Dog going toilet in the house

Melion

We have a bit of a problem here, we got a 5yr old staffie back in July and everything was perfect.

Over the last 2 months though, every time we leave the house we come back to pee and poo. Every single time, even if we only leave for 5/10 minutes. It is like she gets worried when we leave but there's obviously no reason for that, that we know of anyway.

Any ideas anybody?

toadfly

Have you tried crate training?

Melion

If she even hears the door of the crate opening she runs a mile

andreac

But how have you made the crate welcoming for her? Have you fed her in there, given her a treat, bone etc in there? You have to make it inviting and a nice place. Sounds like she got a bad experience from it.

My dogs love their crates, so much so, that they stand outside it if the door is closed waiting for me to open it.

jsabina

I am lucky because my puppy loves his crate!
When he arrived the first day I've put only the crate with his bed and toys.
And no bed or blanket outside.
So he started going inside playing, sleeping etc.
I started locking the crate sometimes for house-training and he was never complaining.
But I never let him locked there when I was going away from home, but leaving him with the crate door open and closed in the kitchen.

During the night if I leave him in the crate, closed, near to my bed he sleeps all night!
I tried to put him in a dog-bed and he starts playing, crying etc etc

Melion

andreac wrote: »

But how have you made the crate welcoming for her? Have you fed her in there, given her a treat, bone etc in there? You have to make it inviting and a nice place. Sounds like she got a bad experience from it.

My dogs love their crates, so much so, that they stand outside it if the door is closed waiting for me to open it.

Have tried everything to make it welcoming for her but with no joy, she just doesn't want to be near it, never mind inside it. I would imagine she had a rough time before I got her and it involved a crate.

jsabina

Melion wrote: »

Have tried everything to make it welcoming for her but with no joy, she just doesn't want to be near it, never mind inside it. I would imagine she had a rough time before I got her and it involved a crate.

I had the same problem with my previous dog.
I have NEVER been able to put him in a crate.
But ever not in his dog house outside.. open!

have you tried to bring her for a walk to pee etc.. and when she is "empty" leave the house for 10 minutes... etc.. and so on?

DBB

Melion wrote: »

We have a bit of a problem here, we got a 5yr old staffie back in July and everything was perfect.

Over the last 2 months though, every time we leave the house we come back to pee and poo. Every single time, even if we only leave for 5/10 minutes. It is like she gets worried when we leave but there's obviously no reason for that, that we know of anyway.

Any ideas anybody?

There's more to this than meets the eye Melion
To try to rule some things out:
Does she ever toilet in the house while you're there, or would you consider her to be reliably housetrained other than when you're out?
How did you react to her the first few times you came home to poop and pee on the floor?
I know this is a bit gross, but is the pee and poop still warm when you lift it/mop it up?):o
Does she get upset at you leaving? Does she try to herd you away from the door, or does she start panting more, or does she leave sweaty footprints on the floor, or act in any way more restless when you're leaving?
Whilst you're out, has there been any other odd behaviour going on: chewing, barking/vocalising, not eating food treats or stuffed kong toys, lying just inside the door where she last saw you?
When you return, does she seem anxious? Be careful not to confuse this for excitement: again, you'd expect panting (often fast and gulpy), a "ridgy" look to her face (like she has bags under her eyes, and ridges behind a widely panting mouth), she may visibly shed hair, you may see those sweaty footprints, and generally get the feeling that she's relieved to see you, as opposed to just happy to see you on its own.

Whispered

If this is happening recently, I'd say the first thing to do is make sure everything is fine healthwise.

Has anything changed that might make her anxious that you're not there?

deadman1972

Sounds to me like separation anxiety tbh.

