Q: We just brought home a 10-week old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier from a reputable breeder, and are in the process of house training her. We want her to "go" in a designated soiling area just outside the back door of our garage (winters can be tough here in New York, so a close, agreed upon spot seems the best for bad weather situations). Our questions are these: 1) Can you recommend a general size for this soiling area, i.e. what's reasonable? 2) When training her at this "tender age", should we pay more attention to the fact she's going outside, or to the exact area where we'd like her to go? An example: she's taken out to her soiling area, given her command, and then she urinates (sometimes quickly, sometimes not so quickly). After a few more minutes of waiting for stool (and no results) we leave the soiling area for the rest of the yard. Sometimes she will then find a place that apparently seems like a better place to poop, and she does. We have alternately tried carrying her back in "mid poop" to the soiling area and just praising her and giving her the go command - realize we should do one or the other, not both. We bring the stool back to her area either way to reinforce that it's a place for such things. All we have read tells us consistency is important, and we want to go the right way in training her to avoid issues down the road. What advice do you have? Thanks.

A: Hmmm, what size is adequate, good question! First, it must be kept clean, the poop frequently picked up. If the area is large enough--mine is 30' x 30'--you can pick up daily. If it's really small, you need to pick up after each bowel movement. The dog will not even want to walk in a heavily-soiled area, and will avoid adding more poop to the mess. Besides, it's a huge health benefit to your dog if you pick up daily.

With a young puppy, I found myself picking up after every poop even in my 30' x 30' area, because she would scamper around playing, totally oblivious to any poop in the way! So I went out with her at night with a flashlight and picked it up right then. Not only did that save her from running through it (and me from having to clean it off her), but kept me from stepping it in the dark, too.

It is useful for a dog to have the ability to relieve herself on various surfaces in various locations, with your permission. Otherwise you can wind up with a dog who won't potty on trips, won't do it when she has to stay at the veterinary hospital, etc. That's something to keep in mind during these early days. It may be wise to take her other places and have her relieve herself on your verbal cue, such as "Go Potty," "Hurry Up," or whatever you want to say. You can develop that cue easily as you take her out to potty at home. Of course, be sure to pick up poop, wherever you go.

Some dogs need to run around awhile before they can move the bowels. We learned to recognize this in our puppy, and it was quite funny. She would be running around playing in the 30' x 30' area (surrounded by a simple welded wire fence that does not require any concrete to install), then suddenly it would hit her. She would tear over to her favorite corner and squat!

You could be encountering this same situation with your puppy. Try moving her around the yard awhile, but don't let her stop until you get back to the area designated for relief. Once she has relieved herself, if she wants playtime in the rest of the yard, give her that as a reward. It's best if most play comes after relief, since that is probably the pattern you want to set for those harsh winters.

Try to develop a special praise and reward (a tiny treat, perhaps) for her relieving herself in the designated area. When she does it elsewhere, don't say much, and no reward. That way she can learn to understand that maybe it's not bad to go somewhere else, but there is a special bonus for using her area. Give that area a name--"Your Spot," maybe.

If you keep the potty area picked up, and give her a chance to stretch her legs if needed before moving her bowels, I think you'll find this comes together for you by the time the weather gets really bad.