# Dog won't poop outside anymore



## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

My dog refuses to poop outside since we moved house. He will only poop inside our house and I have spent the last two months cleaning his poops and wees out of our rented furnishings. I've tried re-training him as he was fully toilet trained before we moved house but so far it's futile. I feel I'm at a dead end and I can't even be happy around him anymore.


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2019)

How frustrating for you. Is he just pooping inside or weeing too? Will he poop on a walk?

Definitely get a vet check in case there's a medical reason for him losing control of his bodily functions. However, if it coincides with your move and nothing else has changed then it's probably anxiety - is he an anxious dog anyway?

Don't tell him off for it as that will make him even more anxious. And, like you're doing, be consistent with re-toilet training. I always find it useful to make food dependent on toileting. You want breakfast? Sure but you have to go and wee first.

Is there any pattern to his toileting in the house? Does he do it when you're home or when you're out? Day or night?


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

He's doing both, and most the time he will poop on a walk yes. 

He's been to see the vet any there's nothing they can detect. They've asked I go back in a month or so if their is no improvement, or straight away if their is any deterioration. 

Don't worry, I don't use negative renforcement as a training method as I read a research paper on how it can bring out aggressive traits in dogs. I'll definitely try making the link between food and toilet time, he's very food motivated! He's never really been an anxious dog, apart from separation anxiety as a pup - but I don't feel it can be that as he doesn't do it when he gets left in the house for a while, it's only at night. He literally holds it, I know he needs to poop but he wont do it outside. 

He toilets in the same spot every time, I scrub and clean with pet-safe biological cleaners and even new people can't smell it in my house, but I presume he still can. He doesn't do it when I'm out, generally it's only in the evening. He waits for me to fall asleep and then ten minutes later he goes and toilets.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Liz-Quill-Niffler said:


> He waits for me to fall asleep and then ten minutes later he goes and toilets.


Maybe two things then - can you take him for a proper walk and try and encouraging him to poo on that? The other idea is to maybe have him in your room (not forever) and try to stay awake so you hear him - when he moves, scoot him outside for hopefully a poo, and praise and reward really heavily. If you can successfully do that for a few nights it might help. It's also possibly he is a little anxious in the new house so being with you might in itself be reassuring enough to prevent this.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

JoanneF said:


> Maybe two things then - can you take him for a proper walk and try and encouraging him to poo on that? The other idea is to maybe have him in your room (not forever) and try to stay awake so you hear him - when he moves, scoot him outside for hopefully a poo, and praise and reward really heavily. If you can successfully do that for a few nights it might help. It's also possibly he is a little anxious in the new house so being with you might in itself be reassuring enough to prevent this.


I take him for an hour in the morning and about 1.5-2 hours late in the evening,but I can't walk him any later than I already do. I will try to catch him just before and usher him outside though, this might prove to be a little difficult, as when I'm awake he just sits/ sleeps/ demands fuss next to me whether thats for 5 minutes or 2 hours. He literally just waits for me to nod off and then goes.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Do you have secure outside space at your new home?


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

Burrowzig said:


> Do you have secure outside space at your new home?


I do, and he's spent pleanty of time out there


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

One of my dogs wouldn't poo in the garden at our house, and would only pee in there reluctantly. It was surrounded by farm fields owned by my neighbour/landlord/friend so I could just let her go there instead. When we moved house, she was happy to toilet in the new garden until we'd been there a few months, then she started being reluctant again, but I didn't give her the choice and she gave in and accepted it. 
If you're going to nod off on the sofa, put him in a crate which he should be more reluctant to soil as he wouldn't be able to move away from it, and any mess would be contained. You can fuss him through the bars; then take him out when it pleases you.
I wonder if part of is due to darkness/anxiety? I have one of those outside lights that comes on automatically with a movement detector, it makes the dogs (I have 3) much more confident about going out after dark.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

I don't use a crate with him so that's not really an option with us, I don't nod off on my sofa so he doesn't get that opportunity anyways. He's been doing it when it's day time as well, he activily goes upstairs instead of out my open back door. However, when's he's left home alone in the day, he's shut in the kitchen with a stair gate and he doesn't do it all day then, he waits for me to come home and let him out.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Could something have scared him in the new garden? 
Do cats or any wild visitors come in?
Was there another dog living there previously?

I do feel for you as my dog was the same for a very long time due to various problems that made him anxious. With time, patience and understanding I'm sure things will improve.
I remember the first time my boy felt confidant enough to wee outside, it was a great feeling, all the work I'd done with him had finally payed off.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

ForestWomble said:


> Could something have scared him in the new garden?
> Do cats or any wild visitors come in?
> Was there another dog living there previously?
> 
> ...


I also have two cats and they all get on fine, there are other cats in the neighborhood but he's always gotten on with those guys too. Apparently there hasn't been a dog in this house before - but that's isn't to say a tennant had one and never disclosed it to the estate agents/ landlord.

I know he just need times and patience but he's really testing it at the moment... For a couple of nights when I've not been at work I've stayed outside for 2+ hours and eventually he gets bored and poops, I've quickly ushered him outside when he's started or looks like he's about to start toileting in the bathroom. But non the less, every single morning there is a poop and puddle of pee in my bathroom.

I guess what I'm really looking for ways to either speed up the process or find it more bareable, as it's been 2 months now and my bathroom has this horrible lingering smell. And to top it off, my washing machine is broken so we're going through toilet paper/ other absorbent disposables like there's no tomorrow. I wouldn't mind if I hadn't already spent weeks training him as a pup, or if he was a rescue that never new etc. But he was fully training up to being a year old and then he just stopped.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Why not get a crate and start training him to like it? And block of the stairs with a baby gate - the cats will still be able to jump it.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

Burrowzig said:


> Why not get a crate and start training him to like it? And block of the stairs with a baby gate - the cats will still be able to jump it.


