6 mo old pooping inside

[Amy Amos]

Hello - 

I have been reading different discussions this morning looking for some answers/suggestions for our almost 6 month old medium Australian labradoodle, Stella.  When my husband and I first brought her home around 12 weeks of age, she had the occasional pee/poop accident (just like any puppy), but has done fairly well with the "potty training" process as we regularly let her outside for potty breaks.  Stella has gotten pretty good at going to our back door and barking to let us know she needs to go.  It seems, however, that in the past week or two, she has been having more frequent poop accidents inside the house (usually within 10-15 minutes of just being outside). Usually, we don't catch her "in the act," but when we do, we say "no, no, no" and let her outside immediately.  We are also diligent in cleaning up the poop immediately with Nature's Miracle to rid the floor of the odor.  We have a fenced in backyard and let her out on her own, say "go potty," providing verbal and treat praise as soon as she does her business.  If we know she has not pooped in a while, we try to also get her to poo outside before letting her in.  Sometimes this works, sometimes not.  To throw another wrench in the mix (and this is maybe the real reason we are having issues), Stella very much enjoys being outside and will sometimes bark to go outside, without actually having to go potty.  So if she has been out recently and pottied, barks again at the door we think she just wants to go out and play.  For a while we let her out every time she barked at the door to prevent accidents, but that got old and frustrating really fast.

From what I have read this morning, I think we will start taking her out on a leash for "potty time" and not let her just go outside on her own.  I have also read some owners have different "command" words for pee and poop.  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  So sorry for the lengthy and rambling post, but cleaning up poop inside is getting old!  We are also somewhat concerned this is becoming behavioral - both her end and our end - and not just a "puppy thing" anymore. Thank you, in advance, for helping us work through this stinky situation!     

-Amy, Kris, Marshall (our older labradoodle), & Stella

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Ashley - are you using potty words when you take the pup out? Is he on a leash? One thing that I do is take Gracie for a walk or play after she does her biz so that she learns that she still gets to have fun outside, but only after she does her business. I don't do it every time she eliminates, but at least 3 times throughout the day.
Also, I stand in one place until she goes. I don't walk around (except to walk to the spot she needs to go to).
When you say kennel are you referring to his crate? Does he have too much room? I had expanded Gracie's crate too soon and she had an accident. I made it smaller until just recently. She has just enough room to lay down and turn around. She doesn't have full access to the whole crate yet.
As far as the peeing in the crate this link has great ideas. The only one I didn't see was to feed them in there (I read it somewhere). They usually won't eliminate where they eat unless there is an illness.
http://puppyintraining.com/how-can-i-get-my-dog-to-stop-peeing-in-h...

As far as the barking, I have a can with about 10 pennies in it and use it to startle her a bit or get her attention. First I say, shh w/ my finger up to my lips. Then if that doesn't work I give the can a shake and say quiet. She has never barked a whole night so I feel for you on that one.
I'm sure there are sites that have ideas for the barking as well. I will see if I can find one. Puppy star daily has lots of articles - just do a search there and see what comes up.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Yeah Gracie tries to get as far away from me as she can to poo, but I just hold tight the leash. :)
Can you walk him around your yard after he's finished or play with him in a different spot so that he gets that out of his system?

I have read that the puppy pads are soaked with horse urine to make the puppies want to pee on them. So, that's probably why he thinks it's ok. Maybe remove it, clean with an enzymatic cleaner, feed him in there, and keep him on a tight reign and schedule.
Gracie basically goes every where with me (from one room to the other). I know it's exhausting too!
Oh one other thing is the crate plastic or wire? If it's wire maybe try enclosing it on 3 sides with blankets or towels to give it a more den feeling. If it's plastic - some dogs don't like the enclosed feeling (go figure). If he really does have anxiety that could be it? I don't know. Just throwing some things out there for you.

[Pat, Mary & Cooper]

I've never had that issue with my dogs but I've seen a couple of tips about that subject...try to feed at regular hours and not let the food always available at any time of the day.After a meal put your dog in his crate for about 15-20 minutes and then take your dog outside and use the command that you prefer... Also if they have a little accident inside take the poop outside with them , apparently it would show them where to go when it's time to potty. Like I said these are tips I've heard worked well,I thought I would share if that helps! Good luck

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

If it were up to Yarrow, she'd just live outside! there are birds and squirrels and people walking by and all sorts of interesting smells on the air. I get it... I'm boring in comparison. They don't see going outside as going to the bathroom. You're going to have to go back to basic training and stay with her in the early morning and tell her she's a good girl when she poops outside. Training is a long process with ups and downs. She's somehow got her wires crossed. With patience, begin again.

Yarrow and Shiloh are in with me right now because I've been painting and don't want to be distracted with supervising them. The dog door is closed to keep them in and they're laying in their beds. I have no doubt what so ever that they'd rather be out in the snow. We'll be heading out for a walk in the woods in about half an hour after I've finished this cup of tea. That's where they'll have their last, and third poop of the day. Even at 16 months, these pups have me manage my time around their need to poop and play.

