How aggravating IS it that your house trained dog is pooping around your house!
This infuriates many people into believing that their dogs pooped inside the house on purpose.
I asked dog trainer Zak George, host of Animal Planet’s 2009 “SuperFetch,” why a housetrained dog might poop inside the house on occasion.
First and foremost, George explains away two major misconceptions about “potty training regression” in canines:
1) “Accidents in the house are never punishable at any age for any dog,” and 2) Dogs never defecate or urinate in the house out of spite or revenge.
So even though that pile of dog poop is disgusting and ruins your carpet, remember: Maxie did not do it on purpose.
What is the usual reason a well-trained full-grown dog would start pooping inside the house at night while masters are asleep or during day?
And why would the dog poop in a forbidden indoor area like a bedroom?
ZG: There are three major logical reasons as to why a potty trained dog would start defecating in the house in an area that they are familiar with.
One, is that there may have been a change in their daily routine such as not being let out frequently enough or perhaps being fed at a different time of day than what they are typically used to.
If this is the case, then the pet’s routine should be amended, or should be given a few days to adapt to the new routine.
Generally speaking, a healthy adult canine should be let out every three to six hours depending on their food and water intake.
The second possibility is that there has been a change in environment. In this case the issue will typically last one to four days, or when the dog has realized that the new environment is “home.”
The final reason is that there could be a medical issue. Dogs, like humans, have varying degrees of stomach sensitivity.
It’s very common for them to have a loose stool, or worse, diarrhea, when they are eating a new food.
From my experience, these issues work themselves out within two to three days.
However, if the human parent has reason to believe there may be more to it, then a visit to the vet would be advised.
Shutterstock/Sergey Nivens
What other reasons could account for a trained dog pooping around the house? Gastrointestinal ailment?
ZG: This may be a possibility. Whenever you have any questions about your dog’s health you should make a visit to the vet, just as you would take your son or daughter to the doctor if you suspected anything could be wrong.
Would age have anything to do with a housetrained dog one day up and pooping in the home?
ZG: The best thing to do is to keep an open dialogue with your vet, and if you think that age is affecting your dog’s behavior, then bring them in for a visit.
If the animal is trained to bark to get his master’s attention to be let out, why wouldn’t it bark first rather than just up and pooping inside the house?
Assume the canine normally barks when it wants to go outside to poop.
ZG: There are tons of variables to this. For example, does the dog have something wrong with his or her vocal chords? Is he or she sleep walking?
Maybe the dog is too ill to bark. Maybe the dog just doesn’t feel like barking.
Remember, dogs are living souls, and not computers that humans program.
If a human normally rings someone’s door bell upon arrival, but, for one reason or another, decides to knock instead, do we assume that the human needs to have this behavior analyzed? We could.
However, the more logical reason is that the dog’s mood is affected by something causing he or she to opt out of the usually habitual behavior.
What are the best fool-proof ways to correct the problem of a dog pooping inside the home?
Other than the obvious: no food after 6 pm; several play sessions in the evening to encourage voiding; letting the pet out before everyone goes to bed.
ZG: Like with humans, there is no “fool-proof” magic answer. If the problem persists and the above actions are taken, then there is most likely a medical issue.
If all medical possibilities are ruled out, spend lots of time outside playing fetch and experience life with them.
Praise them when they go potty outside and forgive them when they go in the house.
Zak George is an American broadcaster and dog trainer known for various shows on the Animal Planet channel and “Who Let the Dogs Out?” for UK kids’ channel CBBC.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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