How Can I Get Them To Potty In The Rain?
September 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I’m potty-training my dogs (chihuahua, papillon-poodle) and they’re doing good. My problem is when it rains they won’t get off the back porch (we let them out in our fenced back yard to potty) and go use the bathroom. They wait until we let them back in and potty in the house. How can I get them to go even when it’s raining or damp outside? And I don’t mean like drenching rain I mean just a light mist. I know they know it’s wrong but where else are they gonna go since they won’t get off the porch?
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lol be3en there done that. my dog won’t step on the grass if the sprinklers came on that morning. My hubby’s solution was he built a awning type thing. our dogs are small 14 pounds so its like 3 feet high with a piece of wood as the top. the dogs dart under there if they smell water and we are all happy. during non rain season he puts it behind the garage.
My chi had this same problem when we were house-training him. The only thing that would work for my chi was to take him out in the rain (during the summer) and play with him so that he wasn’t scared of the rain. Secondly, I would also take him to go outside and would not let him back in the house until he went. Every time that he would go up on the deck and to the back door to be let in, I would carry him back down from the deck and onto the ground. The first time I did this, it took about 45 mins of us going back and forth before he finally gave in and went outside. Luckily for me (and him), he has learned that he can do his business right underneath the deck without getting wet.
A couple of easy solutions:
Buy the dogs a nylon type raincoat (even my tough farm working terrier doesn’t like to go out in the rain but she likes her coat)
Create a simple tarp type shelter to cover an area of your yard from the porch. Shouldn’t be too tough to make it tall enough for small dogs. A couple of stakes and some twine to hold it up. May not be real pretty, but it would work and cost less than $15. Then you can get creative and make a nicer shelter later, like an extended patio very reasonably.
I had the same problem but I stood out there with her she was a papillon and just kept saying go potty and it worked u need to stand with them though cause my girls have Chihuahua’s and they have to do the same and it works. The little dogs seem to have to see u while they go potty don’t know y but they do. Good Luck and give it a try. If they don’t go at first keep doing every 10 min. til they go and then give them a treat.
Just leave them out there. They’ll get the point that if they don’t pee they’re not going to be let back in the house. And if they really have to go really really bad then they’ll get out do their business and get out of the rain.
my friend has the same problem. she has to walk all the way to the middle of the yard and then the dogs will follow her. also, put them on leashes and make them come with you. if you stand on the porch they will stay with you.
get your leash out and wait with them. Seriously. My pit bull was waaay too prissy to get her paws wet for a while and we caught her peeing on the deck. She now loves the rain.
You just have to be there and encourage them to get wet.
lol i thought i was the only one for a while, but i have a BIG dog. I just started putting her leash on and making her go out. After a while she realized she wouldn’t melt and started doing it her self.
take them out in the rain on a leash that way they don’t have a choice and then they’ll see it’s not so bad.
Grab an umbrella or jacket with a hood and walk out with them – Show them it’s OK…You won’t melt!
You would do well to put them on leads and carry them for a distance away from your place. After you are satisfied you are far enough away from home that they will have to give up and go potty, put them down and begin the journey home. If you went far enough, they won’t be able to help it, they will stop and potty on the way back to the house
After they do this a few times successfully, you can try turning them out in the yard again. They might smarten up and decide it’s faster to go in the yard than be taken off for a walk! Good luck 
Small doggies (in my experience) are often VERY unhappy with going potty in wet (or damp) grass.
) with them as long as it takes before they look more comfortable! And, if all goes well, there becomes a potty moment, praise praise praise! Dogs LOVE it when you sound happy and excited for them.
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Here’s a couple suggestions, that hopefully will give you some help.
First: Can you get them excited to be outside even if it’s wet? Go play with them, praise them, be outside with them. Show them tons of fun love in the rain. If you see it’s raining, be like “Hey! Puppies! Look! Rain! And go outside in it. Encourage them, but don’t force ‘em. If they have toys they really like, throw them into the yard… go stand in the wet yard yourself, and show them how fun it is! Stay out (and get wet
Second: If they just refuse to go out when it’s wet (which isn’t a behavior you want to encourage) can you tarp off an area, and keep it dry? It can be there little dry haven for potty. Maybe you could even just cover a tiny patch off of your porch, and make sure they know it’s dry
Good Luck! They want to be good dogs, so I’m sure the’ll figure it out!