Dog messing in the house when left for a few minutes

[roxy111]

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Hi,

We have a 2.5 year old terrier. I'd say she is house trained but we seem to be having issues recently when she is left alone, even for a short time. When people are in the house with her, she never has any accidents, she even lets us know when she needs to go outside. During the day we work so if she isn't going to 'doggy day care' we take her for a walk in the morning and then my mother in law visits her twice and takes her for at least a 45 minute walk each time. Between us leaving her in the morning and my mother in law coming she keeps weeing/pooing in the house. She is only alone for 1 hour, so I don't think it's because she's desperate. Sometimes at the weekend she does it even if she's left for 10 minutes. She isn't a nervy or frightened dog and she doesn't bark or cry when left alone (we've asked the neighbors). She has spent time alone during the day since we got her so I'm not sure what's happening. As we aren't in the house when she does it, I'm not sure how we tell her it's wrong. Any advice!?

 

[gypsysmum2]

The clue might be in the end of your message. You are saying you can't tell her it is "wrong".

Does she like to move a long way away from you when she toilets outside?

Dogs do not have morals so they do not know it is "wrong" to do something, just that we do not like it (or we do like it when they will repeat the behaviour). As they aim to please us they avoid doing things that upset us and try to do things that make us happy.

If you have been house training using the technique of telling her it is "wrong" to toilet in a certain place she may be avoiding doing her toilets when you are around to get upset with her. This leads to her hold on until you are out and so cannot be upset when she toilets. It would also fit in with her asking to go out when you are there as she will not want to be around you when she toilets and so goes outside.

The way forward, is this is what is going on, is to give her lots of praise and a treat or two when she toilets outside. This is the only really effective way of house training a dog. Never use newspaper or puppy pads they just teach the dog that it is ok to toilet indoors. The dog must want to toilet outdoors and find some sort of reward in doing so.

Another possibility is an anxiety related issue where she needs to feel "relief" and so uses emptying of her bladder or bowels to achieve a feeling of relief. If it has happened only recently this might be the reason. Of course it can be a mixture of two things. I would go back to basics with the house training and take her to the garden, rather than letting her out, and really reward her toileting there. If she is reluctant to toilet while you are around then that might be a clue as to what is going on in her mind.

Can you set a camera up to record her reactions when you leave her alone? If she is getting anxious then she may not make a lot of noise but pace and whine and then eliminate to feel relief.