You just want to be able to sit outside and enjoy some shade, but you can’t, because your dog keeps pooping on the verandah! Why do they do this? Why does your dog poop on the verandah? What smells will stop your dog pooping on the verandah? Does it mean they’re mad at you, or is something else going on here?

Today, we’re going to answer all of these questions for you including the most important one on your mind: how to stop your dog from pooping on the verandah for good! Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy your beautiful verandah without awful smells or ruined shoes! Keep reading below for our article “How to Stop Dog Pooping on Verandah!”

Why Does My Dog Poop on the Verandah?

Your dog poops on the verandah because it’s a nice, hard surface. It’s also covered in like a den, and close to the house, both of which make them feel secure while they’re going. And once dogs get into the habit of going somewhere, it can be difficult to get them to go anywhere else. It’s also possible you’ve unintentionally rewarded them with attention after they went there before.

If your dog is pooping on your verandah all of a sudden, then you should consider what might be stressing them out lately. Was there a recent traumatic event? Did someone new move into the home that’s making them nervous?

IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is also something that should be considered. Your dog may not be able to make it out all the way to the grass. Make sure that your dog is eating a highly digestible diet with high soluble fiber content.

You should work on training your dog not to poop on your verandah right away. Not taking action immediately runs the risk of giving your dog the idea that it’s acceptable, and then their nasty habit will be even tougher to break in the future.

You’ll also find them going in other areas where they shouldn’t be. You’ll find your dog is pooping in your work shed, pooping in the barn, or maybe even pooping in your garage. No one wants to be stepping into their dog’s mess in these places (or elsewhere, of course), so you need to start working on this issue immediately.

To stop your dog from pooping on your verandah, skip to the last section now where we’ll give you the exact steps you need to be following.

What Smells Will Stop My Dog Pooping on the Verandah?

Vinegar is a smell that will stop your dog from pooping on the verandah. Make a mixture of 1-gallon water to 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar. Clear your deck, sweep it well, spray it down with a water hose, then apply the vinegar/water mixture with a scrub broom. This will be safe for both composites and wood.

Allow the deck to air dry. This will take anywhere from 6 hours to 2 days depending on how shaded your verandah is, and how much sun is out. Any smell will go away once your verandah has completely dried, but your dog has a very acute sense of smell and will still be able to detect it, and will be deterred.

Does My Dog Pooping on the Verandah Mean They’re Mad?

Your dog pooping on the verandah does not mean they’re mad. Dogs do not engage in revenge pooping. Make sure that your dog is getting plenty of playtime and attention, and take steps to train away their behavior of pooping on your verandah. But they are not doing so because they’re angry at you or anything else, even if it may seem that way.

A  negative interaction with you or someone else could stress them out and cause them to lose control of their bowels, leading to them going on your verandah rather than making it all the way out the grass, but this would not be an act of revenge.

How to Stop Your Dog From Pooping on the Verandah

To stop your dog from pooping on the verandah:

1. Learn your dog’s schedule so that you can go out with them when they’ll need to poop.
2. Put them on their leash, then take them outside and lead them directly to the grass or where you’d like them to go.
3. When they go, reward them with pets, praise, and a small treat. This will help them make positive associations with going there.
4. Limit your dog’s access to the verandah by blocking it off until your dog has learned.
5. Clear off your deck.
6. Sweep it thoroughly.
7. Rinse it down with a water hose.
8. Make a mixture of 1-gallon water and 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar.
9. Using a scrubbing broom, apply it to your verandah. This will be safe for both wood and composites.
10. Let your verandah air dry for 6 hours to 2 days. The exact time needed will vary depending on how shaded your verandah is, and how much sun is out.
11. The smell will go away once it has completely dried, but your dog will still be able to detect it and will be deterred.

You’ll still need to work with your dog, however, on behavioral training or they may continue to go in other areas they’re not supposed to and disobey you in other ways. And to properly go over that, we should first talk about what makes dogs tick deep down.

You’ve likely heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack, there is a pack leader. Well, when your dog refuses your commands like they’ve been doing, they are definitively telling you that they don’t fully trust you in this role.

If they did, they wouldn’t poop on your verandah and they would only go where they’re allowed. They would not engage in other misbehavior. And they would obey your commands at all times, the first time that you give them — and they would do so happily.

Once you’ve shown your dog that you are not just their pack leader — but a capable, worthy one they must respect — you’ll make all of this a reality.

You win for obvious reasons. But your dog wins too because you’ll have freed them of all the stress and confusion that pack leader issues cause them.

Everyone wins. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

“Absolutely, but how am I supposed to do this?”

You should watch an excellent free video series by a renowned trainer named Dan which is on this very subject: how to be your dog’s pack leader. In the series, Dan explains absolutely everything you need to know in ways that are very simple to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets right to the point so that you’ll start seeing these crucial changes in your dog in no time.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t stress or get worried, because no, you’re not going to have to yell or be mean to your dog. Dan uses only 100% humane and loving training methods at all times. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

I’m sure you’re ready to enjoy your days with your friends and family out on your verandah worry-free, so I’ll let you begin. Best wishes with everything, and thank you for reading our article “How to Stop Dog Pooping on Verandah.”