I need dog training advice, please.

[GLC1968]

Ah...no, she still hasn't figured it out. I walked her for over an hour last night (round and round the same little spot) and while she did pee (yay!) there was no pooping going on. It's so frustrating. In fact, just this morning my husband commented on how she farts a lot and all I could think was that it's because she is holding in her poo so much. She has had zero issues with eating (or with poo consistency...thankfully), so I don't think it's an illness. I think she just hasn't figured it out yet.

Night racket won't be a problem for the neighbors...just us. We have no neighbors yet. On one side is the model home and the other side is still empty (though it is 'sold' so we'd better hurry and get this resolved!). I was thinking of the crate in the room, too....but then she flips out if she thinks we've crated her when we leave the house and she doesn't see us actually leave. This is why we moved it into the living room. Would two crates be a bad idea? We have two since the other two dogs were crated when they were young, so we could put one in each location (using the same bed/pad)...

We have gotten the actually walking part down really well. Two dogs are on pronged collars (one because she has a pin head and slips out of her regular collar and one because she pulls) and one is on a regular leash. Charlie (who has dominance issues) walks behind me to my left. Sara and Maggie (who are huge pushovers in all situations), walk in front of me on a shortened leash so that it doesn't tangle. When it's potty time, they get tangled sometimes as I give them full leash length, but the walking part is going VERY well. Thankfully, they've figured that part out.

Dogmama - I could put poo in the rock yard. Maybe I move her poo out there and then take her out there on the leash? I don't really want them to be pooping out there, but if it's a way to convince her to go on the leash, then maybe it's a good way to start?

[Dogmama]

Two crates are fine. The idea is that dogs won't mess up their den.

I think putting the poo in the rock yard & taking her out is a good idea. It might help her connect the dots.

If you don't feed twice a day, I would start. Make the morning meal larger so it has time to process through.

I actually like prong collars a lot more than slip collars, btw. Can't strangle themselves on prongs. Much less trachea injury too.

[GLC1968]

Cool. Thanks for the help, all! We'll give some more of these ideas a shot this weekend (when we'll be home more...ok, when I'll be home more) and let you know how we do!