HELP....I'm at my wits end!!!!

Comments

• CrimsonO2

  July 2009 edited November -1

  Sounds like teenage angst...Ichi has peed inside the house on two occaisions during his 6-10 month old years, despite the fact that we were on schedule.
  
  Is Guinness neutered? Is he pooping or marking inside the house? What are your methods for cleaning up after him once he's inside?
  
  Jesse
• Sangmort

  July 2009 edited July 2009

  Yep. I'd say it's the shiba-teenage-puppy rebellion phase! Be thankful if that's all you have to deal with
  
  Also, make sure you're using summit like Nature's Miracle to clean the spot & get rid of the scent. If he smells the scent there still it can trigger him to urinate / defecate in that spot on the carpet again.
  
  Another thought, give him TONS of praise when he goes outside & maybe even some yummy treats that you use ONLY when he goes outside. [ as opposed to treats when you use for training ] Kind of like re-potty training him.
  
  Best of luck! ~
• ILuvMy2Shibas

  July 2009 edited November -1

  Guinness is not nuetered, he's not marking he is pooping, he never pees just poops, and it is defferent spots all over the house!!!
  
  Well since i'm home tomarrow i will be cleaning all the carpets in the house and will be getting some Nature's miracle to clean all the carpet.....
  
  Thank you for your help.....i guess i will just be dealing with his teenage rebellion!!! His is going to be a year old next month!!!!
• Kaddy

  July 2009 edited July 2009

  Nature's Miracle does have a carpet cleaning solution (made for the deep cleaning machines) too... it was kinda pricey at the boutique store we get our food from, but I bet you could find it online for a reasonable amount.
• CrimsonO2

  July 2009 edited July 2009

  "he goes outside at the same times everyday"
  
  Are you taking him on walks or just letting him out to do his business and ushering him back in as soon as he's done?
  
  I met a shiba owner at the dog park that was having trouble "potty training" his 6-month dog because his dog was potty trained, but would still go inside the house. After I asked a couple of questions, I found out he was often taking the dog outside, and bringing the dog back in immediately after the dog pooped or peed. If your dog loves being outside, he may associate pooping as the behavior that ends the fun of being outside. Hence his shiba may have inadvertently learned to hold off on pooping for as long as possible to prolong being outside. I haven't encountered him recently but I hope he's continuing to keep his dog outside a little bit longer after the dog has eliminated so that the dog can disassociate the two unrelated events.
  
  Just offering up another possibility about your dog's behavior. Hope this helps.
  
  Jesse
• Sangmort

  July 2009 edited November -1

  Very good advice Jesse. I've read the same thing, after they do their business continue the walk as a reward to them ~
• Kaddy

  July 2009 edited November -1

  Good point - if Keiko doesn't get a full walk, even if she does go right away (which is RARE) she will make it a point to go in the house too. She NEEDS that walk and the treats/praise.
• KFontaine04

  July 2009 edited November -1

  How is the poop? Is it runny? You might want to take a fecal sample to the vet. If he got some parasite that is not letting him get all the poop out while outside and forcing him to go inside you will need to get him tested!
• StaticNfuzz

  July 2009 edited July 2009

  Jesse has some really good points and insight!
  
  I certainly would have a health check done and a fecal test to rule out parasites. Next I would look at food and decide if his evening meal or snacks are digesting properly. Also make sure you are feeding early enough in the evening that he can eliminate fully before bedtime. Make sure there are multiple walks in an evening. Usually a good run about stimulates the bowels.
  
  Sometimes dogs go outside and are so excited to be out they don’t finish everything they have to do. Meaning sometimes they cut out early and clamp it off in the middle of a poo. In fact if they were out longer they would probably poop twice. Also some dogs get confused and will not poop or pee during the same outing. That means they have to go out twice in a 10 to 15 min time from the original walk to do both #1 and #2. They all have their own habits you kind of have to figure out.
  
  I really don’t think it is a “rebellious stage” which implies that he is being malicious or deliberately acting out. Usually it is some sort of confusion. I would ask your friends exactly what they did and compare notes. Did they maybe have a yard and you walk the dog. Small differences are important. Maybe they stay up really late and walk late. Did they feed a different food.
  
  Also know that certain habits are habituated if it repeats over and over in the same spot. So he could have had a mistake once and some how has come to associate that with being Ok to do in THAT area. When he is in another such as your friend’s house he would not think of it.
  
  I would take some comparison notes with your dog sitter and make changes in your home by going back to using at crate at night and making sure he gets a very late outing before bed. When loose in your house keep him in a smaller area blocked by Ex-pen and do not let him roam to investigate the area he normally soils. As his behavior changes he can have more space to move about. Like the puppy stage you may have to back track to taking him much more frequently.
  
  Also know that the more frustrated you get the more you may be contributing to the behavior. Any attention is good attention in some dog’s minds. If there are towels and blankets to soil sometimes a dog will go in those if in the middle of the night they can not tell you or you can not hear them .....that can get habituated too if the dog does not mind being in poo.
  
  Snf
• Mylo

  July 2009 edited November -1

  One thing that kind of confuses me is that he's pooping in his crate... Shibas are generally very clean dogs, more so than other breeds. So I don't think it's a rebellious action that he's having accidents in his crate. He's not (or shouldn't be) getting any rebellious satisfaction from that. If I were you, I'd focus on lots and lots of praise after he's done his business outside, and (if he's in a yard) let him wander around for a little while longer after his poop.
  
  The mission to clean the carpets should also help him disassociate from pooping inside, since his scent will be gone.
  
  Good luck! Keep us updated =0)
• TeamLaika

  July 2009 edited November -1

  You mentioned that he is on a schedule to go outside. Do you go with him? One cannot expect a dog to "know" to relieve himself just because he's outside. Many dogs are easily distracted outside and their interests are elsewhere. Others don't really like to be left alone outside and keep focusing on getting back indoors. Either way, you end up with a puppy that comes back inside and realizes that his colon is full. Oops.
  
  Is he on a schedule to eat? If you control inputs, you can predict outputs better.
  
  Why is he loose at night such that he has access to carpet to poo on?
  
  Housetraining is largely a spacial issue. The fact that he has lost this inhibition in the crate is troublesome. Is he anxious in his crate? Does he typically poo in rooms of the house that you don't spend much time in?
  
  You need to set him up for success:
  (1) Take him on leashed walks and OBSERVE the deed. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Praise, treat, and pair it with a "potty" word of your choice. Continue on the walk after the poo so the fun doesn't stop. Jesse and Patrice made terrific points here. Don't just boot him out in the yard and assume that he dropped a poo.
  
  (2) Feed him on schedule EVERY day and remove any food he doesn't eat after 10-15 minutes. If doesn't eat any, don't worry...he will eat the next time you offer it. Do NOT let him "graze" throughout the day. At 7 months, 2 meals per day is ample. Are you overfeeding him? Do not feed his last meal late in the evening so he won't need to poo in the middle of the night.
  
  (3) Put him under better surveillance. Tether him to furniture or your belt loop. Watch for subtle signs that he needs to poo...circling, sniffing, etc. Use an X=Pen or a crate when you can't have two eyes on him. Get some baby gates and restrict his access to carpeted areas.
  
  Good luck!!
• CrimsonO2

  July 2009 edited November -1

  Hopefully he's not pooping in his crate because he wants a midnight snack!
  
  Jesse