Dog pooping in the house?

[Loganmike]

Hi There,
Lucy is a great girl and we run every morning and evening. And when I say run we either literally run or field train, etc.. She has recently (just this past 3 months) decided that using the house as her poop station is the right thing to do. She definitely poops when we are out, at least twice in the AM before I let her in and finish our play.

Question is, what can or should I do. Wife is getting VERY upset and Im not too happy either. She is almost 3 years old, and well trained in other aspects of manners and hunting (the dog that is)

My thought is get my arse outta bed a little earlier and run her a little longer? When she does poop, I often catch her within 30 seconds as she doesn't walk to the door and poop there, but wherever she wants. Is it a hard discipline of old school dog training or what?

I am at a loss and really need to get this taken care of or the missus is gonna kick Lucy and I out!

Any and all appreciated.

thanks

Mike

[benelli]

I don't have any amazing insights on this, but my first thoughts are:

1. I don't know if there are any medical conditions that can contribute to that sort of thing, but if you think that's a possibility, you might want to talk to your vet.
2. Don't give her an opportunity to poop in the house; if she's trustworthy in her kennel/crate, keep her either in there or outside if you're not watching her like a hawk. If she's in the house, she needs to be watched closely at all times. We had a dog a few years ago that was completely housebroken, except when we attempted to leave him loose in the house at night rather than in his crate, he took to pooping at the far end of the hallway. If he was crated, he'd hold it, but if he was loose, some nights he would just figure he's rather relieve himself. After that happened a few times, no matter how much my husband wanted to give him another chance, as the primary carpet cleaning person in the house I said no way.
3. Use baby gates to make an area of the house she can be in with easy-to-clean floors (kitchen, etc.). That way if, even while you're watching her closely, she starts to go, your/your wife's frustration is only caused by her pooping where she shouldn't, and not the added frustration of having to scrub dog poop out of the carpet again.

If your dog is getting adequate exercise, don't feel badly about using the crate anytime you/your wife can't be watching her (if your wife is interested in being involved in the process). If it keeps peace in the house, it's definitely worth it to kennel the dog a couple hours at a time during the day, and it's not going to hurt her a bit.

[birddog1968]

If she's going in the house when your not home or not watching you have to crate her when your not home or she is unsupervised....simple as that.

Go back to crate training, crate, straight outside, when she does her business outside she gets some free time in the house, then back in the crate until you
repeat the process......sounds like she just needs some direction.

[Sharon]

Great post benelli .

[Loganmike]

Thanks.

She does do it when I am not watching her like a hawk. There isn't a health issue as I investigated that route first! She spends most of the time in the kennel when I'm not home. At night she is in the kennel. She will literally come in, lay on her bed at the command of bed, I will go into the shower to get ready for the day. When I come out, there will be that awesomely bad poop smell and she will be back on her bed.

I will give her zero slack with the kennel then. I will put her kennel in a spot that is easier for us to place her in and get her out of, it is currently in a temp controlled garage, and she will spend more time in there unless I can be a watchdog with her.

I've never had a dog test me with this so much. Most of the time, a hard correction was all it has taken. then again I've also never had a dog that was like her in many regards, all of which are good.

Thanks for the insight gang!

me

[shags]

It could help of you are able to catch her in the act and make a big impression with a correction. Since you're catching her very soon after the fact, it might help to quickly grab her and start yelling as you drag her to the scene of the crime. I know, I know....that's not by the book but IME it can work. Our old rescue girl was supposed to have been housebroken, and she was at first. Then one day she pooped inside. Since I didn't catch her doing it, I chalked it up to an accident and let it go. Apparently she chalked up the lack of correction as permission and made several more clandestine deposits over the course of a couple weeks. By that time I'd about had it, dragged her back to the hot steamy pile and explained "NO POOP!" That was the last time she did it.

If you've already done that, you need to go the crate route.

Good luck. And buy your wife something nice.

[gonehuntin']

I whole heartedly recommend a real "come to Jesus meeting".

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

I whole heartedly recommend a real "come to Jesus meeting".

Yes Sir! Its time for some tough love.

[Loganmike]

I hate to be an "bleep", if this question makes me that. But what I have in mind with tough love is grab her, demonstrate w nose to pile and words that it is not ok, and physically persuade her to not do that again.

Being a setter, she holds grudges and is quite the baby. Once the love is administered, do you think kennel for awhile or let her back on her bed in the house. Etc... My question is what is the best way to let her sulk, pout, be a setter once I let her know I'm very very unhappy.

Seriously, after 20 yrs of dogs I all breeds, I've never had a three year old doing this. As I said, she does so much that my others haven't as well. If this is taken care of, life will be good again.

Thanks again gang.

Me

[Sharon]

What you do depends on what you know/believe about how dogs learn. From my experience and what I've read /talked about etc. ,a dog can only connect his error to the punishment for a few seconds? minutes? Tough love after that is neither effective nor fair.
Yes the dog will look chastised / hurt when yelled at most anytime, but he is not connecting that to pooping ,( even with his nose sticking in the poop) , but just can see that you are mad. He doesn't know why , unless caught in the act.

Hyper vigilance is the key.

The kennel can be very effective in this situation , but it should never be a punishment. Use the kennel for control.

Still think Benelli's post is the one I'd follow.

PS I've had several setters. Never found them to be as you described. I've had 50 years of dogs and to this day every dog is different . One right now is testing me to the limit too - for another upsetting problem.

