And in the UK, if you refer to a ‘back yard’, it signifies a small area, possibly concreted. A term mainly used to describe the small area behind old back-to-back terrace houses. 
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Yes! When there’s a ‘tug-of-war’ rope in the garden, without a human attached to it, it’s dead to dogs!
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yes, the dog I took on 5 walks per day managed a poop each time. Small ones, and when I walked him the first time with the owner, before the sit began, he made a big one. So he didn’t like pooping in the backyard.
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We once sat a dog who didn’t like the garden. He would only venture just outside the back door, and definitely wouldn’t do his business there.
The background story was that he was a bit of an escape artist. The owner had recently moved to a rented house where the garden wasn’t secure. There were lots of small dog sized gaps in the hedges between her garden and the neighbouring gardens. She had put a small electric fence inside the boundary of her garden to stop her dog escaping. He had peed on the electric fence (twice) and this had put him off the garden altogether.
We only spent a weekend with this dog, but we did manage to get him playing frisbee in the garden (with video evidence sent to the owner). There was still no chance that he would pee in the garden, but at least he was beginning to enjoy time out there again.
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I just wrapped a sit with the quirkiest little dog. She was super lazy and wanted to walk out the door and pee or poo nearby and then head straight back indoors. Her humans didn’t mind that she peed or pooed on the driveway or lawn. She was little and the pee evaporated quickly and you could easily pick up her tiny poops.
She resisted every walk. Her humans said she’s always been lazy and they didn’t mind, except that a little exercise probably would help keep her alive and healthy beyond her 14 years.
She was spry and was on a regimented diet, with few treats. She thought a small handful of her kibble was a treat. Or a handful of greens or a couple of baby carrots.
She was the funniest dog — reminded me of a cross between an Ewok from Star Wars and a piranha, because of how quickly she gobbled up her treats when scattered on the floor.
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