Backstory: I have a 6 month old Australian Labradoodle, that has been housetrained since we brought her home at 8 weeks. She is very trainable.
The issue we are experiencing is that she rotates/moves around as she is defecating, so she sometimes steps in her own feces. Using commands like stay/stop just seem to confuse her in those situations.
I'd like to find a way to get her to stay in one spot to prevent the potential for accidentally stepping in her own poop. Any suggestions?
I have seen several dogs that move while defecating, but never one that turns in tight circles. This seems to be some kind of natural behavior, so instead of trying to teach her to stay in one spot, teach her to move forward rather then in circles.
Keep her on leash, stay in front of her with no slack in the leash, not pulling, but just making forward the only choice. Praise her staying put as well as for moving forward. I would not use negative commands for turning, as you point out that only confuses her.
Of note travailing deification in your pet requires a higher pooper scooper effort on your part. She is likely to step in a previous pile, if the area has not been cleaned for a couple of days.
