Dog poops in the house when we're not looking

[cici]

My husband and I adopted our doggy in August. He hasn't had many accidents in the house but he does have them. The latest one was last night.

(side note: He get's walked 3 times day for 20-30 min each 1st b/t 7:30-8:15, 2nd around 5:00 and the last one around 10 PM. )

We usually have him sleeping in his crate at night because a majority of his accidents happen during that time. Last night, I couldn't sleep so I let him out of his crate early and we were both in the living room (he on his bed). Well, as SOON as I fell asleep (literally no more than 5 min because my alarm went off) he decides that he wants to relieve himself on the rug. :mad: Not only did my alarm wake me up, so did the smell.

I understand that sometimes there are accidents but I can't help feeling like he was being sneaky; waiting for me to go to sleep so he could do his business. I could be wrong but either way, he shouldn't be doing it. Just in case he really had to go and had no way of letting me know, I've decided that I'm going to try and train him to use the bell. He's a smart doggy and I have no doubt that he'll get it but in the meantime, any advice on how to address and fix this stinky problem? Some people have said if you don't catch him in the act, you can't address it, others say let him smell it and say NO...what's the proper way?

Thanks!

[Piotr]

What I do with the 2 month old puppy I'm taking care of now is have him on a leash constantly (unless I'm playing with him), with one end tied around my belt buckle. That way he can't just go anywhere and pee (which he still does sometimes, even close to me). So, when I know he's about to go, I correct him and take him to his pee pad, which he uses sometimes, as well. Don't take your dog to the pee and make him smell it. Unless you catch him doing it, and can correct him within 2 seconds, correcting him later won't teach him anything. He won't associate your correction with the action he did a couple seconds ago.

I also had a similar problem with Sylvie (who I'm fostering). We'd go out for 30 minutes three times a day. She'd hold the pee and poo in during the walks and within a minute of getting home, she'd release it all. It was very frustrating. After a couple weeks of correcting, she stopped and did her business outside. Since I knew she'd do it almost as soon as we'd get home, I was able to wait for her to do it and correct her while she was relieving herself, not a couple seconds later. She knew she was doing something bad. Of course I'd praise her (and still do, every single time) whenever she'd pee outside (and would give a treat, as well). So, you have to catch your dog doing it consistently. Since you feed him and give him water, you should keep a journal of the exact time he gets fed and when he goes potty, and then you'll be able to predict it, wait for it, and correct him. I'd also take his water away and give it to him periodically (except if you are not home, then allow access to it), so that you know when he drinks and how soon he'll pee (maybe an hour after he drinks).

I hope this helps. I know how frustrating it is to have to clean up 3 or 4 times a day. Luckily I don't have a rug or carpet, so your frustration must be greater. Good luck!

[LolaMarigolda]

First, since you've only had him a few months, you really should treat him like a pup/un-house trained pet. There is a difference between "being walked" 3 times a day and taking "potty breaks". While those walks can also address elimination needs, some dogs need additional bathroom breaks; it sounds like this boy is one of them.

Second, your biggest mistake from last night was not taking him out to potty immediately after you took him from the crate. Think about it - most beings need to go when they first wake up.

Depending on how much water he drinks, I have nights where Scooter will wake me up at 2 or 3 AM (after having been out at 10PM) because he needs to go. No, it is't fun (especially now that it is winter and I have to throw his coat on him in addition to dressing myself), but I have a dog that will tell me what he needs and give me the opportunity to assist so that he doesn't feel he needs to take matters into his own paws.

Third, as Piotr pointed out, yelling and "rubbing his nose in it" (be it figuratively or literally) will do no good. It just tells him that when those "presents" are discovered, it will result in unpleasant things for him. If you actually catch him mid-squat, then a correctly timed correction and being taken to the proper elimination spot. The umbilical method that Piotr mentioned is also a great way of keeping track of the dog when it is out of the crate.

[LenaFromNYC]

Actually, this thread has some good and not-so-good advice.

ANY sort of "correction" for accidents in the house is non-productive for both you and your dog. It may make YOU feel better because you think you are getting your point across, but your dog won't "get it". In reality, the only thing you dog will learn in the moment that you punish them for having a potty accident, is that going to the bathroom in front of you is scary. They will NOT learn that going in the house is bad.. ONLY that going in that specific spot, with YOU standing there, is scary.

I have had waaaaaaay too many clients who punished their dogs for accidents so much that the dog became afraid of going to the bathroom in front of them... even on walks that lasted 4 hours!! So long as the owner was right there, even though the dog was outside and in a "legal" toilet area, they would hold it in because they associated the owner with fear in potty situations. As soon as they returned home, and the owner stepped out of the room, the dog finally felt safe to pee or poop in the house.. as long as the scary owner wasn't there!

Basically, punishing your dog for accidents is only going to make your dog more sneaky. Your goal is to prevent accidents with proper supervision and management, and reinforcement of going to the bathroom in legal areas.

Good luck!