# Help! 2 and a half year old dog pooping in the house



## mdtisl (Jul 11, 2012)

My rat terrier/yorkie mix did really well when we trained him to go to the bathroom outside. He caught on fast and got on a routine pretty quickly. He is now over 2 years old and has decided to completely forget that he can hold it and is pooping in the house. We take him out every morning before work and every afternoon when we come home for lunch. He is never alone for more than 5 hours at a time but just wont hold it. He even started getting up in the middle of the night to go, even after we had taken him out right before bed. When we go outside its like he doesnt know why we are there, or doesnt realize he has to go. When he was a puppy we used a kennel to train him, and now we have had to resort to putting him back in the kennel over night and whenever we are gone. I do not want to do this anymore. Can anyone give me any advise?? 

Thanks,
mdtisl


----------



## Rayneiac (Jun 18, 2012)

You've only mentioned the poop...does that mean the rest of potty training is doing just fine? Have you had a big food switch recently? Or perhaps he is ill? Without knowing how long this has been going on and what if anything has changed for him lately (food, routine, medications...etc) it's a lot harder to advise. 

If he is on medication for something or there has been a food switch...his tummy may be adjusting. If you have been feeding a food with recall issues, that could be effecting him. He may have a tummy virus of some sort, or ate something (like the dead from my older lab ate a year ago that tore her system up for weeks...) A vet check may be in order. 

But, you may just need to return to potty training square one. It happens. Dogs have teenage years to...and just like some human teens don't hit that 'phase' until later than others...dogs are individuals too.


----------



## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Was he crated in the past (at night and/or when you're at work) and is allowed freedom now? Food change? Have you had him to the vets for a thorough check up?


----------



## mdtisl (Jul 11, 2012)

He had his annual check up about 2 months ago, everything is fine. We have not changed food or routine in the past 6 or 8 months. He pees outside just fine, its just the poop we are having issues with. When he was a puppy we crated him to train through about 8 months, then he was out all the time until these last couple of weeks when we saw that the pooping issue was not going away.


----------



## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

The two months since his last check up is long enough for him to have picked up an infection or illness that wasn't detectable two months ago. Any time there are changes, it's always a good idea to get another check up.

Has there been a change in your routine? Your work schedule?


----------



## mdtisl (Jul 11, 2012)

No change in routine or schedule. I will call my vet for an appointment since it has been going on for a couple weeks now. 

Thank you everyone who replied!!


----------



## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

My Sophe is like that.I aways thought she just didn't want her tushyi in the snow. WHen I got her it was the dead of winter with temps -40 so i couldnt really take her out she wassooo tiny. so I trained her with weewee pads. She does ONLY poo on her pads and pee outsde . I felt like a failure when i gave in to her but everything came out in the end ( pun intended)


----------

