Weird problem has cropped up with my dog. Anyone have any idea about this?

[Midnight Writer]

Got this guy 9 weeks ago. Terrier mix about two years old, 12 pounds. Animal control recovered him from a backyard pen, along with some other dogs. He has had four owners, counting me, in the last six months. He was adopted twice from the shelter, and returned both times.

Sweet natured little guy, healthy and active. Here's the deal. He was house trained, had one "accident" in the house since I got him.
Now, he has pooped in the house three times in three days. I walk him three times a day, plus he can go out in to my fenced yard any time he wants.

Tuesday, I took him for a morning walk and he did not poop. After 45 minutes, I took him home. Within 30 seconds of being in the house, he squatted right in front of me and pooped on my living room carpet. Healthy looking stool, brown cigar shape.

Next morning, I got up and let him in to the back yard. He ran around a few minutes and came back in. Pooped again on carpet. Same this morning. I've cleaned up his messes and used oxy spot remover, then sprayed it down with odor remover. Each incident has been in a different spot. He's eating well and I'm seeing no signs of illness. I don't know what to do.

Searched online and don't see anything addressing this. I believe it is behavioral rather than physical.

Any ideas, suggestions, hints? I sure would appreciate it.

[LakeArenal]

1. Leave him out til he poops.

He thinks he’s pooping where you want him too.

Last resort....my mom actually did this....
Poop outside. That’s right. You Poop in the yard. My mom taught house trained all our dogs. One she had the “in the house problem”. Every couple hours she’d take him out and pee in the yard. Then the dog would. She actually pooped in the yard once or twice herself. We didn’t know til much later.

[Midnight Writer]

6. Yep, something has definitely got crossed up here.

When I started with him, I began a log of what time he eats and what time he poops. It worked very well until this week.

He's often out in the yard for an hour or more at a time, and he was going regularly out there. I've been racking my brain for something that had changed, and I sure can't figure it out.

The last resort? I don't know, my yard is exposed to several neighbors, as well as a bike path that runs by it. That would be seriously a last resort.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am just baffled.

[Wingus Dingus]

2. Put his poops out in the yard where you want him to poop, take him

there when he is most likely to poop, let him sniff it. If he doesn't go, crate him for 15 minutes and take him out again. Keep crating him while in the house until he decides he likes pooping outside again. Just like crate training a puppy. Edit to add: make sure you're using an enzyme pet-mess cleaner like Out.

[targetpractice]

4. This is true! n/t

[Midnight Writer]

9. Thanks. I am using OUT!. There is already some of his poop in the yard.

I go out and scoop it up every couple of days. But this sounds like a plan I can work with. I can crate him as soon as we come in (provided he didn't go when he was out) and try him again in a few minutes.

Thanks, I will give this a shot.

[targetpractice]

3. Best advice I got when i adopted my dog...

... From her Foster mom, "If she poops in the house, take it outside in a paper towel and smear it in the grass in various places. The smell of poop outside will trigger her to go."

Otherwise... poop time is pretty predictable, and dogs operate on a pretty tight schedule.

[Midnight Writer]

10. I keep a log of when he eats and when he poops, and it worked well until this week.

There is some of his poop in the backyard already, but if I have to clean up another mess from inside, I will give this a shot.

Thank you.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Do you praise him when he goes outside?

Does he do a sniff or scratch before he goes? Walk in a circle (inside the house?).

Get his attention - clap - bad potty! loud

Then take him outside until he goes - and praise the hell out of him - and give him a treat outside.

My dog is trained inside and outside - has a potty tray. He's maltese (about the size of your guy) -

That could be the alternative. Get a potty tray, pads, spray 'go here' and give a treat. Sometimes for smaller dogs it's a better option -as they just can't hold it.

Another idea to train him outside - dinner, leash walk around on our yard. He was a little itty bitty guy (not even 4 pounds) when he invaded our home, so we weren't even walking him on the sidewalk. . . just around the yard to get him to go out there.

[Midnight Writer]

13. Thanks. I do praise him, but I have been giving him his treat when he comes back in.

Maybe that has confused him.

I haven't tried a potty tray, but that may be my next step.

Thanks a lot. I will try staying out with him so I can give him his treat and praise right at the scene. His timing is somewhat predictable, which is what I have been timing his walks around.

[marble falls]

7. There are ethical dog trainers who can fix this ...

... what worked for me was putting mine out early in the day and kept an eye on him till he had a dump and let him in immediately and gave him a livasanap. Around 2:00 or 3:00 put him out untill he dumped and then later in evening.

Took a couple of weeks but it worked. The trick is figuring his rhythm. I know you'd never do it but smacking and shaming does not work.

I used to cater in Chicago. One of my clients was a prominent news caster for a local affiliate of a network.

When we did an event I had a waiter who's job was to walk the dog. This was a beautiful Border Collie that Mr Talking Head had ruined. Poor Dog. When the dog was little, if he'd pee (I'd love to tell you who Mr TH is) Mr TH would grab the dog and wipe him in the puddle.

What the dog learned was: when he saw MR TH, pee and be mopped thru it.

It's twenty-five years later and I still feel so bad for that nice little dog that Marv screwed up so badly.

[Midnight Writer]

14. Thanks. He is awfully skittish, which I assume is from mistreatment from a previous owner.

Lots of times, I will call him and he will run away and hide. If I want him to come, I sit down and let him approach me, then he gets a treat and praise and some petting. I'm trying to be very gentle with him, because I know I don't yet have his full trust.

He is somewhat predictable. I started a log when I got him of when he eats and when he poops, and up until this week that worked pretty well.

I have been letting him back in even when he hasn't finished his business, when he runs to the door and whimpers. Maybe I will just take a lawn chair and some treats out there and sit by until he goes.

