Pets and their S-Bombs

When our old boy dog was younger, hamburgboy had him trained to go right beside the garbage can in the park when they were out on walks.

He's nearly 18 now and it's a great day when no one finds a surprise when we first come downstairs in the morning. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason. We think he's generally trying to get to the door, but he doesn't always make it.

The younger female dog refuses to go in the backyard - but you can rely on her going within 5 minutes of starting a walk. She's good that way.

My last place had a great side yard (oh, I miss it) and I landscaped it with raised redwood 4 x 10 beds with some gravel paths, and left the rest of the yard a work in progress, many shrubs/perennials that grew nicely, a couple of kinds of hedges, some grassy patches that pre-existed, sort of a mix of cottage garden with some formality in the middle. Overall, I added 14 trees, but not in that side yard area (there was already one gorgeous japanese maple). Pacco always headed for the grassy/weedy area, settled his body in deposit stance, and then "dug" with his back feet to cover the deposit. What a dog!

Here in Albuquerque, I think of him as a dog out of water, like me, a fish out of water. Too damned hot, he woofed and I agreed. Plus, he was a corgi well used to corgi weather (that northern cal town and Wales). Again, he found the small back weedy patch that I never have 'fixed up' but tried to keep stickery weeds away from, to use for fecal deposition. I don't now remember him doing the covering business here in sandland. Mostly he lounged just outside the back door if the temp wasn't sky high or way low, when he wasn't in the computer room or kitchen.

Years later, Katy came to live here. She just about never pooped on the concrete, nor did the Pacc, all in the sand area or very close to it. No covering maneuvers by her.

Both of them were great at letting me know to let them out of the house. Pacco caught on right away after he came to live with me to either nosing my knee or nosing the bells from India at the back door. He nosed the bells at the front door only in anticipation of a walk down H Street or a car ride. The poop bells were at the back of the house.

I'm trying to get rid of my clutter et al, but those bells are staying as long as I do.

For both of these dogs, I take them as already having their modes operandi when I got them, their own instincts plus likely some training by those before me, with a bit of nudging by me. Pacco was either nine by the first vet (a replacement one that day), and after his teeth were cleaned, maybe as young as six, by his Vet in Place. Katy was eleven.

I am thinking of making a broad area in the back yard, with lots of sand and gravel and no weeds. Hopefully, he will take the hint.

Diane has told me Sally has a key spot; I'll see her soon and double check where that is.. it is a gravel area. Oh, wait, I'll tell her about this thread.

Called her, she said Sally poops on the stones, which makes pick up a bit hard.*

Pacco did prefer the weedy dirt area back in the California north to those gravel paths - by far.


* I don't see what I know of as gravel here in the southwest. The traditional gravel that I experienced in a lot of reading and using, is a swath of some stones mostly quite a bit under an inch, somewhat rounded by nature. But rocks vary all over the place, including in the rock business. I didn't know, until I worked with my business partner, a landscape contractor of some years and major clients before I met her, that sharp rock was better for walking on than the classic pebbles. I found she was right. They flatten up and give a better foothold for some of us. How much better, I don't know.

Not sharp big rocks, small ones. I'd give links to the rock suppliers I remember but places change. Not that you would use those companies, but to see their websites.
I now consider those sharp-cut 1" or less rocks easier on dogs and cats too. Never have seen them in Abq.

This contractor also ran a nursery with nursery cats all about. The sharp rocks aren't razoring cats.

You have to train dogs to go to a regular spot - that involves regular training time and leash work (in most cases).

none of the dogs I've had would use a space like that - they all like grass

Bella will even go to fake, plastic grass at one place we visit before pooping on concrete/sand/gravel

You've more experience re the dogs but I agree re the grassy experience re my dogs over the years, even weedy grassy experience. Weedy grassy can be just weeds, but also native grasses, of which I'm somewhat a promoter, or ordinary grass.

I have known a number of dogs that always went to a gravel spot. I like the idea, because, with gravel, there is no place to hide.

The dogs a lot of us here have loved have had histories before us.

They can be taught, a lot of the time. I've not a strong opinion on overruling their background unless it's bad for them or others.

So, listening.

Rockie has a wayward streak that was at first hard to get a grip on, but he is gradually becoming more manageable. He is seeing that I don't give in to his peccadillos unless I want to. I don't want to get out with him when he first goes outside for the morning. I had rather be on the lookout for the wayward S Bombs.