It is so frustrating to have to step in poop when you're walking outside continually. It can be annoying for you and other people walking in the same area.
Getting a french bulldog to pee outside is probably a lot easier to get it to poop outside as well. Don't worry, here is a great beginner's guide to training your french bulldog to poop outside.
Create a Schedule or Follow the Dog's Schedule
According to Anna Jane Grossman, you should come up with a routine for your dog. Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans do. After they eat, they need to poop and or pee about 10 to 30 minutes after.
If you're the type of owner that leaves food in the dog bowl for the dog to eat freely throughout the day, this will make it harder for the dog to stick to a consistent poop schedule.
Make sure that you are feeding your french bulldog no more than three times a day if it is a puppy. If it is an adult french bulldog, aim only to feed it twice a day.
Sometimes, the dog won't wait an exact 30 minutes before it decides it wants to go poop. This is true for dogs that have already been disciplined for doing it indoors already.
If the dog is afraid, it might just do it while you are not paying attention. What you need to do is just let the dog outside every 15 minutes.
The American Kennel Club suggests that you should repeat this cycle until you both are used to the routine. You don't have to let the dog out every 15 minutes of the day. Do it after you know that the dog has eaten or had something to drink.
What Makes Your French Bulldog Poop Inside?
Almost every dog owner has faced this. They go outside and wait around for the dog to poop or pee. After waiting around forever, they become frustrated and decide to go back into the house. For some reason, this is when the dog finally decides to poop.
Most dogs aren't ready to poop once you take them outside. Sometimes it might be due to the weather. It could be too cold for their bowels to become relaxed. It could also be because the dog is distracted by the environment.
If you decide to bring your french bulldog back into the house after it has failed to poop outside, don't allow it to poop inside.
Make sure that it goes to its cage or crate as soon as you come in. Or you can keep it next to you on the leash to prevent it from doing it in a secret place.
In 15 minute increments, take the dog outdoors again. Keep doing this until you see that it is ready to poop. Once it finally does, you can then allow your dog to stay outside for a certain amount of time, so it can play and run around.
Most Dogs Don't Poop in Certain Weather Conditions
Most breeds won't feel comfortable with pooping or even peeing outside while it is raining or snowing. They will only be ready to go when it is warm or comfortable outside. You can fix this by bringing your dog out for activities while the weather is colder.
Unfortunately, if you walk your dog outside in unpleasant weather, that means that you are going to have to withstand it as well. You cannot just let the dog out in the yard to poop or pee.
Once your french bulldog gets used to the routine and can handle going outside on its own, you are going to have to go with it.
Most dogs need you to make modifications to the area so that it can feel comfortable enough to go.
You can try shoveling out a small patch or area of grass where the dog knows it can go comfortably. If it is raining, you could also have a tent outside for them to go.
Whether you keep or remove the tent after a while depends on your dog's preferences. Try experimenting with different items to add to the environment.
What If the Dog Poops at Night?
Most dogs will prefer to poop during the day. But there will be times when your dog will prefer to do it at night. This can be a challenge at first, depending on what time of night it wants to go.
If your french bulldog notices that you are more reluctant to take it out at night, it will try to find somewhere to poop in the house while you are sleeping.
The best thing you can do is change the time that your french bulldog eats its last meal. This ensures that it will have to take its last poop at an earlier time of night. If it is at night, it will be much earlier.
TheKennelClub suggests that you make sure that you are not continually changing up the dog's diet or feeding it inconsistently. Doing so can also cause variations in poop times.
It is also a good idea to make sure that your dog can get to you when it needs to go outside. Try teaching your dog to bark or perform different actions that let you know it needs to poop.
Make sure that you sleep with the door open so you can hear these signals. Or make sure that whatever the dog touches or presses itself against to make noise, it is close enough to your sleeping area that you will be able to hear it when it happens.
Punishing Your Disobedient French Bulldog: Good or Bad?
For most people, potty training a pet can take an insane amount of time. That is why it is easy for them to relate to those that get fed up with the process.
Most people want to punish their dog for not complying with the rules or routine. This is a bad idea and needs to be avoided as much as possible.
American Humane notes that punishing your french bulldog will only make it anxious about going to poop.
It will only harbor that fear and use it to go poop in a secret place while you are not present or attentive. This will also make them reluctant to pooping in front of you.
Web MD notes that a dog will poop in the house because it is either stressed or not aware of how to ask you to let it out to poop. It could also be because it is adjusting to a new routine.
Never attempt to punish your french bulldog for this. Be even more resistant to discipline it if you found out it pooped in the house. If you catch your dog trying to do it, try to get them to stop and come over to you.
Make calm gestures, or it will become afraid. Once it gets to you, take it outside for a few minutes even if you both know that it is already finished going.
Conclusion
Remember that patience and consistency are key. Nothing that you teach your dog is going to sink in overnight. It takes humans a bit of time to get used to new routines or new hobbies.
It is the same way for french bulldogs. Check out this YouTube video guide to learn more about how you can properly train your pup to poop outside.
As a freelance pet writer and blogger, Shannon is passionate about crafting knowledge-based, science-supported articles that foster healthy bonds of love and respect between people and animals. But her first and very most important job is as a dog auntie and cockatiel, tortoise, and box turtle mama.
