Confused???

[dezzy95]

I'm new to the forum and BW. I am having a problem and hope someone can help. Drake, (my 4 yr. old Boxer), is pooping in the house whenever we leave to go somewhere. I have gone to the corner store, been gone 10 minutes and when I return he has pooped in the living room. My sister and family moved in with us on July 2, and left Sept. 15. There are 5 of them in the family. Drake has never pooped in the floor, even when he was a baby and was being trained. This started shortly after they moved in. He even pooped on my bed!!! I believe it was because of all of the chaos, but he hasn't stopped. Drake is an inside dog and I don't want him living in a pen outside, but I am at my wits end. I don't want to leave him outside when I leave either, as I fear someone will take him. We left him in an inside kennel when we left the house for the first year and half, because he would destroy things. With a lot of time and trust he slowly learned to stay out alone and never bothered a thing. Now this is happening. Even though I believe I know what caused it, I have no idea of how to fix it. Any ideas? Thank you.

 

[douma]

If you put him in a crate when you left the house?Maybe he was anxious with so many people in the house.

 

[dezzy95]

I haven't used a crate with him since he was 1 1/2, he is now 4. I just need to figure out how to make him stop this terrible behavior he has started. Thank you for you input

 

[myrocky]

Bring the crate out again and start from square one, just like you did when you first trained him. He will learn that this is unacceptable and you will be able to leave him out of the crate again. But it will take time and you will have to do it just like you did before.

 

[gmacleod]

Dezzy95 - can I suggest that you should get yourself a copy of Jan Fenell's book "The Dog Listener". I really think it could help you

Because the pooping started when your sister's family moved in, it could be that your dog is stressed out from assumed leadership responsibilities, and needs you to be relieving him of that leadership role. Jan's methods and explanations have really worked for a lot of people - and if I recall correctly, she describes one 'case study' remarkably like yours in the book. Definitely worth a read

 

[dezzy95]

Thank you for your ideas, I will try both.