Bogard is 8.5 months old and is about 50lbs. Since the second day we've had him he has been litterbox trained. Up until this weekend he has just decided to poop half of the time in the middle of the kitchen or outside his litterbox. However he still pees in his litterbox. This was all of a sudden, and we are not sure what to do now. Is this just a phase?
Becoming Unpotty Trained??
- Thread starter raguilar
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Sansal
Boxer Insane
The only time when my dog Happy poops in the house is when she is sick and can't make it outside in time. Did Bogards diet change or did he maybe get a new treat that could have caused some stomache upset?
The only other thing I can think of is the location of the litter box. Did you move the box or any furniture around? Maybe Bogard is confused about where he is supposed to go?
How clean do you keep the litter box? My dogs sometimes avoid spots in the yard where they have previously peed and pooped.
The only other thing I can think of is the location of the litter box. Did you move the box or any furniture around? Maybe Bogard is confused about where he is supposed to go?
How clean do you keep the litter box? My dogs sometimes avoid spots in the yard where they have previously peed and pooped.
ehayes21
Boxer Insane
At 8 months old he's about to enter his terrible teens...this is when they tend to forget everything you've ever taught them. Now if you can answer a few questions for me, I might be able to give you some suggestions that will work. What is the purpose of the litterbox and why have you taught him it's okay to go inside the house?
The purpose of the litterbox is for him to potty...just like a cat. We do not have a doggy door because our entire backyard is just dirt and we have hardwood floors so we decided not to let him go outside (also we live in phoenix and it's super hot outside) and instead trained him to potty in his litterbox (it's actually a little kids swimming pool probably about 3.5 feet wide filled with like anti-odor dog litter pellets) it's located in the laundry room and has never moved. He'll normally go once in the morning, and either before or after dinner. He wakes up early and instead of us having to wake up he just goes downstairs to potty. Then we just pick up the poop or the pellets and flush it down the toilet. The litterbox is cleaned (wet pellets thrown out replaced with new ones) daily.
ehayes21
Boxer Insane
Interesting. But unfortunately you really need to be there everytime he goes to the bathroom to redirect him to your chosen spot. Like I mentioned before, he's hitting his teens and they tend to forget everything you've ever taught him, so you being there to reinforce where he needs to potty is going to be key during this phase.
BxrMommieNAZ
Boxer Insane
Okay I live in Phoenix too, as do MANY people and it is just fine for the dog to go outside to go to the bathroom. Would I recommend leaving your Boxer out all day? Absolutely not, but 3-5 times a day to go to the bathroom and spend 15 minutes outside is just fine. I do not have a dog door either, I let my dogs out every 3-4 hours (sometimes less or more depending on the day, what I'm doing, if I'm home, etc) and they go to the bathroom and come back in.
I'd really encourage you to throw down some grass seed in your yard water it a couple of times a day and you'll have a lawn in about 2 weeks. This is what we did, we have a 1,500 sq ft yard and it cost us about $40 to put grass in out backyard this way. We put down winter grass in the winter and summer grass in the summer. Once you plant the summer grass once you never have to do it again, winter grass you have to do yearly if you want it to grow in the winter (or you don't have to the summer grass will just look dead (dormant) no big deal). I've lived in Phoenix almost 5 years now and have had 3 dogs total since living here (all boxers) and it's just fine for them to go outside to go to the bathroom.
I'd ditch the "litterbox" and teach your dog to go outside like it's natural for dogs to do.
I'll also add, we had only dirt for about the first 6 months of living here and we also have hardwood floors and carpet mixed, so I'm not sure what the point is about you having dirtin your yard and hard wood floors? You clean the floors when they get dirty and wipe the dog's feet off if it gets muddy in the yard (although if you throw some seed down problem solved). I used to just take a dust mop and spend 5 minutes a day going around and that got the dust from the dirt up off the floors easy enough.
I'd really encourage you to throw down some grass seed in your yard water it a couple of times a day and you'll have a lawn in about 2 weeks. This is what we did, we have a 1,500 sq ft yard and it cost us about $40 to put grass in out backyard this way. We put down winter grass in the winter and summer grass in the summer. Once you plant the summer grass once you never have to do it again, winter grass you have to do yearly if you want it to grow in the winter (or you don't have to the summer grass will just look dead (dormant) no big deal). I've lived in Phoenix almost 5 years now and have had 3 dogs total since living here (all boxers) and it's just fine for them to go outside to go to the bathroom.
I'd ditch the "litterbox" and teach your dog to go outside like it's natural for dogs to do.
I'll also add, we had only dirt for about the first 6 months of living here and we also have hardwood floors and carpet mixed, so I'm not sure what the point is about you having dirtin your yard and hard wood floors? You clean the floors when they get dirty and wipe the dog's feet off if it gets muddy in the yard (although if you throw some seed down problem solved). I used to just take a dust mop and spend 5 minutes a day going around and that got the dust from the dirt up off the floors easy enough.
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If I could train him to wipe his feet before coming in, I would let him go do his business outside no problem. We actually did buy a 100sqft of grass and after trying it for about a week, we didnt want to have to deal with the door opening, feet wiping, floor cleaning, poop picking, flies flying,the garbage smelling etc. He would go out there and the grass is the last place he would go. I guess its more for convenience if anything. We dont have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning or late night to open the door for him. He hasnt had an accident since his little episodes last week...thank god as we've just been eyeing him like a hawk. I dont want anyone to think that he doesnt go outside at all as you make it sound We actually are home all day with him as we both work from home. So he gets his morning walk outside and his trip to the dog park daily. Interestingly enough he doesnt ever potty on the sidewalk when we go out on walks. He'll do his business though at the dog park like normal.
Kilby'sMum
Super Boxer
I would rather have the inconvenience of letting the dog in/out and wiping his feet than having dog poo in my kitchen ;D
As he gets older the trips out to potty late at night or early in the morning will get fewer and fewer. Our girls are inside a lot (I too work from home) but around 11pm I tell them "toiley before bed" and they'll go out, come back in and go straight to bed. At 7am I get up and let them out, then I go myself and when I'm done they're at the door waiting to come back in... a quick foot wipe and we're away (we just leave a towel at the back door). Kona has been able to stick to this routine for about 8months and she's not quite 18mths old.
IMO, it just seems really unnatural to make a dog go potty inside. But then, even our cat goes outside to potty.
As he gets older the trips out to potty late at night or early in the morning will get fewer and fewer. Our girls are inside a lot (I too work from home) but around 11pm I tell them "toiley before bed" and they'll go out, come back in and go straight to bed. At 7am I get up and let them out, then I go myself and when I'm done they're at the door waiting to come back in... a quick foot wipe and we're away (we just leave a towel at the back door). Kona has been able to stick to this routine for about 8months and she's not quite 18mths old.
IMO, it just seems really unnatural to make a dog go potty inside. But then, even our cat goes outside to potty.
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