Irishchick

DBB wrote: »

There's more to this than meets the eye Melion
To try to rule some things out:
Does she ever toilet in the house while you're there, or would you consider her to be reliably housetrained other than when you're out?
How did you react to her the first few times you came home to poop and pee on the floor?
I know this is a bit gross, but is the pee and poop still warm when you lift it/mop it up?):o
Does she get upset at you leaving? Does she try to herd you away from the door, or does she start panting more, or does she leave sweaty footprints on the floor, or act in any way more restless when you're leaving?
Whilst you're out, has there been any other odd behaviour going on: chewing, barking/vocalising, not eating food treats or stuffed kong toys, lying just inside the door where she last saw you?
When you return, does she seem anxious? Be careful not to confuse this for excitement: again, you'd expect panting (often fast and gulpy), a "ridgy" look to her face (like she has bags under her eyes, and ridges behind a widely panting mouth), she may visibly shed hair, you may see those sweaty footprints, and generally get the feeling that she's relieved to see you, as opposed to just happy to see you on its own.

I agree with DBB (mod edit). It could be that he is associating it with you leaving and having some separation anxiety.

Toulouse

Didn't you have a foster dog there for a little while a few months ago?

Was this happening while the other dog was there or is it since he went?

Melion

DBB wrote: »

There's more to this than meets the eye Melion
To try to rule some things out:
Does she ever toilet in the house while you're there, or would you consider her to be reliably housetrained other than when you're out?
She has done it while we are sitting in the house a few times, hasnt even tried to get out the door
How did you react to her the first few times you came home to poop and pee on the floor?
No shouting, no giving out. Just straight over to clean it up, theres no point in giving out to a dog after it has done something
I know this is a bit gross, but is the pee and poop still warm when you lift it/mop it up?):o
I genuinely dont know
Does she get upset at you leaving? Does she try to herd you away from the door, or does she start panting more, or does she leave sweaty footprints on the floor, or act in any way more restless when you're leaving?
Whilst you're out, has there been any other odd behaviour going on: chewing, barking/vocalising, not eating food treats or stuffed kong toys, lying just inside the door where she last saw you?
Herself and the foster dog we had destroyed a suite of furniture between them. She rips up post if it comes in the door and im not around, chews briquettes and coal if its left laying around
When you return, does she seem anxious? Be careful not to confuse this for excitement: again, you'd expect panting (often fast and gulpy), a "ridgy" look to her face (like she has bags under her eyes, and ridges behind a widely panting mouth), she may visibly shed hair, you may see those sweaty footprints, and generally get the feeling that she's relieved to see you, as opposed to just happy to see you on its own.
She goes mad running around the couch/floor etc when we come back

Whispered wrote: »

If this is happening recently, I'd say the first thing to do is make sure everything is fine healthwise.

Has anything changed that might make her anxious that you're not there?

Nothing has changed in the last few months that i can put my finger on.

Toulouse wrote: »

Didn't you have a foster dog there for a little while a few months ago?

Was this happening while the other dog was there or is it since he went?

Yeah, we were fostering another staffie and i dont recall it happening when he was here. Since then we have brought my OH's female Boxer into the house as company for her.

DBB

Thanks for the replies Melion,
Glad to hear you haven't punished her, as you correctly pointed out, this does not help! However... I wonder has she a history of being punished before you got her?
I know she wasn't toileting for the first while you had her, but I do feel that there is an anxiety issue going on here.
You say she gets really excited when you come home, which you'd expect from most dogs, but an anxious dog will also often show thiose ridged facial features, the panting, the sweaty paws, as well as mega-excitement... do you see any of these signs when you reunite with her?
However, the fact that she has only relatively recently started to do this, and the fact that she can also do it in front of you, would lead me to be suspicious that there's a UTI or other low grade infection going on here. Indeed, a dog with a sore tooth, or a cut paw, or other source of "referred" pain or infection, can do some odd things in the toilet department! So, just to be sure, I'd be inlcined to get the vet to give her a really good going-over to make sure there's nothing lurking.

deadman1972

It could also be a fear reaction due to mistreatment from previous home? My WGSD will still pee the floor ocassionally when i go to pet her and thats 4 years down the road.