Thanks for the answer. I appreciate it.

[marble falls]

19. Thanks for taking this nice little fellow in. He doesn't need another home. He just needs to know ..

... he's home and you are understanding, he'll love you for it!

[Nictuku]

8. That is a tough one

Since he is a rescue, it is difficult because you don't want to scare him. But you have had him for 9 weeks.

I am sure I scared the living heck out of my little guy. (he forgave me), but that is what I ended up having to do to house train my 2 year old terrier.

I have never hit him, nor would I, but boy did I make a big deal about it, yelling /very/ loud at him telling him how bad he was and how disgusting it was. "You SH*T in the HOUSE?!?! You don't sh*t in the HOUSE! You do it OUTSIDE. OUTSIDE!" Then I escort him outside.

I'm sure I scared the heck out of him. But it did work. He just wants to make me happy, so I made sure I let him know how unhappy I am when he did his business on the carpet.

[Midnight Writer]

15. Yes, he does want to please me, I can tell. He was very raw when I got him.

I wonder if he had ever been on a leash, because he would immediately get wrapped up in it, pulling and spinning and trying to get away.. He's made a lot of progress.

He's already skittish and usually runs if I call his name or approach him. This is getting better, but sometimes I walk in the room and he will just cower. He had some submissive urination early on, but I haven't seen that for awhile.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm really baffled, but I'm getting several responses here that give me something to work with.

[Eyeball_Kid]

11. I'd consider two courses of action.

1. Get a portable kennel. Use it as a safeguard for when you cannot keep your dog in direct visual contact. Dogs generally will not poop in a kennel. Make it a neutral place by giving it a treat when you place it inside the kennel. Dogs perform ritualistic behavior before pooping. Recognize the signs and get it outside as soon as you detect the sequence of behaviors, and keep it outside until you get the desired results.

2. Keep the dog in the yard for longer times than you do. Reward it when it poops outside. For instance, after feeding, do not bring it in until it poops outside, then give it a treat.

Changing a dog’s behavior may temporarily mean a change in your behavior. Accept it and plan ahead. And use dog repellent on the carpet spots.

[Midnight Writer]

16. Thanks. I think these are suggestions I can work with.

I have an indoor kennel but it would be a stretch to claim he is crate trained. I have been too soft, perhaps, on leaving him outside. He comes to the door and whines and I usually let him right back in. I'll take a lawn chair out along with some treats and extend his time out there.

Thanks again.

[Lunabell]

12. I just had this exact problem this summer.

Got an adorable miniature poodle-shitzu mix. He's about one year old. He was shuffled between a few houses before we got him. We were told he was potty trained. We have a dog door with a fenced in yard.

Cujo was peeing and pooping in the house. He would even pee on us when his bladder was full. He would jump on my bed and pee.

It took a few months to do it but we finally got him to be potty trained. What we did was scold him the usual way when a puddle was found after showing him. And then we tossed him (gently) through the doggie door and when he came back in, we high praised him. Gave him treats.

What finally got through to his head was catching him in the act. We scolded, threw him through the doggie door. And when he came back in we high praised him and gave treats. Pretty much any time he went outside, we high praised him and gave a treat.

It took a couple of months, but he has been accident free for 2 weeks now. I guess my answer is catch him in the act. Scold and shame. Put him outside and then high praise with treats when he comes back in.

Good luck! I hope this helps.

[Midnight Writer]

17. Thanks. The only time I caught him in the act was the first time.

But I will be more vigilante now.

I didn't know he went this morning until I stepped in it and tracked it around the family room.

I think I'm going to need to get rid of the carpet.

I'm glad to hear the problem is solvable. I'll need to be more consistent and persistent.

Thanks for your advice.

[Lunabell]

20. Try treats and high praise every time he goes outside.

Even if he doesn't go. He will associate going outside with good things. It will finally click.

[Midnight Writer]

22. Thanks. I've been doing that, but not until he comes back in.

I'm thinking I need to go outside with him and be there to give him his treat and praise immediately when he goes.

Thank you for your advice. I'm really encouraged by the suggestions i am getting here.

[cksmithy]

18. This is what has always worked for my family

Over 50 years we have had 5 rescue dogs from the pound and or found on the streets. Ages from puppy to 2 to 3 year old dogs. We always put them on a lease and then a walk around the back yard until they poop or pee. When we get up, take them out to pee. After breakfast, put a lease on and take them out to poop. Same thing when we got home from work to pee pr poop and then after dinner and before bedtime. It's a lot of work but the no accidents in the house. We also always picked up the poop everyday. Left them a clean area to sniff around and leave their mark. Good luck.

[Midnight Writer]

21. Thank you. I have been putting him out first thing, but not on a leash.

I've just been letting him out, he runs around and sniffs a bit, and up until this week would "do his business" in short order.

I think, from your suggestion and others here, I need to go out with him and stay out with him until he goes. Maybe a leash is the right answer, because often he just runs back to the door and whimpers until I let him in. He has become pretty accustomed to the leash, and I could keep him from just running back to the door.

Thanks for your advice.

[cksmithy]

23. Alway on a leash, until they get it

You are welcome. The only thing I would add is to praise him every time he goes potty outside. It's is very similar to potty training a toddler, every time they are successful it is a really big deal. Eventually, all of our dogs were able to outside and do their busisness all by themselves. Again, good luck.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Have you tried giving him a treat right after he poops outside?

Always reward him right away and give him praise.

When he poops in the house, tell him NO in a firm voice and take him outside right away.

I also suggest obedience school so you can train him. And the instructor can give you tips on potty training as well.
They may suggest crest training.

I don't think the dog has been trained well, and has had a lot of chaos in his living arrangements for the past two years.