# Pooping in pet stores



## Happyxix (Aug 18, 2013)

My 6 month old dog poops in pet stores without fail. Doesn't matter if he just went an hour ago. EVERY SINGLE TIME. 

In the store he doesn't sniff or even poop squat anymore and will just go poop like a horse standing up. It is very hard to predict when he will go.

I am thinking its due to his excitement but he does not do this when outside and surrounded by people and dogs like at a dog friendly shopping center.

He is more or less housebroken.

Google was more or less useless on this matter so I want to get your opinions.

Thank you


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## Nuclear_Glitter (Jun 20, 2012)

I'm really not sure on how to solve this issue, because my dog pees at the vets, everytime. He's house housebroken, but always pees at the vets. So I can relate. 

The best thing to do is just have clean up supplies with you. Definitely make sure he has the chance to go before you go into the petstore, too. If you're able, take him inside maybe a couple minutes, then come outside so he has the chance to poop after being stimulated by the store. Then go back inside if he goes. 

I guess, if you're really worried about it, just don't take him to petstores anymore.


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## RabbleFox (Jan 23, 2013)

As someone who worked at a Pet Store, this is completely normal. Do you know what the pet store smells like to dogs? It's scent says, "PEE OR POOP HERE!!!" It doesn't matter how well we clean with Natures Miracle. It will always smell like a huge doggy bathroom thanks to all the dogs going inside the store. 

It shouldn't be that big a deal. When I worked there, it was unusual not to have something to clean up. We had plenty of cleaning supplies for owners to use but more often than not, I had to clean it up.


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## Antje (Sep 1, 2013)

:redface:I am glad to hear that not only my york does this thing....and yes we are one minute inside and there he goes :redface:


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Antje said:


> :redface:I am glad to hear that not only my york does this thing....and yes we are one minute inside and there he goes :redface:


Manna use to do the same thing, I asked the staff nicely if we could come daily so I could train her out of it. And every time she was good I bought her a cookie at the counter lol. I trained her by going in and out every minute or so, praising her when she went outside. It took a month longer than house training but she's good now.

My thought process was, I don't want to be cleaning xl accidents at the pet store and I'm sure the staff doesn't either.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

@Flaming - I like that idea! 

Decades ago, when Pet Stores made it OK to bring your pets, I was more anxious that overjoyed, but couldn't figure out why. When I took my carefully housetrained puppy into the store, he pooped ! [Yes, that's normal.] And, 12 years later, he still may pee, if he smells the right trigger... I can stop him, if I catch him ... but a curiosity sniff looks like a pee sniff  He has no mistakes elsewhere, but I feel that I can't relax and trust him in other folk's garages or houses .... b/c I know that I can't trust him in PetsMart, etc. I like to bring him into various stores, but I'm wary that once a dog has had an accident, the smell may trigger other dogs: pee here...


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

hanksimon said:


> @Flaming - I like that idea!
> 
> Decades ago, when Pet Stores made it OK to bring your pets, I was more anxious that overjoyed, but couldn't figure out why. When I took my carefully housetrained puppy into the store, he pooped ! [Yes, that's normal.] And, 12 years later, he still may pee, if he smells the right trigger... I can stop him, if I catch him ... but a curiosity sniff looks like a pee sniff  He has no mistakes elsewhere, but I feel that I can't relax and trust him in other folk's garages or houses .... b/c I know that I can't trust him in PetsMart, etc. I like to bring him into various stores, but I'm wary that once a dog has had an accident, the smell may trigger other dogs: pee here...



I found that after training Manna in the pet store that she just generalized it to all buildings. Vet's, training spaces, other homes. So it's a nice thing to do.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Could part of this also be 'lightening the load"? Most of the time my dogs take a dump at the start of a walk or hike.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

It might be nerves as well,, Major never pooped in a pet store,, but he always not matter what get a 1/2 block from the house in the truck and poop in the truck.. for him it was nerves... that whole bit about getting scared and ($hip my pants) is what I kept thinking of the incident for all the opportunity of him to go potty before we got into the truck.. Carried a bucket of cleaning supplies and he grew out of it not making a big deal over it..


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

I have to laugh at this. from the prospective of the vet receptionist. People come in and everyone has such different reactions to their dogs going in the office.

50% of people are very embarrassed and apologize a hundred times while I assure them its ok. and then have to tell them its ok ILL CLEAN IT UP. most people insist on cleaning it up but Obviously at a vets office we expect this sort of thing and have easy ways to clean up and its really no big deal!

40%of people don't say anything. which annoys me because I cant see around my desk on all sides without walking around the entire waiting room. So If someone doesn't say something I don't always know there is a accident till someone tells me or I do a walk through.

10% of people are rude about it. They don't apologize or anything. This one lady comes in with 4 dogs and they all piss and poop all over the lobby not on leashes and she laughs about it and sits there while I clean it up. >.< Drives me nuts. This is why most vets charge office calls for everything!


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Group Hug for Fade lol


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

i have one dog who poops after almost every car ride without exception (i can think of only one instance where she didn't) and one who pees in the pet store without fail if I forget to potty her first.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

My westie/bichon mix WILL pee in a store (pet store, Tractor Supply - she's not picky) without fail. I either have to carry her (thankfully, she only weighs 13 pounds), or not take her. I'm one of those people who die of embarrassment when it happens.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Lol! Cookie peed all over the vets office last week when one of the assistants came over to love on her. I was a bit embarrassed ... but she cleaned it up. After our vet visit ... the same person came over to love on Cookie some more .. and I said ... "She is going to pee on your floor again!" ... the girl just laughed and brought a paper towel with her. 

I could never take Eddee into a pet store .... I would owe for tons of "marked" merchandise ....... Lol!


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Our pet stores seem to expect accidents, so it's probably not uncommon at all. 
I like Flamings idea about training and I think it's likely your best bet other than bringing things to clean up after your dog or avoiding taking him to pet stores all together. 

When Toby was younger he pee'd and pooped in the pet stores too. It was SO embarrassing but we were lucky that our pet stores expect it, so we just walked down the aisle a bit to get the spray bottle, baggie and a wipe to clean it up. Then right after we took him straight outside to a grass patch which also has a handy clean up station stocked with dog bags and a garbage can and waited about 5 minutes to see if he'd pee/poop before heading back into the store. 
He seems to have realised that we're not really supposed to pee in the store, lol. But it took some trial and error.


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