I'm really sorry, I don't agree with crate training. I know some studies show that some dogs can feel comforted by them. But half of my dog's life is spent in my home making it half his world, to then confine him at times to metal cage. I just find them cold and unnecessary. However, I would never tell someone else they should use them because everyone raises their pets differently.

I never used one with him as a puppy and he was fully trained very quickly. As I said above, I think at this point I'm more looking for little ways to make this a bit easier on us, as oppose to changing methods completely.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Liz-Quill-Niffler said:


> I'm really sorry, I don't agree with crate training. I know some studies show that some dogs can feel comforted by them. But half of my dog's life is spent in my home making it half his world, to then confine him at times to metal cage. I just find them cold and unnecessary. However, I would never tell someone else they should use them because everyone raises their pets differently.
> 
> I never used one with him as a puppy and he was fully trained very quickly. As I said above, I think at this point I'm more looking for little ways to make this a bit easier on us, as oppose to changing methods completely.


Dogs are naturally den-users, and crates mimic dens. I have a couple round the house, one is the metal type covered with a rug, the other is plastic and under a table. Neither have doors - I removed them because they got in the way - and my dogs spend a fair amount of time in them from choice. It's not about imprisoning them. 
As your dog is now fouling indoors, I'd question if he really was 'fully trained'. If he had been you wouldn't be going through this now. 
If he's going to toilet in the bathroom every night, why let him in there at all?


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

Burrowzig said:


> Dogs are naturally den-users, and crates mimic dens. I have a couple round the house, one is the metal type covered with a rug, the other is plastic and under a table. Neither have doors - I removed them because they got in the way - and my dogs spend a fair amount of time in them from choice. It's not about imprisoning them.
> As your dog is now fouling indoors, I'd question if he really was 'fully trained'. If he had been you wouldn't be going through this now.
> If he's going to toilet in the bathroom every night, why let him in there at all?


I still don't use them with my dog, it's a personal choice. It's been a year where he was fully trained, it's because we moved house and our routine has changed that he's fallen out of it. If I shut him out the bathroom he then does it outside the bathroom on our carpet.

I bleached the bathroom and kept him out last night and will tonight as well. But I really think it's just time and reastablishing a routine with him.

Thank you everyone else for you help


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

When you clean up the poop and pee, bring it outside and put it where you want him to go. Perhaps the yard smells of another animal that is making him nervous. Get his scent out there.

You are taking him out, not just letting him out, right? Take him to the yard, same as you would take him for a walk. Walk him around your yard, letting him sniff and become familiar with it.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

lorilu said:


> When you clean up the poop and pee, bring it outside and put it where you want him to go. Perhaps the yard smells of another animal that is making him nervous. Get his scent out there.
> 
> You are taking him out, not just letting him out, right? Take him to the yard, same as you would take him for a walk. Walk him around your yard, letting him sniff and become familiar with it.


I have been trying to but with the heat it can get very stinky. So I've been leaving it as long as me and my neigbours can stomach haha. And yes I go out and walk around with him so he might catch on. Thank you


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Liz-Quill-Niffler said:


> I still don't use them with my dog, it's a personal choice. It's been a year where he was fully trained, it's because we moved house and our routine has changed that he's fallen out of it. If I shut him out the bathroom he then does it outside the bathroom on our carpet.
> 
> I bleached the bathroom and kept him out last night and will tonight as well. But I really think it's just time and reastablishing a routine with him.
> 
> *Thank you everyone else for you help*


.
That's a rather pointed comment. Just because someone suggests something that probably would work, but your preconceptions go against it.
Don't use bleach. It contains ammonia, same as in pee. It leaves a chemical message for the dog to go there again. Use an enzyme-based cleaner that will break down the chemicals in the 'doings' and not leave the same residue. Or just carry on using bleach if that's your way, and carry on cleaning up the mess.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

Burrowzig said:


> .
> That's a rather pointed comment. Just because someone suggests something that probably would work, but your preconceptions go against it.
> Don't use bleach. It contains ammonia, same as in pee. It leaves a chemical message for the dog to go there again. Use an enzyme-based cleaner that will break down the chemicals in the 'doings' and not leave the same residue. Or just carry on using bleach if that's your way, and carry on cleaning up the mess.


I needed to use bleach as the bathroom was in a horrid state and needed doing then. I know to combat the scent and "chemicals" as I am a biochemist. I feel you're getting a little passive here so I'm just going to move onto others and will remove any future comments by yourself.

Thank you very much for trying to help me though


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

You say he goes in the same spot? Would you be happy covering that area with incontenance pads (the ones for humans so they don't have that scent in them to attract the dog) just to save the floor and your sanity while you continue to work with him.


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## Liz-Quill-Niffler (Oct 16, 2018)

ForestWomble said:


> You say he goes in the same spot? Would you be happy covering that area with incontenance pads (the ones for humans so they don't have that scent in them to attract the dog) just to save the floor and your sanity while you continue to work with him.


That is a great idea! Thank you so much!


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## Pricivius (Mar 16, 2018)

I’m not sure a puppy pad or incontinence pad will help with training - won’t that just teach the dog that soft, absorbent materials are fine to use? It may save your floor, but it may just confuse your dog, who already sounds a bit confused about toiletting in his new home. Just a thought.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Liz-Quill-Niffler said:


> so I'm just going to move onto others and will remove any future comments by yourself


You can't, the forum doesn't work like that.


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