get a potty patch with real grass, either to try for a pee or use in desensitization? 

In Remo's case, I can't know what caused the issue, I can only work around, hoping he'll get past whatever it is. 

In Kit's case, if you know the cause for sure, that gives you a target. If you can't pinpoint the cause, you go for the workaround til she can move past. 

You and Kit will get this


----------

