# PLEASE HELP... I'm about to get rid of my dog... I'm fed up.



## Ler0y Jenkins (Apr 24, 2008)

My dog is about 3.5 years old... We moved three months ago to a new house. We also had our first son about 17 months ago. Ever since we moved into the new house, my dog has not stopped pooping inside our house. When we first moved in, I assumed it was just that he was confused, it was hectic and accidents were bound to happen. He then had a bout of diarraha and continued pooping inside. I assumed it was because of his diarraha. I took him to the vet, got the bathroom issues sorted out, had him on chicken and rice for while but finally got him back on his food. 

He's been back on his food with solid poops for about two months now, but he hasn't stopped pooping in the house. Every time we leave, even if just for a half an hour, he poops. I take him out and he sometimes poops outside, but sometimes he doesn't and then poops in the house ten or fifteen minutes later. 

Every night he poops downstairs while we we're sleeping. If I'm in the garage for a half an hour and he's by himself, he poops. Basically, it's like having a puppy all over again to the point where I have to have my eye on him every single minute or he'll poop in the house. 

After three months, I am completely fed up with him and I don't know how much longer I can continue this. I believe that he knows what he's doing it and doing it for behavioral reasons, but I can't deal with it right now. 

My 17 month old son has been having frequent staph infections on his skin that my wife (and to some extent, I) believe may be due to his crawling and walking around in areas where the dog has pooped. We clean it up as good as we can but the dog eats the poop frequently so we don't always know exactly where he went. 

I really don't know what to do. My wife is at her breaking point and the frequent staph infections (that have perfectly coincided with the dog's frequent pooping in the house) is particularly troubling. 

The dog used to be crate-trained, but we stopped that when my wife stopped working and was home full time. My plan is start using the crate again but at one point, my dog freaked out and destroyed the plastic tray in the bottom of the crate. I ordered a new one, which just arrived today, but if this doesn't work, I really don't know what I'm going to do.


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## Britt & Bello (Apr 14, 2011)

I think going back to crate training is the right thing to do. Crate him whenever you can't be actively watching him (but be sure to give him enough exercise). 

Also what happens if he poops in the house? Is he punished? What about when he successfully poops out side? Is he rewarded with a favorite treat? If you are punishing I would stop. If you aren't rewarding him for going outside I would start. That includes your wife. She rewards him EVERYtime he goes to the bathroom outside. 

I hope you don't have to get rid of him and I can understand how you are getting fed up with him pooping in the house and concerned about the health of your son. But, I do not believe getting rid of him is the answer. I'm happy you came looking for some help instead. And hope something helps.


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## NikoBellic (Sep 29, 2011)

While my dog is taking a dump outside i repeat "bathroom, bathroom" quietly and then "good bathroom!" afterwards and give him a treat. That way he learns the name of the process and that it is a task he is rewarded for. 

If I were you I would have a different name for pooping inside so he better differentiates between the two.

Maybe you can confine him to one part of the house until he gets better at it to minimize the mess and potential health effects.

It's really frustrating when training backtracks like that, and since it's been three months it seems your approach isn't working, but that doesn't mean a new approach won't. Don't give up!


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## Dezzoi (Sep 19, 2011)

Oh man, that must be tough!

I would suggest a strict schedule - Put him outside every hour or whenever he starts even looking like he's looking for a place to go (when you are there and keep a close eye on him constantly) and when you aren't put him in a crate. Also, you said that he eats his crap? I dealt with a dog once that did that. My vet gave me a white powder to put on her food called "Forbid" and it stopped her straight away! Also, feeding your dog pineapple might make him stop eating his own crap. 

But, definitely try the crate training and following the strict schedule. Keep him in your sight always, or if you have to do something like house chores and you know you're going to have to turn your back on him, put him in his crate. 
Good luck - I can understand how frustrating that must be.


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

I just wanted to pipe in here...it seems like you are getting good advice. Its hard and it seems like you have had a lot of change in a shore amount of time. Try to think ahead in a couple years....do you want this dog to still be in your family, growing up with your son? Yes? Then keep looking ahead and dont give up on him now.

