My 11 month old blue nose Pit Bull has been potty trained pretty much since the day we got him at 6 weeks old, but now he won't stop pooping in the house. He won't pee inside. I let him out whenever he wants until he's ready to come in, which sometimes can be up to a hour. He will usually just end up sniffing around our yard, pee, come back in and a few minutes later he'll poop in the house. He shows no sign of injury or illness.
You can try the following:
Step 1
Don't punish for accidents.
Step 2
Praise him when he does the right thing.
Step 3
Clean up all areas with an enzyme cleaner to remove the scent.
Step 4
Take away food between meals.
Step 5
Adhere to a strict meal/walking schedule.
Step 6
Crate him if necessary.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My 14 week old puppy seems to have clicked well with house training during the day, but at night she poops all over the kitchen floor. The pad is kept in the same place during the day and night. Please help.
Many people find it useful to use a kennel to train their puppies. Some people call them cages or pens. Before you go to bed at night, put the puppy in the kennel, and as soon as you wake up in the morning take the puppy out of the kennel and immediately take him outside.
Having raised two dogs from puppies it is good to praise them when they go outside yeah! What a good dog and make him think he is the best dog in the world. Never feed in the evening, be sure you take him outside before you go to bed say 9 p.m. A crate is good if you have one but I kept mine on the side porch and they learned very quickly. Try to keep the times you take him outside the same time every day, he will learn. Good luck with your puppy.
You might try changing his feeding time and crating him at night. Change his feeding time and then crate him. Pups wont go in their crates and it is a little hard at first but ignore the protests, and then it will learn to like it's "bedtime" routine.
Another vote here for feeding early and taking out RIGHT BEFORE BED! Then come in, get in the crate and spend the night. I took my pup out right before I was ready to climb into bed myself. I brought her right in, put her in bed and got into my own bed. Lights out. Nighty night. NO getting out of the crate alone!
Get a crate. Put it in it at night. Dogs don't poop where they sleep. They hate it at first, but grow accustomed to it, then like it.
You aren't walking the puppy far enough or getting her enough exercise. If you walked a good 30-45 minutes after both feedings; she would poop in the neighborhood (which you need to scoop) while being exposed to all kinds of social activities. It is never too early to start the exercise regime.
Dogs do NOT get sufficient exercise from playing or being "let out". I never recommend puppies pads or other tricks. Simple, honest long rigorous walks and runs at the proper times combined with praise for good deeds really kicks house training in a day or two. Added gimmicks are confusing for the animal and expensive. They also do nothing to release the dog's pent up energies.
There is NO substitute for owners getting out an exercising their dogs. What's good for the dog is great for the owner!
I have a 10 year old Dobi who is fastidiously house trained ONLY if he gets his long walks. You've never seen a cleaner dog in your life. He will poop at 1/4 mile no matter what and another one after that if he's had a big meal. If he doesn't get the physical activity he needs to feel the urge to poop; he will do it later in the house even if you think it's been long enough and he should be able to poop with a 2 minute walk.
It isn't a matter of being stubborn or not being clean. He doesn't feel the urge to go until he's had activity and he can't poop until he feels the urge. Your dog isn't getting the activity to feel the urge earlier and the later poops come because digestion has taken its very slow course.
Dogs should only go to a dog park to socialize AFTER they have been thoroughly exercised and are calm and relaxed. Bringing an energetic hyper dog to a dog park should NOT be done as it is a recipe for disaster and YOU will be the cause. Long walks coupled with a very regular feeding schedule work without any effort or negative reinforcement. Standing outside for an hour isn't half as effective as walking fast for 10 minutes.
You might not like to go for a long walk in the evening but the dog needs it. If necessary, adjust their evening meal a little earlier and you move to walk the dog a little later so you have a livable compromise.
Dogs are pack members. Training by positive reinforcement whenever possible is best because it assures you that the dogs are respecting their leader. Small corrections should be made the moment undesired behaviour occurs and forgotten just as quickly.
Ditto on the feeding early, walking just before bedtime and kennel training. Your pup is still very young and I'll bet she simply can't hold it comfortably all night long yet. I've had a couple of very small dogs and they seemed to have trouble holding it now and then (even in a kennel) until they were almost five months old so don't be discouraged.
