Can anyone help?! Pooing in the house

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poiuytrewq

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My little dog, who I've had problems and posted on here about several times recently has started going to the toilet in the house.
He's 9 and over the years hasn't been 100% if I'm honest but it's been a accident by the back door type of thing over night.
I leave him for 4 hours tops, without fail the last fortnight pretty much I've come home to clean up poo or on two occasions wee just in the middle of the kitchen.
This poses two problems for me! O/H is off work soon and will find out- he will be very pee'd off about it. Secondly new pup arrives this Saturday and I don't want him to think the kitchen is the dog loo!
He's been to the vets and there is nothing obvious physically that is causing this, he is however ill in another way so perhaps stress or upset at that? He has had X-rays that show his intestines/bladder and other internals of his abdomen- all of which looks good.
He's just yesterday been prescribed a diuretic which isn't going to help matters!
Any ideas? I don't want a house that stinks permenantly of poo and like I say my O/H will be far less tolerant of this.
 
Gosh, don't know really, except to suggest as a management thing, to use a puppy playpen with newspaper and an open dog crate with bedding inside ? I'm currently going through puppy toilet training, I'd forgotten what fun it is. Not :)
 
Has his routine changed? Is he walked/fed earlier/later than before or do you arrive home later? If there's nothing physically wrong with him, it may be just a case of bad timing. Could you try altering his feeding time so that you're around once it's been er, processed?

As for the smell, arm yourself with a bottle of Simple Solution. Not cheap, but very effective and it properly breaks down any residue so that they don't have a 'smell cue' to keep returning to the same place.
 
I can walk him yes, but lead walks only- he's used to lots of exercise.
Hopefully this can increase after his next check up if all go's ok.
I can't pen him- he's 9 and it would drive him bonkers! He spends the morning on the back of the sofa looking out for my car returning- on the plus side he never does it *touch wood! On the carpet.
Nothing has changed no, well apart from lack of proper exercise.
I do have to try and alter feed times yes, as tablets are to be given at certain intervals before food.
On the up side he's more himself today :)
 
is it worth looking at what he is fed, maybe change to a hypoallergenic food for dogs with sensitive digestion..otherwise cant think of anything, good luck
 
Maybe yes, He is currently- and has been for about a year fed tinned food with a little handful of mixer. I started feeding this as he is so unbelievably fussy and its the only thing I know he will eat. He's quite hard to keep weight on. He will eat rice, Id been thinking of just feeding chicken and rice for a week or so and seeing what happens?
 
poiuytrewq said:
Maybe yes, He is currently- and has been for about a year fed tinned food with a little handful of mixer. I started feeding this as he is so unbelievably fussy and its the only thing I know he will eat. He's quite hard to keep weight on. He will eat rice, Id been thinking of just feeding chicken and rice for a week or so and seeing what happens?
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Chicken and rice is the best thing for an upset stomach. I've never liked the rubbish that's in processed tinned and bagged stuff anyway (but that's a different matter!).
 
Is he crate trained? Dogs almost never soil their own beds so when you aren't around, can you confine him to an area consisting of just his bed? A crate is best but if you haven't got the means to get him crate trained, I have seen it done by fixing a fire guard etc across a corner with his bed inside. It was the only thing that worked for my JRT, who came at approx. 1 year old as a rescue and was never clean over night for a couple of years, despite newspaper, polythene carpet cover etc etc. The crate sorted it, and even 10 years later, if she didn't have her crate to sleep in she might foul the kitchen floor. She is a very old lady now and has been known to poo on her vet bed but that is just age, most dogs keep their beds clean if at all possible.
It sounds as though it has become a habit regardless of how healthy his system is so you need to reformulate the habit - keep him confined to bed when you aren't there and allow him out the instant you get back to him.
 
I have a crate as we used one for our younger dog and this one sat in it in the car when I had a hire car but it really quite distressed him. He sits in the window watching for me to come home and being shut out in a crate would upset him. Normally I would consider it but at the moment with his heart condition I need to try and keep him as calm and happy as possible.
Also I don't know in all honesty how long I have left with him so I'd feel awful knowing I was going to work leaving him so unhappy
 
You can usually change their perceptions of crates by making it their dining room. He needs to learn that the crate is good - mine love theirs, they compete for it, it is their den, their place of safety.
It takes a while - I rehomed a dog whose owners allowed him to learn about the crate with the door open then when he was relaxed about it they shut the door - and went out for half an hour *sigh*. When they came back he had trashed the crate and the room and was mega stressed. How not to do it!
Feed him in it and leave the door open, until he goes in it before you have to persuade him to. Then one day close the door for 30 seconds while you are around and build from there. The trick is never to allow it to become stressful, build the periods in it to just before he gets worried. Even the one I rehomed was fine with mine after the correct training period - the mistake a lot of people make is to think of it as a prison. My dogs and I think of it as their den, and they even like it better when I drape a blanket over it. I think crate training is one of those things that you never know when you will need but if you do it is hugely useful.
Or you could confine him with furniture where he can get to the window?
 
