[Lily22200]

Hello again,
I ask a lot of questions, but Barkley (one year old black lab mix from shelter) does a lot of odd things.

I posted earlier last week because he decided to pee in front of my friend who was visiting... and he's perfectly housebroken! That has been his only "accident" in the house to date... It's been suggested that it was behavioral--his schedule was off (we'd been in and out a lot that weekend and he was in his crate a bit more than usual), he was asserting his status in front of a stranger etc. etc.

Last night we took him to a friend's apartment. He is a usually relatively calm dog, but he was NUTS over there. Running around, jumping... and then to cap it off, about halfway into our visit, he ran into a corner when no one was looking and peed and pooped! We were intermittently able to get him to settle down (sit/stay), but for the most part he was WILD.

This all happened at 10:30 at night which is normally when he gets taken out for his last evening walk and chance to eliminate before going in his crate for bed. I understand that he might have peed/pooped because he knew it was "time" and we weren't doing what we were supposed to do on OUR end (i.e. putting him on the leash and taking him out) but SHEESH. He was indoors, and I thought that him being housebroken would be enough for him to "hold it." I guess not!

Every time we go someplace new is he going to defecate on the carpet? I understand that dogs need a precise schedule to be happy... but are they so rigid that any deviation will cause them to act out? How can we get him to stop "freaking out" every time he is "confused?" It's very odd because at home when he is with us, he is so calm and hardly even chews things! You can leave shoes on the floor and he won't touch them! He doesn't even jump on the couch...

FYI: He is beginning an obedience training class at our local HUmane Society this week. We've also been working with him on our own on coming when called, sit, lie down, stay etc. He's doing well so far... EXCEPT when majorly distracted like last night! We could hardly get him to sit.

Any advice appreciated on how to acclimate this dog to change,

Thanks!

[labman]

I took time to go back and look at some of your other posts. I think I am seeing a pattern of a strong willed dog, determined to be top dog and has found an effective way to punish you for your misdeeds. You are paying too much attention to your friends instead of him. It is possible you are letting your friends distract you and not giving him a timely chance to relieve himself. My friend once buttonholed the head trainer at a dog guide school and was picking his brain. His personal demos dog did a bowel movement in the building. He checked his watch, accepted the blame, and cleaned it up.

You never mentioned if he is neutered. It is no cure all, but can be a big help in these status conflicts. Go ahead with the obedience lessons. Be absolutely sure he has adequate chance to relieve himself. Even use preemptive measures. I once had a female that would dribble urine when she got excited. One thing that maintained her welcome in the public places was getting her out and emptying her bladder before anticipated excitement.

I do not hesitate to use strong discipline as long as I am sure problems aren't my fault and other methods haven't worked. If the neutering, obedience training, and care with his schedule don't eliminate the problem, I will go in to effective ways for letting the whole world cave in on him.

Thinking some more about this. Even at a year old, I am not sure dogs still have that much control of their bowels. They suddenly have to go, now, particularly if activity follows a period of rest. Part of his failure to settle may have been needing to relieve himself. You need to learn to read your dog, and some are more difficult than others. I figure it is better to make a bunch of unnecessary trips out than have an accident. And I always carry clean up supplies in public places. More with a younger dog.

[Lily22200]

Fabulous advice... I totally agree... it was time to go, he had to go, so he did. He IS neutered though! Not sure what else we can do to reduce this desire to be top dog. Want to give me some of those strategies preemptively?

[Lily22200]

Also, to clarify, he has a very rigid schedule normally. 7:30 am--short walk and breakfast, 9:00 am---long walk (usually 30 minutes or more), 2:00 walk and lunch, 6:00 long walk (usually 30 minutes), 10:30 pm--walk. He goes in the crate if I am gone during the day but I never leave him in there by himself for more than 4 to 5 hours. (I'm a graduate student and am not working full time). He sleeps in the crate in our bedroom at night and has been good about being quiet throughout the whole night. Generally he begins to bark however right after the alarm goes off. He barks intermittently until we get up and start getting ready (very annoying!).