Pooping in the house.

Dr. Marie replied:

This sounds like a frustrating problem!

I have a few thoughts that hopefully will help.

First of all, are the stools normal? If it seems like the stools are loose, soft or if there is any blood then it may be that there is a medical issue such as intestinal parasites or something else that is irritating the intestines. If you think this could be the case then a vet visit is a good idea.

Even if the stool is normal it's a good idea to take a sample in to your vet to have it checked for parasites.

If it does seem to be a behavioural issue then what I find works best is to do crate training for a period of 1-2 weeks. To do this, what you would do is keep her in a crate throughout the night. It may seem mean, but remember it is only for a short period.

Dogs will very rarely mess in their crate. (If she does she needs a smaller crate.) So, crating her will retrain her that the only appropriate time to defecate is outside. Most dogs figure it out within about a week.

Another thought that helps some people is to remember to never punish her for defecating in the house. What often happens is that the pup doesn't know that she is being punished for defecating in the house, but simply for defecating. So then, when she is outside with you she won't defecate because she is afraid of the punishment she may receive. So, if you do see that she has pooped in the house, as hard as it is, ignore it. And, when she does poop in an appropriate place make sure you give her lots of praise!

Hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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