Pooping for attention?
Ok, so perhaps I am reading to much into this but I was wondering if this could be a possibility. Mickey is 99% housetrained with the ocasional accident. We have a downstairs which is carpeted which we recently started to block off because when we didnt he was going down there quite often during the day when we are gone. So now that we blocked off access we have NO MORE accidents! :) However I am a student and have been working alot on papers in my room (located downstairs) while my boyfriend is usually upstairs doing whatever he does...lol... Mickey has started coming downstairs, since it is not gated off when we are home) and coming to the door. I can hear him sniffing around and lie down and then about 2 minutes later heading upstairs. This is our problem: I come out of the room and found he has pooped AND peed, this has happened on four ocasions now, and I KNOW he didnt have to go because he had gone outside within an hour or two. Is he perhaps pissed off he cant come in the room? Or that my boyfriend and I are ignoring him? I admit, we do spend an awful lot fo time with him, although we do feel we are in control but we def spoil him. Any suggestions on how to fix this or what could be causing it? Simply the fact that he REALLY has to go (although I doubt that) or is this more of an attention seeking thing....????
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Micky is 8 months old, he will not be reliable until 1-2 years without any accidents, when accidents happen you will need to go back to square one and slowly adjust his area until he is totally trained. I will encourage you to read the FAQ and reinforce the training, don't worry, you're almost there :)
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Permalink Reply by justine moeller on
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Mickey is actually almost one year now!! I suppose I should update my information!! :)
He is doing excellent with his potty training except the last 3 days we developed this problem. little rat!! haha
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on
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If your boyfriend is anything like mine was, he didn't pay attention - the only accident we ever had was when my boyfriend was alone with Bear. Or Mickey might be used to you taking him out and doesn't know how to "tell" your boyfriend.
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Oh no, my boyfriend takes him out all time! So that is def not an issue. He is not giving any warning signs at all and like I said he has gone within an hour of this happening. I have a great example actually. I just took him out 45 minutes ago and left hm upstairs (testing) and came downstairs to do my work. Within five minutes I heard the little pitterpatter coming downstairs, sniffing under the door and then 2 minutes later I heard him go upstairs. I open the door and there it is... a big pee on the carpet right in front of the door!!! He had JUSt went outside!! I am sure this is some type of rebellion...lol
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Hmmm, is he just going out for a potty break or for a walk? Maybe tiring him out before you settle down to do some work would help. Also, Bear hates closed doors, especially if people are behind them. Maybe it's that he can't see you or get to you?
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That is what I am guessing too. He went for a long walk this morning but right now I only have time for a quick pee break as I am writing a paper due this evening. Yesterday it happened about an hour after a three hour dog park session. He isnt whining at the door, just sniffing and then going to the bathroom and heading back upstairs. If the case is he cant get to me and this is his retaliation, I dont know what to do. I dont want to give into him and let him in just cuz he wants too.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Ok, he probably did not do it to punish you for ignoring him. Neither my corgis or my cats like having a door closed to them. He probably just wants to know what you are doing at all times (herding mentality). While waiting for you he had to go potty and just did it. This is especially possible if it is an area he doesn't see as part of his den or if he smells other accidents in that area. Use a cleaner that is specially designed to eliminate the smell (Urine Off for example). This is a habit for him and he doesn't view it in as negative a light as you do. I would either not allow him downstairs unsupervised or leave the door open so you can see him when he comes down. This is just a blip in the potty training thing and will pass if you clean the area and supervise him for a while. My corgi Izzy did this for a while in one of our little used bedrooms and when I blocked it off she stopped. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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When I was a girl through young adult we had a mixed-breed small dog who would poop on the floor as soon as we went out. If were were home, she never went there. We used to think she was anxious about us leaving, but one day I went out to go somewhere, realized I forgot something and turned around and went right back (was gone like 2 minutes) and when I got back she had already gone. Little rat! LOL
There are some trainers who will say a dog is leaving a message with this behavior. Once I turned 21 and started staying out late, this same dog I mentioned would start peeing on my bed if I was not home by a certain time even though she never had to go during the night any other time. Needless to say after that she was not allowed on my bed.
Anyway, the answer is likely more confinement when you are not right there to watch, before it becomes a habit. Don't punish, though you can say a single firm "No!" if you catch him in the act and immediately take him out and praise, praise, praise.
Along with confinement, I would go back to praising like crazy when he goes outside. He's young, he may have issues with not being able to "hold it" still or being confused about how to ask to go out, or he may be pushing the boundaries to see what he can get away with on territory, but the answer is the same: back up a few steps with housebreaking and leave him crated or penned if you are not there to watch. Keep him confined when you are not there for a couple months then slowly expand his loose area again til you see if he is ok, and take him out immediately before leaving him loose unobserved.
Also use an odor-removing product to thoroughly clean the area where he messed.
Good luck!
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