Why won't my dog pee or poop outside anymore? What can I do?

Hello there! Thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Perhaps there is something that has recently frightened her out in the yard or garden. There is also the possibility she is having pain while urinating and/or defecating and therefore may be associating the area she goes wee and poo with the pain she may be experiencing. I think the best thing to do in this situation is encourage to go out (perhaps join or accompany her) or take her for a walkie to see if she goes then. If not and you are still concerned, especially if she hasn't passed urine or stool soon, then I would recommend you see your veterinarian for an exam. A urinary tract infection can cause pain during urination and constipation can cause pain during defecation. I would want to be sure there is nothing more serious going on if this behavior continues. Best of luck to you and Cindy!

You may need to spend more time with him outside. Wait him out, and when he does go poop outside, give him lots of praise and give him a treat. You may also want to consider crate training him. Get him a crate that is big enough for him to stand up and turn around in. Make it comfortable, in a nice quiet place, with his blankets and toys. If he's stubborn and won't go outside, put him in his crate and close it. If he cries, give him a few minutes to settle down, but if he persists, he may be letting you know he needs to go potty. By giving him just enough room, but not too much, your giving him a 'den' so to speak. Dogs are very reluctant to soil the place where they sleep, so by confining him, you're presenting him with a choice; ask to go out and get the job done, or possible make a mess and have to be stuck with it for a little while. When he has gone potty, put him in his crate but don't shut it. The presence of his blankets and a toy will reinforce to him that the crate is a nice place that is all his own.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Soska. This is a common issue for dogs who have been punished for having housetraining accidents - they become afraid to pee or poop in front of the owner, which then makes it extremely difficult to teach them where to go. I would recommend going back to basics with Soska and starting over with her housetraining as if she were a puppy. This means taking her out frequently for potty breaks, and rewarding with praise and a treat as soon as she poops outside. Inside, she needs to be supervised at all times to prevent any opportunity for accidents. You may need to be very patient at first, since if she is afraid to "go" in front of you, it will take her a long time to trust you again. See our article on housetraining for more information on how to teach her where to potty: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining

As far as the change in urination, I would certainly have your vet evaluate a urine sample to evaluate for a UTI. It will make housetraining much more difficult (or impossible) if there is something medical going on. So, that could certainly be a reason for the backsliding with his training. You may also check a fecal sample. One of my dogs started pooping in the house at 6 months of age, and we found an intestinal parasite was to blame. If there isn't anything medical going on, then it's time to work on housetaining. It is common that we see a little backslide in housetraining around 6 months of age because as owners we think they are doing well, so we get a little more slack in our training. I recommend going back to square one. Keep Max in a kennel or on a leash in the house so he is under very direct supervision. Take him outside immediately after eating or playing. Go outside with him and reward him for going outside. The longer Max goes in the house, the harder it will be to housetrain him, so put in the time and effort now. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There is no one reason on why dogs will all of a sudden start pooping in the house. I would recommend going back to crate training Cali. I would keep Cali in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on her. When she comes out of the crate I would then walk her. If she goes then I would play with her and once you have to turn your back she goes back in the crate. If she does not go to the bathroom when you take her out of the crate I would put her back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch Cali going to the bathroom tell her no and take her and put her where you want her to go and praise her for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to Cali. A crate should be big enough for her to stand up, sit down and turn around. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I would try this route. I would also recommend getting a stool sample performed at your veterinarian's office. This will rule out intestinal parasites. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Definitely moving to an apartment can change a pets training behavior. I recommend kennel training Siao-lyn. You can find many great resources online and dog training books. Kennel training her is likely going to be the best way to housebreak her. Sometimes dogs do need a refreshing course in housebreaking when their home environment changes. An adult dog should be able to hold their urine and stool for 8 to 12 hours. Treat her just like she is a little puppy all over again. The only word of caution I will say, is if you are noticing that she is urinating in the house you should take her to the veterinarian to have her urine checked for infection. Sometimes bladder infections will cause dogs to urinate in the house. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Joey! See the following links for more information on training: House training: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx? pid=19239&catId=102897&id=4952071&ind=395&objTypeID=1007 Submissive urination http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/submissive_urination.html If the house training issues continue or worsen, please have Joey seen by a veterinarian to help rule out a medical cause for this behaviour, as sometimes urinating/defecating in the house could be due to a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, constipation, infection, endocrine disease, digestive issues or trauma to the area. This can be a frustrating issue, and can take some time to fix, but if you keep at it hopefully things will improve soon. Positive reinforcement with lots of treats and praise when he urinates/ defecates outside and taking him out more frequently so you catch him before he goes in the house are a good start.