OK, so I have a 14 wk old girl who is absolutely terrified of walking in the grass to go potty. I am trying to get her used to it, but it hasnt been going well so far.
I think this problem stems from the fact that the guy I got her from would simply let her go to the potty on his cement outdoor porch or the wood floor in a certain part of his house. Problem, right? I got her at 13 weeks, so she had pretty much formed that pattern by the time I started trying to get her to go outside.
She is already crate trained, but as much as I take her outside after meals (tothe same spot every time), after waking up, after play, etc, she is still too terrified of the grass to think about anything other than how scared she is of it. Potty never crosses her mind. As of now, she's been holding it for almost 8 hours, and I feel bad that a puppy her size and age should have to deal with that. She acts like she has to go, so I pick her up and take her outside as soon as I see the signs, and she just stares at the grass and tries to walk back toward my door. We'll stand out there for 15 or 20 mins, and no luck; I've already done this four times over the past few hours, too. She has eaten and had plenty to drink, so I assume that she must reeeally have to go.
I refuse to let her go on the sidewalks and driveways.
Any suggestions as to how I should show her that outside (and particularly the grass) are great for potty needs?