Well, since I don't have pets (nothing against them - as long as they belong to someone else :-) )... have you let the dogs out expressly to determine what, if any, part of the yard they "favor"? Would they still favor the same spot/spots (possibly be confused by it/them) in the event it was all tarted up with plants, shrubs, objets d'art that could survive a leg lift and droppings not cleaned up on a regular basis?

Seems to me, it boils down to what you want to look at incorporated into your landscape, and if you can train the dogs to use it.

I'm a garden and dog newbie, but my cockapoo will only reluctantly go on anything that is not plant matter or my kitchen floor. But if you google dog friendly gardens you can find some ideas--some people suggest a section with gravel. Personally I've never been able to make my dog go in one spot, but she does favor the grassy areas.

Also--and this is not the same thing as establishin the designated poop area--you may be able to install a Doggie Doolie or whatever they are called--sunken toilet/composter--if you want to have options other than mulitiple baggies in the trash every day. This works best for not too high volume of poop, I expect.

Agree that there have been several threads on various aspects of dog-oriented landscaping and many different approaches used , some common themes for common canine behaviors, but several twists based on specific observed behaviors of different breeds or individual dogs--quite interesting.

While you are to some extent "in charge" of designing the landscape, things noted in these threads that you'd want to take into account are aspects of what surrounds your property and would be dog-magnets--neighbors (and dogs) on any or all sides, cars, trees with squirrels, etc.

Another thing I've thought of in my landscape planning is that my dog always patrols one side of the fence, so I will make sure not to plant too close there so she can defend us from the neighbor's dogs without destroying plants.

Observing carefully what your dogs do where in the yard at the moment is a good starting point. The 'restroom' aspect is one part of the overall picture from the dogs' point of wiew. As has already been mentioned, allowing for the 'perimeter patrol' is important - little dogs can be as - if not more! - territorial than larger dogs and are quite capable of wearing a path through the landscape to patrol their territory. Are all the dogs male or is one or more female? i.e. will urine be deposited on the ground (mainly females - but some males too) as well as on the lower reaches of plants (males)? How adverse are your dogs to going outdoors when it's raining? My little Lhasa Apso hates getting wet so she has two different areas she favors for use as a 'restroom'. In dry weather she goes to the far corner of the yard where there are lots of shrubs and taller perennials. In wet weather she prefers a place under the eaves of the house that she can get to without getting very wet, do her 'business' under some shrubs, and get back to the house again staying under the shelter of the roof overhang. Like sarcare mentions, our dogs - our own and regular visiting dogs - have always preferred grass, low plant material, or mulch as 'restroom' flooring. Ease of clean-up may be the main deciding factor in what material you choose (e.g. how hard it is to see/find what needs to be cleaned up!) The smaller dogs seem to prefer to be under the shelter of trees or shrubs while the bigger dogs seem to prefer open areas. So start by paying attention to what your dogs prefer now and try to build your future landscape to accomodate that in places that suit you as well.

I too haven't been able to get my doggies to use a single spot in the yard. They do, however, favor certain areas. I've read that dogs tend to be somewhat of 'neat freaks' within certain areas. For example, they don't like to do their business near their house. This is true for my doggies. They never do any of their business near their dog house. Also, they tend to stay away from the areas where they like to hang out and eat. What I do, to keep them from poo-ing in certain spots, is place their food there and when I give them treats, I do it in those spots where I don't want them to poo. It's not fool proof, but it seems to minimize the amount of poo in those spots where I don't want it.

Thanks, guys for some things to thinkl about! I have 2 neutered male bichons and 1 spayed female bichon - various ages and all rescues. We live in the California desert so no problem with rain, just intense heat for about 8 weeks.
They have been mainly indoor dogs as we have had no grassy areas. However, we are now redoing our landscaping to a more Tuscan feel to go with our house style. I think they may spend more time outside with more trees and grass.
My one boy seems to like to mark a lot and apparently falls in love with anything that is vertical: patio table legs, brooms, bushes etc. I want to get them away from pool area so that is why I am looking for any type of "doggie magnet". I thought maybe in the flower/grass area behind some shrubs...?

I only have one dog, my wife has two. Being realistic, which is not usually a design question, what you need is a non dog space a 'No Go (you don't need me to elaborate) Area. We love dogs because there is something wild about them, you want a dog AND a garden. You claim your bit and give the dog the rest.

Good thought, inkognito!!

Yes it reminds me of my first apartment in NYC, right over a Chinese take-out place. I had so many roaches I finally decided to let them have the entire apartment and just stake out my little corner for me. It worked, except they kept coming into my corner.

I also have three dogs, and each one prefers a different part of the yard for potty activities. I suppose I could train them to march as a group to one area do their business, but who has time for that? The one who uses the patio right outside the backdoor at least makes it easy for me to find and remove the offending objects instead of stepping on them in the grass.

Decide on which area or areas you prefer they use, and discourage them from using the others with verbal corrections. If you want to screen it from your own view, you can try some shrubs, but you may find they don't want to use it afterward. In any case, keep it "picked up" for health reasons. Good luck.

Hey saypoint!!
One of my 3 (the little girl) also goes just outside the patio door - in exactly the same spot each time. Makes a good light out there at night VERY necessary!