What can I do to make it easier for my dog to pee?

August 23, 2008 4:05 PM

Desert Dwelling Dog Owners: any tips for a puppy used to relieving himself on nice, cool, North Dakota grass?

We (well just my fiance and puppy, I'm just visiting for now) just moved to the Phoenix area from North Dakota-any ideas as to making it easier for our 5 month old shih tzu/bishon frise cross to use the bathroom? He's used to my parents' plush lawn in ND, and we now he's stuck with boiling lava hot rocks...it seems to be really bothering his feet. We're thinking of maybe using some indoor outdoor carpet and hosing it off, but we're open to other ideas. Any advice will be gladly taken!

posted by whiskey point to pets & animals (6 comments total)

Dog shoes?
posted by doctor_negative at 4:12 PM on August 23, 2008

My friend uses sod and you can just keep on buying a strip at the Home Depot. I think she replaces it once a month.
posted by spec80 at 4:16 PM on August 23, 2008

You can try putting Tuf Foot on his paws. It helped a lot with my Lab's feet in the sticker burrs.
posted by Addlepated at 4:53 PM on August 23, 2008

You can remove the rock in an area and just have bare dirt, or put some sand down. Getting your dog used to ¨going¨ on these surfaces will make any travel you do with the dog much easier than if you´ve gotten him used to plastic carpet. This is even more true if you will be taking the dog to visit anyone who has indoor/outdoor carpet on, say, their sunroom floor, deck, or front porch.
posted by yohko at 6:01 PM on August 23, 2008

Yeah, place down some sod... Our dog has to make it across a patch of concrete about 2 feet long before grass, so no big deal.

Also, remember not to walk your dog during the middle of the day. Not that you'd want to. Are you feeling this heat?

You'll enjoy the winter though. Once it finally comes. In late-late-late October/early November, when the heat finally breaks.
posted by disillusioned at 7:08 PM on August 23, 2008

@disillusioned: I flew back to Fargo at 6:15am today...gotta love it. The heat was pretty outrageous but it wasn't terrible at all, I was just sweatier than usual. I'm excited to go back and visit a few times throughout the year, but I'm not looking forward to moving there in June of next year-right before it gets super hot.

@yohko: good call-I don't think I'd like him to go visit people and associate their carpet with his peeing spot.

@Addlepated: I'm going to buy some of that for my hunting dog, and possibly try it on our little guy as well.

@spec80: I think you're on to something.

@doctor_negative: I've tried boots on our hunting dog and they didn't work too well.

Thanks for all the tips
posted by whiskey point at 12:26 PM on August 24, 2008