14 WEEKS! Still sooo young! Be patient and use a set schedule and stick to it. A brisk jog (to stimulate digestion) or a fast game of chase in the yard after mealtime will get him to the "gotta go now" mindset, too.
I brought two puppies home to the U.S from overseas long ago. To prepare them for the flight, I got them used to being in a crate by using the crates as their beds at night. They never wanted or needed another bed. Even in old age, when I said "night, night" they each went to their own crate and laid down for the night. That was with the door of the crates always open. Their crates were their "havens." So, if you use a crate for training, never, ever use it as punishment.
I've read what everyone had to say and agree with them all. I did something a little different when I housebroke my Parker. I attached his leash to my ankle and anytime he moved on my bed I rushed him outside to potty. Parker will be 10 in July and still sleeps in bed with me, all 135 pounds of him.
First off, you confuse a puppy when you allow it to relieve itself in the house. Take the puppy out frequently TO THE SAME SPOT, it will get the hint after sniffing around. Praise him! Don't put down newspapers or pads in the house. Small breed dogs cannot hold as much as larger breeds. Don't go to bed until the dog does it's business - and don't feed to late. Feed two times a day.
Dogs need exercise to move things along enough to feel the urge to go earlier in the evening.
You should be doing at least 2 long, fast walks or jogs following the dog's meals every day. They need the exercise and so do you but walks are about the sights, sounds and scents also. Supplement with quick pee breaks throughout the day at least as often as you go to the bathroom.
The further you walk, the more sights and scents and the more times the dog will stop to pee or poop. this to have a healthy and happy pet. It's a win-win.
Dog parks and playtime are for relaxation. It's also great to do some training throughout your walks as the dog will learn to obey in all situations and not just when they're in your living room.
Combine this with a rock steady schedule and your dog will be fully trained by tomorrow. It's truly that simple. Don't turn around as soon as the dog poops but keep it up so you have a good 1 hour a day minimum of exercise. You can multitask and walk to do some errands for added benefit.
Never exercise any dog directly before or after meals talk to your veterinarian about "bloat".
I have a 7 month old Lab/German Shepherd mix, she went 4 months with no accidents in the house. Then a month ago she started pooping in the house, first in the living room, then every night for 4 nights in her bed, not on the puppy pads I put down. I washed the carpet and washed the floor with vinegar water.
Yesterday she started peeing in the den, then last night she pooped and peed again. I get up and take her out at 2, 4, and 6 am. I am at my wits end. She has also chewed her harness off, four of them. My husband wants to get rid of her or make her an outside dog. Any advise for this?By dreamer from El Paso, TX
Have you taken your puppy to the Vet? Sometimes this could be a sign of an underlying sickness or pain. Animals are more like humans than we think, and like us, they deal with things in there own way. But the first thing would be to rule out any sickness.
Take the dog to the vet right away! It could be a serious medical problem!
I have had a Cavalier for a month and he is 3 1/2 months old. I feel like I'm not making any progress with his house training. I am using a crate, and I'm home most of the time. So, he is being taken out every hour.
He holds it all night in the crate, but is still having many accidents in the house during the day. We'll be out for 20 minutes or more, come in, and within 5 minutes he poops. I feel like he's holding it for when he comes in. Is this normal? Any advice would be great.
Hi Patricia: The first thing I would look at is his feeding schedule. I'm assuming by now, you are only feeding twice a day. Keep treats to a minimum while you are trying to potty train. We like to use Solid Gold's jerky treat and break them up into tiny tasty bits for rewards so that it doesn't cause the urge to poop. You will need to patient about waiting the dog out when you do take him out for his business. Crowding him or stressing him by hovering over him may cause enough stress to cause him to hold it until he is inside.
My guess is that he will sneak off to poop in the house. While not in the crate, limit his area to one carpetless room like the kitchen. Once you catch him pooping outside - throw a puppy party! Lots of praise ,a tasty treat then back to the warm house. All this will help you set him up to suceed. :)
Patricia, I would take the dog outside to poop, just like you've been doing, and wait as long as you think appropriate to give him/her enough time to do the job. I think you indicated that you were waiting 25 minutes, and I think that's appropriate. What I would do is change what you do when you go inside. If the dog had been in the crate enough time that the dog should have to poop but doesn't poop when you go outside, then when you return inside, I'd put the dog right back in the crate.