[shags]

I disagree with Sharon to some extent; I think if you make the correction fairly soon after the pooping, the dog will get it. You say you find it within minutes, and she won't have forgotten how the pile got there. To be clear, this doesn't apply to other training, like birdwork and yard obedience, a mistake there does need immediate correction. Another area where immediacy counts is your idea about isolating her afterwards. Exiling the dog after your correction is pointless; do it, be done with it, and get back to life as usual. You won't see a broodbitch correcting her pup then sending it to a corner to reflect on its misdeed. It's growl/snap and back to the status quo ( with a pup who won't try that again

If your dog is acting what you perceive as sulking, don't be cross and don't try to suck up to her. Ignore it. Check your behavior, maybe her 'sulking' is a reaction to your emotions.

I wouldn't go sticking her nose in the mess, that's just gross. Dragging her back to it is enough.

[rinker]

Keep the dog in an outdoor kennel and let her poop whenever she wants.

[Loganmike]

Hi gang,
There is a lot of valuable info on here and different points of view. Personally I am going to have a mtg w her and the big fella when it happens again and then move on with life as normal.

As for an outdoor kennel, the missus is about to do that. Although she is a family dog 320 days a year so we would be at a loss.

If the problem persists, I will crate here constantly when I am not watching, even if I head to the bathroom.

Also, I will be a hawk w her!

Greatly appreciated everyone, greatly!!!

Thankyou!

Me

[Sharon]

I disagree with Sharon to some extent; I think if you make the correction fairly soon after the pooping, the dog will get it. You say you find it within minutes, and she won't have forgotten how the pile got there. To be clear, this doesn't apply to other training, like birdwork and yard obedience, a mistake there does need immediate correction. Another area where immediacy counts is your idea about isolating her afterwards. Exiling the dog after your correction is pointless; do it, be done with it, and get back to life as usual. You won't see a broodbitch correcting her pup then sending it to a corner to reflect on its misdeed. It's growl/snap and back to the status quo ( with a pup who won't try that again

If your dog is acting what you perceive as sulking, don't be cross and don't try to suck up to her. Ignore it. Check your behavior, maybe her 'sulking' is a reaction to your emotions.

I wouldn't go sticking her nose in the mess, that's just gross. Dragging her back to it is enough.

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I'd be interested in knowing what you disagree with, as I value your opinion and am always learning. I did say " withins seconds? mnutes? " but perhaps there is something else?

[Sharon]

Hi gang,
There is a lot of valuable info on here and different points of view. Personally I am going to have a mtg w her and the big fella when it happens again and then move on with life as normal.

As for an outdoor kennel, the missus is about to do that. Although she is a family dog 320 days a year so we would be at a loss.

If the problem persists, I will crate here constantly when I am not watching, even if I head to the bathroom.

Also, I will be a hawk w her!

Greatly appreciated everyone, greatly!!!

Thankyou!

Me

Please let us know how it goes. We always like to know if any of our advice worked , but seldom do hear. Good luck.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Trust me, the dog knows who's poop it is! Correction can be applied after some time has passed unlike other training situations. IMO If any medical possibilities are ruled out and the dog is afforded ample opportunities to air out, simple discipline is in order. Most dogs who poop in the house will also poop in their crate.

[shags]

Hey Sharon...the part about tough love within seconds or minutes. I agree with that for other training situations, but I believe the time can be extended when correcting an adult dog for relieving itself in the house. I wouldn't go past 15 minutes or so though. For housebreaking little puppies, back to the immediacy

[Sharon]

Thank you.

[Sharon]

Trust me, the dog knows who's poop it is! Correction can be applied after some time has passed unlike other training situations. IMO If any medical possibilities are ruled out and the dog is afforded ample opportunities to air out, simple discipline is in order. Most dogs who poop in the house will also poop in their crate.

I'm not convinced.
This is not real research , buy may be an interesting read.
http://dogtime.com/the-guilty-look.html


PS
Ever have this problem when you have 3 dogs in the house? "It wasn't me."

https://www.google.ca/search?q=dogs+%22 ... B450%3B331

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Trust me, the dog knows who's poop it is! Correction can be applied after some time has passed unlike other training situations. IMO If any medical possibilities are ruled out and the dog is afforded ample opportunities to air out, simple discipline is in order. Most dogs who poop in the house will also poop in their crate.

I'm not convinced.
This is not real research , buy may be an interesting read.
http://dogtime.com/the-guilty-look.html


PS
Ever have this problem when you have 3 dogs in the house? "It wasn't me."

"It wasn't me" means that they know who did it or at best this should be a cue to take them all out. Its a simple matter of continued potty training. Do you never use tough love when potty training a puppy?

PS, I have way more then 3 dogs at any given time in my house and I just have never had a problem identifying the culprit....I guess I'm just lucky but I can promise that the problem wont last long.

[Sharon]

Trust me, the dog knows who's poop it is! Correction can be applied after some time has passed unlike other training situations. IMO If any medical possibilities are ruled out and the dog is afforded ample opportunities to air out, simple discipline is in order. Most dogs who poop in the house will also poop in their crate.

I'm not convinced.
This is not real research , buy may be an interesting read.
http://dogtime.com/the-guilty-look.html


PS
Ever have this problem when you have 3 dogs in the house? "It wasn't me."

"It wasn't me" means that they know who did it or at best this should be a cue to take them all out. Its a simple matter of continued potty training. Do you never use tough love when potty training a puppy?

PS, I have way more then 3 dogs at any given time in my house and I just have never had a problem identifying the culprit....I guess I'm just lucky but I can promise that the problem wont last long.

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Absolutely , but only when I catch it in the moment with super vigilance , and control by crate or behind a baby gate.Usually take me about 3-5 weeks for complete compliance to peeing outside. ( Dog door in the back door so pup can always get out .) This latest is a year now.

I had one dog who NEVER pooped in one spot. Always walked while pooping. Wasn't hard to know that culprit.