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frustrated

1447 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  VomBlack, 
VomBlack
I'm slowly getting to my wit's end when it comes to Noire and her housebreaking issues.

I've had her about two and a half months now and I think i've been able to get her to poop outside maybe 3 times. Thank god she'll pee outside but lately she's had a few accidents with that too.

She's had a full vet check including a senior blood panel and an ultrasound and came up healthy, so we're good there. I know she's almost 9 and spent who knows how long out in a kennel but I can't even get the behavior I want so that I can praise her for it.

I've even tried keeping her in the crate and only taking her out to go outside but she'll literally hold it. I caught her about to go in the house one day so I quick rushed her outside and we spent 20 min outside and she did nothing. Crated for 20 min and tried again, spent 35min outside and she still wouldn't go. Crated again. Mind you she was just starting to squat when I took her out the first time so she HAD to go. Tried her both on and off leash, put the other dogs inside.. nothing I tried would work. After crating and trying to go out another time or two I brought her in, went to grab my phone quick (2 min tops) and she pooped on the floor..after I spent hours trying to get her to go outside when I know she has to go.

I don't want her to have to spend so much time in a crate, but sometimes it's so frustrating that I want to cry because i'm constantly having to pick up after her. I understand it's difficult for older dogs to get it sometimes but i've been going out of my way to try and have her succeed and it's just not working.

I love her and she's a sweet dog but this is driving me insane. :help:
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BowWowMeow
Another thing you can try is to put her poop out in your yard (even if she goes in your house). That may help her understand that she is supposed to go out there. Obviously she's got it backwards in her brain because of being kenneled so you are going to have be more creative with teaching her.

Is she pooping in the same spot in the house? Can you block off all of the places where she's pooped in the house? How are you cleaning the area?

Instead of crating her, have you tried leashing her to you?

Sorry this is so tough: when I adopted Kai he thought he should pee in his crate and on the dog beds and in the back of the truck so I do understand your frustration...
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VomBlack
Hmm, I guess I could try tossing it outside when she goes. I figured with Odin and Tuck (a pit mix i'm petsitting for a few months) going out in the yard that it would be enough to get the point across. She'll pee over them when they go, but that's about it.

I don't tether her to me only because with the other two dogs they're usually playing and all that, and i'm not too keen on getting tugged around or getting everyone tangled while chilling in my house. :p I'm going to look into getting an ex-pen and sectioning off the house more.

If nothing else the venting is helpful, lol
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BowWowMeow
I would put her poop out there--that is her scent and not their scent. I did that once with a puppy of mine who wasn't get it. I took her to the general area where her poop was and gave her the go poop command and lo and behold she caught on!

Sectioning off an area is also a good idea. If you can get her on a schedule and put a command on it that works well too.
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Remo
If she has been previously punished for potty mistakes, she is probably afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you. This is when I use a long Flexi-lead (the only use I have for them!) and go around a corner of the house to give the dog some privacy. Also, if you have someone that can bring a another dog over to your yard, when that dog "goes" outside, praise the dog like it is the most brilliant creature on the planet.

I feel so sorry for the dogs that are afraid to go because they are anticipating getting punished for the act. I well remember one little dog that would hold her bladder for hours and hours because she was afraid to pee in front of us. We were standing out in the yard and making a big deal when anyone peed and giving them cookies. You could see the lightbulb go off in this dogs head - for the first time she realized that peeing was not bad, that peeing IN the house was. She never had another accident.
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CPH
We only ever had a handful of accidents but when he did go in the house we put his nose close to it, firmly said no then brought both pup and poop outside and showed it to him on the ground and praised like crazy. It seemed to work for us anyway.
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GSDAlphaMom
Oh my gosh. Do NOT put your dogs nose close to his poo and tell him no. The biggest signal that sends is poo is bad and he should not poo period. Secondly corrections only work if they occur during not after. Catching in the act and taking outside is all that needs to be done. Scolding in the act will make them think the act itself is bad.
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Rerun
I would tether her to you and seperate the other dogs via gates, etc.

I think that's the only way you'll truely get success with this. I know it has to be frustrating, but you should NEVER have allowed her even a second of freedom that day you described above. That 2 minutes is more than enough time. You know she poops in the house, so ZERO freedom period until she's pooping outside.

Crate, tether, or outside. I've had dogs hold it up to two days (poop, not pee) when they had to go on a leash vs loose in the yard. Different circumstances, but similar. Sometimes the fosters get altered and are used to freedom during potty breaks, so they'll pee but won't poop. So they can hold it awhile, mind you.

Now get determined and don't let her off your side until she poops outside. Then treat and praise the heck out of her and go right back to tethering.
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Stevenzachsmom
Are you taking her out on the leash to go potty, or is she off leash? My dog would never go to the bathroom when leashed.
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VegasResident
I always leave a poo pile as a marker in my yard and walk my pup to it to sniff. This usually makes him poo. Then I leap with joy and stuff hotdog in his mouth the minute he is done pooing (I carry it out with me) Leashing is a good idea if you don't want to crate constantly. Since they have to "take the position" to poo, you can interrupt it and take the dog out on the leash. I had a friend with a poo in house problem. He put the crate against the doggie door for a while until his dog understood that doggy door meant poo
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VomBlack
Stevenzachsmom said:
Are you taking her out on the leash to go potty, or is she off leash? My dog would never go to the bathroom when leashed.
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She's off leash, so I usually let her wander and keep an eye on her.
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