9 month doodle incognito pooping in the house!

[Ollie's Mom]

Ollie will be 9 months on 5-1 and has been sleeping in our room (downstairs) on the floor for the past few weeks. When I wake up to go to the gym I let him out so he can do his business, I typically have to walk him out into the yard or he won't go, then I head back in to brush teeth/dress. Ollie usually runs back in within 3 minutes so he likely only pees. SO, I happened to walk into the guest room which is the farthest away room (upsatirs) and found poopies! hard dark poopies! This was on Tuesday morning, no clue whe he dropped the doo doo. Luckily it was easy to pick up. I did not scold him since I doubt he remenbered doing it. WELL, the next morning I did the same routine and after I was back from the gym (7am) I walked upstairs to see the kids and checked in the guest room and there was ANOTHER turd/dark dookie! So I showed it to Ollie and said NO! and swatted his nose a bit.  I think I will give it another chance tonight and if he does it again I will scold him and say NO! then put him in his crate for a bit. Then the next day I will let him out before I leave for the gym (5:45am) THEN put him in his crate until I get home (7am ish). I just dont want him to keep poopin in the house (obviously!). Who knows he may be ringing the bell after I leave but nobody is awake and they might not hear it.

You would think he could hold it. Sigh. Dudes a teenager and still poops in the house. Do you guys agree with my thought on how to proceed?

[Katie]

It's no good scolding him unless you actually see him do it, unfortunately.

I think you may have to go back to crate training until he gets the idea. Also keep the door to that room closed. He has learnt....by default....it's an OK place to toilet at that time in the morning. If he is OK overnight you could put him in the crate whilst you are at the gym and let him out again when you get back or the next person gets up.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I don't agree with swatting him on the nose . A well meant and severe NO is sufficient
I suggest staying out with him in the AM. Or letting him out to pee...come in, get dressed etc. and take him out on a leash again. If you know that is his time of the morning when the urge hits him...then why not cater to that?
When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!

[Laura and Angus]

I would agree with Katie. There's no point in scolding Ollie unless you catch him in the act of pottying. Otherwise he will have no idea why he is getting in trouble. Sounds like Ollie has too much freedom at the moment and is not able to be unchaperoned until you get him pooing outside 100% of the time. I'd say either walk him when you first get up, so you can see that he poos and can give him treats to reinforce outside pottying OR let him out as usual and put him in the crate until you can come back and be with him. Either way, I'd say it would benefit Ollie to be getting treats for pooing outside to reinforce that the expectation is that he poops outside. Take a step back - even if he's 9 months old, sometimes you just have to go back to reinforcing things. 

[Laura and Angus]

If it makes you feel any better, we can never leave Angus alone or he finds something to chew on or tear up -- e.g. socks, the side of my dresser, or my gym bag strap.  * Siiiiiigh * When we leave the house, he's either in the crate or doggie daycare (3 days per week).

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

I am inclined to agree if you don't catch him in the act it is not going to be very effective to punish him after the fact. It probably confuses him instead.

Hurley went through a spell where he pooped by the dining room table.  It was when I was not home and my husband just could not read the signals that H wanted out.  That led to Hurley finally pooping in the same area when I was home and did not even show any prior signals to go outside.  Well, I caught him in the act, scolded him and took him out side to his potty area.   He never did it again in the house.  As for my husband, I gave him very clear signals that he needs to pay better attention to Hurley's needs when I am not home.     Hurley learned faster than my husband.  Oh well.....

[Ollie's Mom]

Thank you all. (the swat was a super baby swat I promise!).

I agree with all of you, either I walk him around in yard at 5:30 to ensure he poos or just let him out for a quick pee then put him in crate until I get home at 7. He's pretty good with freedom (doesn't tend to chew stuff up). He does well at night, just lays on his bed on our floor.. He'll get it I hope! Love this doodle kisses site!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Sorry, but your description of all of this really cracked me up... "dude's a teenager and still poops in the house:   :-)  

One thing to consider- where in the routine do you feed him breakfast? I know for Winnie, breakfast usually stimulates a poo. And, since she doesn't have to pee urgently when she wakes up, I always feed her breakfast before I let her outside. That way she usually does both her duties at the same time.  

It wouldn't solve the problem of him dropping dookies in the house, but it might stop the urge to "go" if you feed him either right away or after you get back from the gym.

[Ollie's Mom]

Hi Lori and Winnie! I don't feed Ollie until after I get back from the gym. So.. honestly it isn't a LOT of poop so I think he's just like "huh, guess I'm home alone... weeee! .. uh oh what if I have to poop.. or jeez people I just rang the bell and nobody's listening!!"

 

Tomorrow am I will let him out then when I leave I think I will close our bedroom door. Watch him poop in the bedroom, that will really make me mad. But I think I should test it.  Do you? 

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

One other thought... you mentioned that you just recently started letting him sleep in your room. Where was he sleeping before that? And, have you always let him have run of the house while you go to the gym? Or, is that a change as well? Sometimes little changes in the "usual routine" can throw a pup off kilter during the adolescent stage. He might be enjoying his freedom, but he also might be a little anxious and doesn't know what to do with himself. 

If he poops in the house again, I would go completely back to doing what your routine was before all this started.  

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

So, I have to ask... any, to use your funny word, "dookies" this morning??

[Ollie's Mom]

Ok so here's what I did: Ollie slept in our room on the floor then my son got up w/ a bad dream at 3am and came into our bed (he's 10) so I didn't sleep after that (he's a thrasher). I think Ollie heard us rolling around too. Anyhow when I got up to hit the gym at 5:30 I tried to get Ollie outside and he was laying there like a lump, asleep so the lightbuld sort of went off "why am I forcing him to go outside at 5:30am only to "break the seal" so to speak... which led to the dookies. So i just left him there and closed the bedroom door and when we went in backyard when i got home (7:20am ish) he peed and pood!  Success!

[Ollie's Mom]

OMG this is NOT possible. i just went up in guestroom and there is a dookie by the window! I honestly cannot figure out when he did this. I really can't.  I am stumped. Now what? sigh.. watch him like a hawk and go back to crate at night I guess