[Laura and Angus]

I agree with the suggestion that if you don't already have a regular feeding schedule, implement one now. From what I've read about any type of behavior issue, you have to take a few steps back in training. So in this instance, and this is without knowing much about your current schedule/supervision habits, I'd say you need to go back to enhancing your supervision. Our puppy Angus is also 6 months and seems to be going through his adolescent phase. If this is impacting Stella's behavior, you have to increase supervision with the puppy - that means keeping them around you and if you're unable to watch Stella then put her in the crate or in a room where she tends to stay. We use the kitchen for this. Our reasoning is more related to other behavior issues (chewing up things around the house or grabbing and shredding papers), but if your puppy is like ours and isn't able to handle the amount of independence/freedom she has, then maybe that needs to decrease until the housebreaking is back on track and you can trust that she knows where to potty.

One more thing - are you giving her a treat right when she goes or when she gets back to the house? With Angus, we would say "good potty" and then give him a treat immediately after he went - this was just in the very beginning. We still say "good potty" after he goes though.

Good luck and happy training! It's frustrating and exhausting, but we just gotta stick with it through the puppy stage!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I think getting back to the basics, is your very best bet. Yes, that would include leashing her each and every time you go, out with her, so you know when she has gone. Usually pooping is a much faster learn, as they don't poop nearly as much as peeing. The commands are whatever you choose, as long as you are consistent in using the same command.... It could be " pizza", or whatever...as long as your dog associates pooping or peeing with that particular word or phrase. As much as it is frustrating and a pain, you really shouldn't ignore their requests for out..sort of counter productive in what you've been trying to get through to them, since they first came home to you.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

First of all I would definitely be restricting house access - limit it to the room you are in or her crate or ex-pen.  Is she pooping in the same place each time?  If so I would block that area off even if it makes you have to go around or step over that area.  It will help her break the habit.

One other thought - is she pooping more and is it softer?  If so, perhaps she has a parasite.

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

I just read Nancy's comment. Definitely restrict house access at 6 months. My girls will be one and a half in March and still the only room they are allowed to be in without me or my partner is the kitchen. I just know that they are both so curious and intelligent that they never cease to get up to no good when left alone for a few minutes. Last week I caught Shiloh lifting the lid to the laundry hamper and choosing one beautiful handmade sock to play with. It's just like having toddlers in the house again except there are no drawings on the walls. I'm hoping I will be able to relax a bit more by the time they're two.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

If Stella is having poop accidents in the house and you don't see her in the act, then you definitely need to monitor her more closely and restrict her access to the house, as others have mentioned. I would suggest you tether her to you when she's not crated so there's no way she could slip away to do her business. Have you tried potty bells? Some dogs respond very well to those, and you do need to go out with her each and every time (on leash) so she knows she's not being let out just to play. I know its tempting to ignore repeated requests to go outside, but during the potty training phase you can't ignore any request. We've always used the words, hurry-hurry for pee and busy-busy for poo. Once we're out in the designated potty spot and I give the cues I can actually see my doodles' minds working, processing whether or not they have to go. A potty schedule works well too to condition them to go at specific times, rather than waiting for them to give you a cue. When my 2 were young and potty training I didn't give them much reason to have to go indoors, as we had regular times throughout the day that we went consistently. Now that they're mature they go out much less frequently, but still on a regular schedule. Good luck!

Oh, and BTW, I was just thinking about it, and I can't remember the last time Oscar 'asked' me to go out for potty. That's how well a schedule works. He doesn't always have to go, mind you, but he always has the opportunity.

[SoSa]

Yesterday was our first full day with our puppy. I feel like my family and puppy are beginning to get the hang of crate training. The first night he was with us (2/4), he went into his crate at about 8:43pm. He cried for about ten minutes, then he conked out. He slept until about 3am. My husband and kids got up with him to take him out to potty. He had peed in his crate. Instead of taking him out right away, they put him down while they went to get coats and the leash. He pooped and peed on the floor. They learned quickly that he must be carried out first thing out of the crate. Soon after breakfast, they took him out and he went number #1 and #2. After some indoor play, he went into his crate with no problem and fell asleep. Overall our first full day with puppy yesterday was good. He did have a couple of accidents, but it was our mistake in not getting him outside. We are learning. After lunch, he went into his crate and fell asleep with absolutely no crying. Last night we put him in his crate at about 8:45pm. He woke at about 10:15pm. He went right outside and went potty, then right back to his crate. Some whining, but after about 10 minutes back to sleep. He was up again at about 1:30am. He went back out to potty, then back in his crate. Again whined for a few minutes before sleeping. He got up with me at 3:45am. I took him out, he went both 1 & 2. When he came back in, he thought it was play time, it was indeed crate time again. He cried for ten minutes the was quiet. When I left for work at 4:30am, he started crying again. I'll have to find out from my family how long that lasted. It really is exhausting but seeing progress is promising. The only drawback is living here in the Pacific Northwest. It is non-stop rain here right now, no sun in sight for the next few days. No fun being cold and wet outside trying to get puppy to go potty. :-)

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LOL...this puppy stuff is truely a learning experience for us all. You will find what works best you and your family, and of course the Newbie. The only thing I suggest, is picking up water a few hrs before you intend to put him into his crate for the night. This will help alleviate those nighttime outings.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Awe. You got your puppy! It's like having a new baby in the house. ;)

I carried Gracie outdoors every morning (and in the afternoons when she was crated) up until last week. It seemed like such a long walk for such a small bladder. :D

You and your family will figure it all out and having a routine and schedule will make things go so much smoother!