My son had a recurring staph infection for several years. It would come and go, despite treatment and medical care. We found out that he needed BOTH an oral antibiiotic AND a cream for the skin. and Im just saying that so you know, dont automatically think the dog is causing this problem....staph can be VERY hard to get rid of, and may require several different kinds of treatment. It would be such a sad thing to get rid of the dog and find the staph infections had nothing to do with him.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

It's very common for dogs to have setbacks in potty training when you move, and when you have a baby, and with any change in routine. 
Also, if your new house's previous owner had a dog there may have been old stains that weren't properly cleaned. Dogs' noses are thousands of times stronger than ours, so even if the carpet SEEMS clean your dog may be able to sense old stains. A good carpet shampoo with an enzymatic cleaner would be a good place to start. Plus, a black light will help you see where old stains were, even where he might have eaten the poop.

And, yes, back to a review of potty training is a great idea. Plus, keep in mind, your dog can sense your frustration. More supervision and less freedom is always a good idea until you get a handle on this.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Staph doesn't have anything to do with poop, btw.


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

Your child needs to be examined by a doctor or specialist, preferably one other than the doctor you've been taking the child to now if they are telling you that dog poop is causing Staph. Staph is not transmitted by fecal matter. It has and more to do with the potential for your child having a disorder of some variety causing the recurring problem, which may include but it not limited to skin disorders, immuno-deficiency disorders, or even cancer.

Around 30% of healthy adults carry the Staph bacteria on their skin. The reasons this turns into a Staph *infection *is very often because of some kind of disease or injury. Children are also naturally extra susceptible for multiple reasons.

A Staph infection can be transmitted from personal items like bandages or wash cloths that are used multiple times, or anything else that might touch the infection but not be sterilized later. This re-infection may be coming from just about anywhere that has had direct contact with the infected skin but not later been cleaned.

You need to concentrate less on the dog and more on a variety of other factors as recommended by an appropriate doctor.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Ok first of all the Staph infections have NOTHING to do with the dog or dog poo as others have said. Get your kid to a doctor and get the infections treated and find ther real cause! 

The pooping in the house is, quite simply a training issue. You MUST go back and start training and EVERYONE must be CONSISTANT at all times. Do not llow the dog out oif your site, tether him to you if needed so you see what he's doing and JACKPOT reward him for pottying in the CORRECT places. That means you (or your wife) must be with him to reward the INSTANT he finishes. Use a crate when you can't watch him so he has NO CHANCE to have any further accidents.

Oh and nice WoW referance on the screen name...


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

How often do you take him outside to use the bathroom? How long do you walk him outside on his bathroom walks? It sounds like he's developed a habit and you're going to need to start back at the basics just like if you were potty training a new puppy. I recommend taking him out on a walk every 2 hours, and stay out for at least 10 minutes each walk. When he poops and pees outside, praise him generously and give him a treat. When you can't supervise him directly inside, keep him in his crate. Anytime that he's not in his crate he needs to be watched closely. Also clean all of your carpets thoroughly with a cleaner designed for pet messes so that he can't smell his previous accidents and continues to go in the same spot.

Also, keep in mind that pooping can be caused by anxiety. My dog has separation anxiety, and he often poops when left alone. I've timed him and it takes him about 60 seconds of being alone before he starts pooping. Also moving to a new house can trigger separation anxiety, and the fact that he ripped up his tray in his crate is another clue that points to anxiety. Does he have any other anxious behaviors, such as drooling excessively, whining, barking, pacing, inappropriate chewing, etc. when alone? If he is anxious, then you need to visit the vet and have him checked out, and ask your vet for some advice regarding his anxiety. He may need to be prescribed anti-anxiety meds, and will definitely need lots of patience and training/behavioral modification. If you find that he can't handle being crated, try gating off a room like the kitchen for him to stay in or setting him up and x-pen. Good luck!


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## Papa Deuce (Mar 26, 2007)

Leroy Jenkins....


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

Sendiulino said:


> Your child needs to be examined by a doctor or specialist, preferably one other than the doctor you've been taking the child to now if they are telling you that dog poop is causing Staph. Staph is not transmitted by fecal matter. It has and more to do with the potential for your child having a disorder of some variety causing the recurring problem, which may include but it not limited to skin disorders, immuno-deficiency disorders, or even cancer.
> 
> Around 30% of healthy adults carry the Staph bacteria on their skin. The reasons this turns into a Staph *infection *is very often because of some kind of disease or injury. Children are also naturally extra susceptible for multiple reasons.
> 
> ...