Few dogs will poop in their crate, so when you try it going outside again in an hour, there should be even more of an urge for the dog to poop. Doing it this way may seem like the dog may spend too much time in the crate, but it is only temporary. Once you have a success, you can congratulate the dog and give all kinds of compliments (maybe even a treat). The dog will get the picture of where you want the pooping thing to happen and will take less and less time to accomplish the task.
It will be worth your time to do this because it will make your future with your dog so much more rewarding because more of your time can be spent enjoying your dog rather than disciplining and waiting for him/her to poop. Dogs usually want to please, and I think your dog just doesn't know yet that pooping outside will please you. Once the message is understood by the dog, you should have an easier time. Good luck. Dogs are wonderful!
My dogs are asked if they want to "go out and potty". They get excited and are then taken out to do their business. They don't like doing both of their businesses in the same location. So, when they walk away from the wet place, they want to wander elsewhere to complete elimination; usually near a shrub or tree base.
Watch your dog while inside and see if it paces around the room just before it drops feces on the floor. At that point take the dog out again. My dog usually drops feces in more than one outdoor spot before finishing. I have cocker spaniels and the male was more stubborn than the female about training. Just be consistent like you have been and it will eventually pay off.
Thanks so much for the advice on potty training our Cavalier puppy. We are actually starting to make some progress. Can I ask another question? How often should I (or can I) bathe our Cavalier?
Hope I can be of help in the future, first I have to figure all of this out :) Patricia
Exercise is the only answer. Crate is great--potty with exercise.
I have a 5 month old Border Collie Lab cross. She is house trained, but for some reason all of a sudden she has started messing her bed no matter how many time she is let out during the night. She will occasionally whine to go out for the loo in the night, but then will still mess her bed.
She sleeps in the same room as my husband and I so she isn't lonely. It has only started in the last week. I mentioned it at our last vet appointment and they said she is perfectly healthy so there is nothing wrong with her. Is there anything I can do?We have a 10 month old dog who has been a dream dog. He has a great personality, was house trained in a very short time, and is very social. He has been restricted to our very large kitchen and den day and night, is crated at night and hasn't had an accident in these rooms since about 2 weeks after he came home with us at age 9 weeks. He has been very hesitant to come out of the kitchen into the dining room and living room, but will occasionally for short snippets of time. Recently, he has gone into the dining room and living room and left us some "gifts" on the floor (both hardwood and rug).
I don't know if he associates only the kitchen/den as inside and everywhere else in the house is considered outside or what's going on. We want him to feel free to roam around when we're home, but we're now afraid to open up the gate that blocks him in the kitchen/den area. He's walked outside several times a day. He hadn't done this until recently. Any ideas of how to stop this?I have a 5 month old male German Shepherd, we have finally potty trained him so he will go outside. He will poop and pee outside, but he's very persistent in squeezing out one tiny drop of poop on the third floor of our house.
What can I do to make him stop?My 7 month old puppy keeps pooping in our basement. She finds a way to get passed the gate we have put up and poop downstairs. When I catch her from coming back up she knows it was wrong. I praise her when she goes outside, but it still continues to happen. I monitor to see when she goes outside to make sure she does go and if she doesn't I try again with her shortly after. She gets kenneled at night since I don't trust her to be out at night, but I wish for her to roam where she wants. Any suggestions?
I take my 5 month old puppy outside just before I go to work in the mornings and check on him almost every hour. He seems to get the right idea on peeing outside, but not the poo. Between the time I leave for work and the time I check on him he has gone poo on the carpet.
Is there something I could spray on the carpet to stop him from using it for his toilet? It is almost like he is getting even for me leaving!My puppy is 8 weeks old. I feed him and give him some time, then take him out to potty. Outside I walk with him and let him run around. He pees OK, but it can be 20 minutes waiting for him to poop.
If nothing happens I bring him inside and then he poops! What do I do to change that?My 7 month old potty trained puppy is pooping in the home again. There has been no diet change and no feeding schedule change. There has been a new fence. Ever since that fence was put up, my puppy has been pooping inside.
I take him out frequently. He doesn't wake me up like he used to. Before the fence was installed he would wake me up if he needed to go outside. It's been 4 days in a row now of my puppy pooping inside.
