Sparky and the Poop Fence

Not so much a war, but a frustrating negotiation. 

Based on reasonable advice from Monica, Sparky had a poop fence available when I first brought him home.  The idea is that the dog will realize this designated area is his dump station.  Take him there, he poops or doesn’t, but either way, he had a shot.

I’ve got a good patch with some woods, so I take Sparky for nice walks or rambles through the woods.  First walk we took, Sparky took a dump on my wood pile.  Next walk, he crapped on a stump.  For each walk, we start and end at the poop fence, but he didn’t use it.  Pete or Tim thought that was fine, we had a system.  Take him for a walk an hour after morning and evening meals, and we’re good.  Pitch the dirty business into the brambles or across the fence.

The problem is that a walk isn’t the same as a dump station.  My schedule or the weather isn’t always conducive to a long walk.   It was late in the evening and he hadn’t crapped in a while, so I took Sparky to the poop fence.  He doesn’t recognize that as a dump station, so he just wandered around.  He was eager to walk, so we did a short loop.  He wanted to go up the hill, and around the third of a mile loop to a spot he likes by the church parking lot.  I wasn’t up for that, so Sparky politely shat in the creek. 

I have to explain the poop fence to Sparky.  My plan is to leave him in the poop fence until he’s got to go.  I like the long walks, so we power through without a stop.  On the last walk, he was sniffing some stuff, then started to hunker down.  I waved him off and took him to the poop fence.  He didn’t understand, and resisted the urge.

Sparky can’t tell me when he’s got to take a shit.  You know, sometimes, you just gotta go.  His new strategy is to hunker down and commence taking a crap a couple of feet away from me.  He’s a smart dog, I appreciate his thought process.  I interrupt him and hustle him outside.  His approach is much better than shitting behind a couch or in a closet.

I’ve noticed that Sparky likes to be on a stump or  mound or anything else that is a little higher when he does his business.  Maybe I can work with that.