S/O--anyone successfully train dogs to poop in one area of the yard?

[Anonymous]

We moved to a new house last month. We've got a nice-sized fenced-in backyard that our two little kids love. We've also got two big dogs. They're around 10 years old and not the sharpest tools in the shed. For obvious reasons we would like our dogs to poop in one area of the yard only. We've set aside an area alongside the house (about 6'x12ish) as the "potty spot." Since the day we moved in we have times a day we have been learning them up and taking them to the potty spot four times a day. We excitedly say "potty spot!" like 20 times on the way out and then give lots of praise when they poop there. We've even bought a special stake that's supposed to make them go there (fail). As of yesterday I thought they were finally catching on so I let them go off leash and just tried to get them to the poop spot with verbal commands. And they both refused, or went there but then pooped elsewhere anyway. I'm not ready to give up but I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong? Or is it true what they say about old dogs and new tricks? FWIW, I'm convinced that one of my dogs gets it but is being defiant, while the other one is so simple he truly has no idea what the potty spot even is.

[Anonymous]

We trained one of our dogs to poop in a specific area of the yard. We did it as a puppy though. Our other dog poops wherever he pleases, there is no training him.

[Anonymous]

PP here - the dog we trained, we just did it by taking her to that part of the yard several times a day on a leash. I don't remember how long it took.

[Anonymous]

We put a small garden fence in an area in our yard (to the left of the back door) and trained our dog to "go to your area". Don't get me wrong - he would occassionally try to poop in the middle of the yard, but if we saw him get into the position we would shout out the command "go to your area" and he would stop and run to his area to do his business. We didn't train him to only pee there, which would have been smart.

[Anonymous]

We did started iwth a puppy but then we helped a friend do the same thing. Take the dog out on the leash and take them to the area you want. You might be standing there for awhile but you should know the times of day he or she poops. They will sniff and sniff and sniff but evenually will go and the give them a treat and then let them off the leash to play. Next time repeat. If they had an "old spot" do something to disturb it like put something on top of it or dig up the dirt and turn it.

It should take a few dya s but it is well worth it. Don't let them off the leash until they go.