Yes. My son who has had recurrent staph has a primary immunodeficiency. I dont know what "regular" kids are like, or if they sometimes get staph like that as well, so I didnt mention it but if he has recurrent infections of any kind, including staph, it may be worth it to have an IGG panel run on him.....and ask for a referral to an infectious disease dr or immunologist.


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## Ler0y Jenkins (Apr 24, 2008)

First off, thanks for all the responses. The good news is he did fine in the crate last night so hopefully he'll get re-acclimated to it again. The only time he used to freak out was when we took him somewhere new or tried to move the crate do a different location. Hopefully, once he gets used to the crate in the new spot in the new house, he'll do good like he used to do. 

Regarding the staph infection, we will be going to a specialist, but just to clarify, the doctor never told us that it was being caused by the dog pooping in the house. In fact, we asked and he specifically said he didn't think that would be contributing factor. That was more my or my wife's idea based only upon the coincidence of the infections and the dog's recent pooping activities. I'm not sure it's completely unfounded, based upon some stuff I've read online from what I consider to be pretty reliable sources. 

In any event, the crate should alleviate the possibility to the extent the dog will no longer be pooping everywhere. For now, I'll continue offering positive reinforcement when he goes outside. I will post in a few days to let everyone know how we're making out. 

Thanks again. 

Kevin


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Make sure that you walk the dog briskly twice a day for about 45 min each time. Exercise will reduce anxiety.

Also, feed on a schedule and do not free feed, so you can get the dog to poop at certain times consistantly.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Ler0y Jenkins said:


> I'm not sure it's completely unfounded, based upon some stuff I've read online from what I consider to be pretty reliable sources.


I'd actually be really curious to read them, if you wouldn't mind posting a link.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

Papa Deuce said:


> Leroy Jenkins....


Exactly what I was thinking, too.


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## Ler0y Jenkins (Apr 24, 2008)

I wish I had good news to report but no matter what I've done, I cannot seem to keep him from going in the house. Since we started crate training him again he's pooped in his crate twice. He's also pooped in the house probably a half of a dozen times since my last post. I really don't know what to do. I have tried everything I can think of and he will not stop pooping in my house. 

Just today, I gave him breakfast and took him out immediately afterwards. He didn't go. I took him upstairs and put him in his crate while I showered and got ready. Before I left, I took him back out and he didn't go. I brought him inside and put him back in his crate. My wife got up about 30 minutes later, brought him downstairs and took him out and he didn't go. Then she went to the store for an hour, got home and he pooped in his crate. 

I really don't know what to do. I'm going to bring him to the vet to see if there anything they can suggest, but I'm running out of options here. It is as if he just refuses to hold it and the moment he feels the urge, he poops. I was hoping the crate would be the solution but it looks like he's just going to go in the crate now. I'm at a loss. 

Kevin


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

Ler0y Jenkins said:


> I wish I had good news to report but no matter what I've done, I cannot seem to keep him from going in the house. Since we started crate training him again he's pooped in his crate twice. He's also pooped in the house probably a half of a dozen times since my last post. I really don't know what to do. I have tried everything I can think of and he will not stop pooping in my house.
> 
> Just today, I gave him breakfast and took him out immediately afterwards. He didn't go. I took him upstairs and put him in his crate while I showered and got ready. Before I left, I took him back out and he didn't go. I brought him inside and put him back in his crate. My wife got up about 30 minutes later, brought him downstairs and took him out and he didn't go. Then she went to the store for an hour, got home and he pooped in his crate.
> 
> ...


- How big is his crate? If it is too big he will designate part of it as his "potty area" and part of it as his sleep area. It should be just big enough for him to stand up and turn around. You may need to partition part of it off or get a smaller crate. 
- Put his food bowl in the crate. Dogs do not like going near their food.
- Put a chew/frozen kong in the crate. Again along the same line of thought of dogs not wanting to go near their food.
- Plain Yogurt. It helps soothe the stomach and promote natural intestinal flora. 
- Use Bleach/Enzymatic cleaner (don't mix them) to clean his crate and then leave it out in the sun for an afternoon. This should get rid of any remaining smell of his poop. If a dog smells that a place has been used as a bathroom before he will think it is okay to do it again

