Pet supply catalogs advertise products that rid lawns of yellow burn spots from dog urine. Pet repellents made for use outdoors, and available in your pet store, can be used to teach a dog which areas are strictly off limits, but the dog must relieve itself somewhere.

If all else fails, train your dog to use one specific area such as a small pen lined with up to 6 inches of crushed stone. Go back to a puppy schedule and take your dog to the pen on leash, standing by until it eliminates. As it does so, give it a "good dog" reward. During this retraining period, give the dog access to the whole backyard only when you are there with it.

Author(s): McLennan, Bardi
Publication: Dog Fancy
Issue Date: October 1994