Right I've given up! I've set up the crate where his bed was and put his blankets in it, he's been in and had a look and tbh isn't too bothered although I've not shut the door yet.
It's getting really ridiculous now though and I'd say he's doing 90% of his toilet in the house now not just a few a day. It's gross and I've had enough, it's also starting to cause slight friction in the family as o/h is having trouble house training his pup and blaming mine as puppy thinking it's ok to go in the house.
My mop is wearing out!!!
Fingers x'd this helps.
When I go to work I'm out for about 4 hours, is that acceptable to leave him shut in thou'?
 
I don't know what to suggest, but I do know my puppy Chi's are dirty little s*ds, that would rather pee and poo in the nice warm house than outside. They know what is right, but I have to be on top of them the whole time four hours is pushing it in our house (not so bad at night they go 9pm - 5am). Nine years for a little dog is still getting on a bit, maybe the equivalent of elderly incontinence? All I know is they don't do it to annoy us. Tell OH, that's the joy of pets. :)

Ps. ref crates, mine didn't give a monkey's, still used it like a toilet.:(
 
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I would go back to toilet training as you would with a pup. So, turf him out to do his business regularly - every hour if needs be. Use a sound or word when he is in the act, lots of praise then eventually you can use this trigger sound/word to encourage him to do the deed. He's not getting cold is he?
 
poiuytrewq said:
My little dog, who I've had problems and posted on here about several times recently has started going to the toilet in the house.
He's 9 and over the years hasn't been 100% if I'm honest but it's been a accident by the back door type of thing over night.
I leave him for 4 hours tops, without fail the last fortnight pretty much I've come home to clean up poo or on two occasions wee just in the middle of the kitchen.
This poses two problems for me! O/H is off work soon and will find out- he will be very pee'd off about it. Secondly new pup arrives this Saturday and I don't want him to think the kitchen is the dog loo!
He's been to the vets and there is nothing obvious physically that is causing this, he is however ill in another way so perhaps stress or upset at that? He has had X-rays that show his intestines/bladder and other internals of his abdomen- all of which looks good.
He's just yesterday been prescribed a diuretic which isn't going to help matters!
Any ideas? I don't want a house that stinks permenantly of poo and like I say my O/H will be far less tolerant of this.
Click to expand...

Vet first to see if there is anything cureable - followed by a crate at night.
 
My sympathies and I am watching with interest as I have a similar problem with 9 yo Jr x pat.

He was given to me 4 years ago and has always been rather iffy re going outside. He has bought up bile quite a lot recently but last night there were 2 perfect pink pools of vomit/bile accompanied by about 4 poos! He will be seeing the vet today.

Now whilst there are clearly some health issues, I am just not sure about the pooing so will try toilet training suggestion.

The other day takes the biscuit and may make you feel less alone! I took my 7
Month old (clean in the house for many months now!) Puppy to his training class and returned to find a clean house. Let 9 yo dog out into the garden where he had a long wee and came back in of his own violition. I nipped upstairs and then came down to find a huge poo in the hallway.

I too am at my wits end.
 
I don't know about anyone else here but when I go to the toilet, I shut and bolt the door even though I am alone in the house!:)

When animals poo, they are in a vulnerable situation and they know it. Sometimes it gives you that slight advantage to sneak up and gently catch a nervous dog or horse. That should give you a clue.

Foxy, my older GSD, was house trained in 48 hours, possibly because she had a 500 mile railway journey to get here in a travelling crate. Max, the male, on the other hand, was a nightmare. I tried all the usual things but finally applied logic and used the above. If I caught him pooing or weeing in the house, I gave a very good imitation of a herd of elephants on the rampage and immediately put him outside where his activities would prompt sweet and soothing words from me! He eventually decided it was safer and quieter choosing a corner of the garden. Long grass seems to simulate evacuation.

I should probably add that I know next to nothing about house training a pup as all my dogs have been workers kept outside. Incidentally, both dogs are also spotless in the outside kennel where they go every night.

A couple more points. Most dogs poo at least twice, so don't assume you are safe just because your dog has had a poo outside. Also, dogs and bitches lift their heads when they poo and wee so if they are bed wetters beds should be designed with a false ceiling just below the height of their heads when they empty. They will find it more comfortable to at least get off the bed to empty!
 
Well I guess it's nice to know I'm not alone!!! Quite a common issue it seems.
I didn't shut him into the crate, either last night or when I was at work as I worry if he really can't physically hold it and has no choice but to dirty his bed he will be upset?
 
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