My puppy is 7 weeks old and we are in the process of training her. Throughout the day I'm on top of her and take her out frequently. Her last meal is around 9pm and I take her outside right after and once again around 11 pm I get up to take her out again. I wake up around 5 am and the entire floor is filled with poop! When we first got her she would only poop maybe once at night and now we wake up to piles of poop :( Any tips on what I should do?
By Leticia
I have 9 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier and I have had her since she was 8 weeks old. She doesn't do the toilet in the house during the day, but every morning when I wake up she has either done a pee or a poop or both in the house. How do i stop her from doing this? Nothing I am doing seems to be working. I have another dog as well and he was fully trained by 6 months old. Everything I have done with him with his training isn't working for her. I need someone to help me please.
Thanks.
By Chelsea
We have a 10 month old Pit/American Terrier mix that has been potty trained to go outside since she was 3-4 months old. She has recently started pooping in the house sometimes right after coming inside.
The only thing that has changed, is that in the last 2 weeks she is afraid to go outside alone. I will go out with her to do her business and even after going outside she might go inside again. Help!We have an 11 month old English Staffordshire terrier. On a regular basis we dog sit our friend's Staffy (1 year old) for a couple of days once a month.
Recently our puppy has pooped inside the house when the other dog is staying over. He has done this twice most recently and at seperate times.
The first time he pooped where the other puppy had previously been sleeping, but at the time of execution the other puppy was on our bed sleeping next to us. They both end up sleeping on our bed through the night which is normal.
The second time was inside on the mat to where the main exit to the outside door is. This particular time he proceeded to exit the house through the recently installed dog door and put himself in his kennel. There was a little trail of poop leading towards the dog door.
I'm not too sure what is going on, is our puppy jealous of the other puppy? Your advice would be greatly appreciated :)
My wife and I sleep with the mattress on the floor at night. We have two separate single size mattresses combined (while waiting for our new home). My 4 month old Shih Tzu is potty trained. She pooped in her cage in the room or the pee pad, but recently, she started pooping on my wife's bed.
The moment I changed the bedsheet, she peed on it. Just this morning, I woke up in horror to see my wife covered in Pancake's poop, still sound asleep. She only does that on my wife's mattress and not mine. I don't think it's my food supply because I haven't change it for a while. Her cage is opened for her to do her business all the time, ever since she was potty trained, but why now? Any advice? Is it because she can't hold her bowels because she is only 4 months old? But she only did it wrongly on my wife's bed and not else where. When the mattress is lifted up, she will pee and poo in the cage. I need help here!
We adopted a 7 month puppy from the pound. She is the sweetest dog and took to the doggie door that was already installed for our 7 year old Lab mix. She had little to no accidents and we even got 20 inches of snow and she still went out. After a month all of a sudden we wake up one morning and she has pooped and peed and later that evening the same thing pooped and peed and in between peeing on the rugs.
We first started to think the older dog was bulling her and not letting her out to go, but that was still a long shot since she had no problems before.
The next day I left her in the laundry room where the doggie door was and her crate for somewhere soft to lay. On a side note she had been so good she was able to stay in the house alone all day while we were at work and at night. She basically was crated at night and during the day for the first week. OK, so back to the story the day she was in the laundry room she did not have an accident in the room. Also the Lab was unable to go out since there was only one doggie door so she had free rein of the yard which by the way is a half acre fenced in so there is plenty of room.
So that night we had her back in the house and during the night she peed two times on the rug. The next day I put her in the laundry room and again no accident, but again that night she pooped and peed and we were right in the room with her. She had even earlier in the evening come into my son's room where my mom and I were hanging curtains and in one minute while our backs were turned hanging them we turned around and she was gone and there was a puddle in the floor. Why be so consistent and all of a sudden this?
By Missy C
I have an 11 month old American Bulldog she is fully toilet trained, but if she's left on her own or I even go to bed and close the door she poos and it's always very runny. I don't no what to do. She is never actually alone as i also have a 5 year old male Staff.
By Layla
I recently brought a new puppy to my house. My 5 year old dog is house broken. I'm potty training the new puppy. All of the sudden my old dog is peeing on the puppy training pads and pooping in my leather couch. What can I do?
By Corina from Reno, NV