On the infections - fyi - staph is natural flora on the skin of humans so not to easy to get rid of.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Kevin, it takes patience and consistency, I'm glad to hear you're not giving up though. I know how hard it can be, when I got my Angel I very nearly returned her to the breeder due to a similar issue. When I got her she was six months old and had been kept in a kennel run and never allowed inside. Getting her housebroken was an incredible challenge due to the fact she was used to using her kennel and dirtying her bed. I basically had to keep her tethered to me for two months so I could catch her getting ready to have an accident in the house. We finally get her reliable and now at three and a half she is at 99% (there's no such thing as 100% with animals). I think she's had two accidents in the house in a year and those were on the linolium floor in the dining room and easily cleaned.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Do you exercise this dog at all? Spotted Nikes suggested a brisk walk to help relieve any anxiety and to put the dog on a feeding schedule. Making the dog walk will also help him to go to the bathroom. 

Also, something to think about: The dog might be missing the attention and bonding that he used to have with you and your wife. You have a 17 month old child now that I'm sure takes up a lot of the time and prior to that the dog had your undivided love and attention for the previous two and a half + years (assuming you had him for the entire 3.5 years). Cry for attention? (He doesn't get it much anymore and you went through all of the big changes of moving plus the addition of the baby [think of how stressful it was for you well its just as stressful for him!] - when he poops in the house he knows he gets attention)


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

I know that a lot of ppl don't agree with this but I feed mine only once a day in the evening, Izze gets 2 cups & Jo gets 1 1/2 (she won't eat 2 ) I have found, as my day starts at 5am with race horses, so it doesn't leave much time for potty time in the am lol let alone feeding, I don't know what kind of dog you have, but if it's a bloat prone breed (sight hounds, large breeds & most deep chested dogs).

He is not doing this out of spite, a move & a new baby is a lot for a dog, an animal who thrives on routine & predictability & it is YOUR job to rebuild a new one, Please don't give up on him he's not doing this to peeve you off.


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## wil.wish (Sep 6, 2011)

How are you dealing with the poop issues now? If you are reprimanding your dog, this is going to complicate getting him to go outside. There are many posts about potty-training here, but in short punishing your dog for going in the house is only going to make him afraid to eliminate anywhere around you, if he even makes the connection at all. He might not, because a dog only has linear memory for about 5 seconds, so if you find poop in the house and start freaking out, he has no idea what you're upset about. BTW, I'm not assuming your yelling or spanking your dog; I'm including this just in case.

Probably the stress from the move, your baby, and the problems with your dog have you at your wit's end, but take a few deep breaths and calm down. These dog issues can be solved. Moving creates a very stressful situation for a dog, as does changes to their schedule when a baby arrives. The high anxiety level you and your wife are currently at will make it difficult to help your dog adjust. I would suggest a trip down to the local pet supply store and picking up a metal crate. My dogs would gnaw through a plastic one if they felt like it. I've worked with them in the crates so that now they love their personal spaces, but I don't like to take chances. 

I'd also suggest taking your dog to an obedience class. Spending time working with him in obedience, particularly in a place away from the location of your ire, might well do you both a lot of good.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

You say you've tried everything, but I'm not clear on what everything is. What, exactly, have you tried, other than putting the dog in the crate? What does your daily routine with the dog look like? For how long have you been sticking to this current routine?


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## Ler0y Jenkins (Apr 24, 2008)

More bad news... he pooped again today in the kitchen. I've lost count of how many times he's gone since my last post but he's essentially gone almost every day or at least everyother day since my last post. I really don't know what to do. I have gotten advise from so many people and I've tried everything that's been suggested. I walk him every night, I play with him in the yard at least a few times a week, our new house has a huge fenced-in yard that I let him out and play in, I feed him the expensive dog foood, I give him medicine to deal with his upset stomach, I take him out all the time, I reward him when I goes outside, I crate him when I'm not home or when we're sleeping, my wife is home with him all day so he's not alone, I've tried taking him out on the leash, I've tried letting him go out on his own, we clean up the areas with chlorox wipes and/or Nature's Miricle so the smell doesn't cause him to go again in that spot, I could go on and on and on. 

I really don't understand why he's doing it. I don't think it is a spite issue becuase I'm paying way more attention to him now than I have in the past year and the problem has only gotten worse. It is as if he has no ablility to hold his poop and the moment he has to go, he goes where ever he is except his poops are rock solid and he has no signs of anything being wrong. 

I did call the vet after my last post and told me to give him the medicine we give him when his stomach's upset, which I've been doing for three days now. Apparently that's not working either. 

