My 3 year old lab

Question
We have owned our lab since he was a pup and he was trained to go to the bathroom in a particular part of the yard. He did so for about 2 years and then this past year, he is going all over the yard!  What has gotten into him? He is wrecking my lawn, no to mention the kids now have to be careful not to step in poop when they go out to play.

Answer
Sounds like now that he is mature, that he thinks he is in charge and can eliminate wherever he wants.  Neutering if not already will help.  It is the only responsible choice for most pets.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Even after reclaiming your place as top dog, likely you will need to go back to the routine of taking him out on leash and making him use the part of the yard you want.