Desperate..

Hello lovely people, I'm in need of your help. I thought I had dog behaviour/training pretty down pat but I'm at my wits end..I'll try keep this brief-ish

I've had my staffy Arlo since he was 8 weeks, he is now just over a year. He's a lovely, well behaved/trained and excitable little guy.
As a puppy, toilet training went well, and he had 24/7 access to the backyard through the back door that was always left open.

We've recently moved house and aren't able to keep the back door open to the yard for him when we aren't home.
The alternative is a little outside light room area (its about 2.5x1.5m, in the open air, paved with bricks) which we can have the door open to. The problem is Arlo just doesn't see it as a toilet area, and is constantly pissing and pooing all over the place inside.

I've caught him mid-pee inside, and redirected him to the area and given commands, just as I did as a pup but he just sits and looks at me confused. When we go for walks in the morning, the poor thing poos or pees 8-10 times within the first 5-10 minutes, so his bladder must be taking a beating to hold it all in, yet he won't use the designated outside area.

I've put a 1x1m patch of fake grass there but that hasn't made a difference. I put 1 of his poos onto that grass, and the next day he poo'd there, however hasn't done since and has continued inside. He has just peed all over my bed; it's so out of character.

I'm becoming extremely frustrated and impatient which I know isn't helping the cause whatsoever, and I understand that he is obviously just oblivious as to what I want...I'm wondering how I can get him to recognise this area as a toilet spot?!

PLEASE, THANK YOU, SORRY, I LOVE YOU ALL IN ADVANCE
I can't clean up this much pee and poo any longer.

Sounds to me like you are on the right track. In my view you'll need to go back to basics with this issue. When you think he needs to go, take him to the yard area and wait until he's done what he needs to do then praise, praise, praise. If he goes indoors make no fuss and clean it up with a deodorising cleaner (Dogs tend to go where they have been before)

The move and new surroundings will have upset his routine so it is going to take patience and time

hiya due to you moving your dog will be upset as staffies ive noticed like a certain routine, while you are out can someone come and take arlo to a place other dogs go ? he will get the scent and will want him to toilet outside again. take him out 20 to 30  after feeding or play build a routine again and get him used to the new place he will get the message eventually

Thanks for the advice guys. Routine is difficult as me and my housemate's schedule changes day to day.

The problem lies more in the fact that he is simply refusing to go there.
Example, he sleeps in my room at night, and for the past couple of nights I've closed the door. During the night, as well as in the morning I'll take him to the spot, but he won't do anything. Then as soon as we start our morning walk, it's clear he has been desperately holding it in because he lets looooooose.

I'm wondering if there is better alternatives than fake grass to attract him to want to urinate etc

He's super relaxed and unpredictable with his eating/drinking/toileting. I take him for a 45 min walk in the morning and at night, some days im home all day, some days im not. Either way he just hangs out at home and sleeps/plays with a ball.

He's a chiller

you will need a plave where other dogs go this will help him again with proper grass is there a park nearby he can go to? id recommend extending his walking time in a local park where other dogs go.

the 45 minute 'walk' is a 10 min walk to a dog park where he runs wildly after a ball like a maniac and hangs out for half an hour

Jerome wrote:

I'm wondering if there is better alternatives than fake grass to attract him to want to urinate etc

That's my thought too. If you think about it, fake grass may fool our eyes but it won't fool his nose.

This might sound a bit gross, but I wonder if getting some earth/real grass, maybe a pot plant that can be killed, then some other dogs' smells might be more tempting. Maybe if you could somehow capture the scent of other dogs and transfer that to his area might encourage him to mark on top, and so get him started. I'm not suggesting you follow other dogs round the park with a bottle, more with some kitchen towel maybe, and some poo bags to put it in.

I know you're at your wits' ends at the moment but it will resolve, honest! As the others have said, he's all upside down at the moment and that can knock them for a while. I'm sure he'll settle.

Yeh I agree, the fake grass is definitely not fooling him! I'm thinking also perhaps a kind of 'sand pit' full of fertiliser. Something that will actually absorb the pee and that looks has more of a similar feel to my previous backyard.

You guys are legends I appreciate this help so much, I've just been freaking out big time and I know he must be so uncomfortable..

Jerome wrote:Yeh I agree, the fake grass is definitely not fooling him! I'm thinking also perhaps a kind of 'sand pit' full of fertiliser. Something that will actually absorb the pee and that looks has more of a similar feel to my previous backyard.

You guys are legends I appreciate this help so much, I've just been freaking out big time and I know he must be so uncomfortable..

don't use fertilizer, you don't know what's in it! there could be all sorts of things like antibiotics, medicines etc from the cattle or horses the manure is taken from.

If nothing else works you might want to consider a crate, just until he has settled a bit more & his routine's more set.

is there a place nearby he can go used by other dog walkers? du have perhaps a garden centre nearby u could buy the soil and get another dog to do their business in the soil u put down? be safer than getting soil thats been treated with weedkiller pesticides from a neighbours garden unless the soil is untreated . arlo.may be unsettled for a good few months  has to be a place you will use regularly and a place the soil wnt be blown away in the wind. rest assured you will wonder what the fuss was about .

I had this problem with Nita and used puppy pads and that really helped even though she wasnt a puppy. There is also a spray you can get from the pet shop that makes them go in that area