I really don't know what else to do. It's getting really old. It's been two and a half months now and he's showing absotely zero improvement. I realize that moving is stressful and I expected some issues but I think this is getting ridiculous. I don't know how much longer my wife or I can hold on. It's not easy being confronted with the poop of a 70 lb dog every day and having your house smell like sh*t.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

If you have a big yard, can you make a nice outdoor kennel area for him (as a place to stay when nobody can watch him)? At least if he pooped out there it won't make your house smell.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I agree with Willowy......maybe he will put two and two together and figure out that when he goes potty outside he gets rewarded by being allowed inside.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

You say you've tried everything, but have you tried tethering the dog to you as suggested? It's a pain but it really can be effective. If I was having this problem I would not give the dog ANY chances to go in the house - ever. He would be tethered to someone all the time except when crated at night for sleeping or running around the yard. Impractical? Yes, but you'd be surprised how much you can get done with a dog tethered to you. I've done laundry, cooked, worked, vacuumed, dusted, etc. If you're concerned about safety you can get a break-away collar that will release the dog in case of a leash tangle.

We had a rule in our house when we were house training - eyes on dog, 100%, no excuses. We literally took turns being tethered to the dog. "You have the con" was our clear way of saying, "I am no longer watching the dog and she is your responsibility until you turn her back over to me." (We are easily amused.  ) This was the only way to prevent accidents and excuses ("I just turned my back for a second?!?" -- that's exactly when accidents happen.)

By now your dog probably knows you get angry when he goes in the house, which is why he does it when you're not around. If he's tethered to someone all the time, that should stop the behavior, making your frequent trips outside more productive. When he eventually does go outside in front of you, lavishly reward - think steak. And nothing more than a very mild interruption if you actually catch him starting to go in front of you in the house ("Oops!" leash, walk outside to go, praise & treat - throw a party, actually). 

Make sure he's on a tight feeding and exercise schedule. For the first week or two, make a note of when he goes. We kept a written chart, not relying on memory - made it easier to see patterns after a week. Our schedule was pretty simple. Wake up. Potty. Long walk. Potty. Rest 30 minutes. Feed. Potty. Tether, potty chance every hour or two when dog wasn't sleeping or crated. Long walk before dinner. Potty. Rest 30 minutes. Potty. Feed. Play time & potty with an extra 30 minute walk and potty before bed. Crate. 

Our dog got a lot more exercise than this, but we kept to this bare schedule at a minimum every day to make her elimination more predictable. And we've followed a similar routine with the two house moves and many vacation homes we've rented since then (using baby gates + supervision vs the tethering now that she's housebroken). Dogs don't generalize well and don't always realize they can't go to the bathroom in any indoor space, so it's good to give them a refresher in each new environment so that bad habits don't become ingrained.

Eventually he'll learn that going outside is highly rewarding. But you're not going to stop him going inside unless you give him zero chance to fail first and set him up to succeed outside.

P.S. Dogs don't do anything out of "spite." They do things we don't like because of improper training and because they haven't been shown what we do like.

P.S.S. Just remembered that when we moved to the house we're in 3 years ago, our dog refused to go poo in the potty area we had set up. She would only go on walks. We don't know why. We tried putting up a privacy fence around the area, thinking that she didn't like going out in the open. Didn't work. We tried giving her more time, lots of treats, etc. Took her a long time to get used to it, but she will go there if she has to. She still does about 98% of her poops on her daily walks - her elimination schedule is very predictable so that works out. Maybe your dog doesn't like his potty area? Something is making him uncomfortable about going there? Just a thought. Might want to find a spot he does like and go with that.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Just like kids may wet the bed or regress in potty training after big changes or stressful events, dogs can regress to the point where they essentially lose their house training. Plus, you are clearly frustrated - which is not unwarranted (I wouldn't want poop in my house every day either) but does add another layer of stress and anxiety for your dog surrounding pooping, which makes it harder for him to learn/re-learn.

I agree 100% with tethering this dog, I think it's a fabulous suggestion. Basically he needs to be re-house trained when it comes to poop. Part of house training is preventing accidents, and part of house training is rewarding success. The tether will help mostly with the former so that you can do more of the latter. Good luck.


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## eashbravo (Nov 22, 2011)

What was the outcome of this? Having somewhat similar issues with our dog....


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