Dont will not go to bathroom on leash

Question
Hi Karen,
     I have a 2 and a half year old German Shepherd.  When he was a puppy, we lived in a place that had a fenced in yard and he would go to the bathroom no problem.  Now that we are in an apartment, he has to be taken out on the leash and will pee, but will not crap on the leash.  He keeps going in the house.  We are trying to break him of this habit, so we keep the door closed to the room where he would go to the bathroom, but he just barks and whines.  We live in an apartment so he cant be doing that, but when we take him out he won't go.  I am so frustrated that I don't know what to do.  If you can help me out I would appreciate it greatly.

 Thanks,
 Melanie

Answer
Be sure you praise him when he potties outside! You need to always reinforce the behavior you want. Keep a journal so that you have a clue when he needs to poop.

There is a dog-show trick that works with many dogs, but not all, unfortunately. When it is time for him to poop, take a paper match, moisten it briefly in your mouth, and then insert it into the dog's rectum up to the matchhead. This will generally get most dogs to try to expel the match, which in turn stimulates the passing of a stool. It will also help to walk the dog a bit to "get things moving".

Don't forget to praise!