Our 5 yr. old weimaraner - totally housetrained - but sporadically will start peeing and/or pooping in the house. He was originally crate trained for 2 years - where he barked all day (we had complaints from neighbors) destroyed 3 metal crates (bloodying his mouth in the proices) and when we finally purchased a large airline crate , he proceeded to gnaw so much on that , that he bloodied his mouth & gums again. We are gone about 7 hours - most of the time he is fine, then he'll go on a fecal rampage for about a week, then stop.

We have a baby coming soon and I am nervous about that as well as he is VERY clingy to my wife...

HELP!

Your dog has separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety can come and go. Can be easy to deal with and can be a total nightmare. Separation Anxiety definitely will cause your dog to potty while you're gone and to rip apart crates and hurt himself while doing it.

Dogs are pack animals.. They enjoy the company of other dogs/people. You leaving him home alone with nothing to do 7 hours a day 5 days a week is causing him to go bonkers.

Think of it this way... Imagine your mother putting you in a room... with no form of entertainment, no interation from anyone for 7 hours a day. You'd go crazy. You'd fly off the handle.. You'd cry and you'd wreck things that could possibly hurt you.

You have a baby on the way... Are you going to leave your baby home alone for 7 hours a day? Or are you going to find babysitters?

Yes it's a dog.. Yes dogs do cope with a lot of things... But, he is screaming for help. He is trying to tell you that he doesn't want to be alone anymore. Unfortunately, dogs cannot express their loneliness the same way humans can. They can't tell you that they feel abandoned and left out... which is exactally what he is doing.

I have GSPs... A very distant cousin to your weimie.. They are very needy dogs. They love to be apart of the family and participate in every activity. Leaving him home alone for 7 hours a day.. 5 days a week is really not healthy for him... And you are witnessing this first hand.

You're having a baby.. YES you are going to have issues if you do not solve this problem NOW. He is going to feel more neglected, more ignored and more not apart of his pack when this baby arrives. He is going to act out worse and worse... I can almost bet money on it that he will.

Solution: You need to invest in doggy daycare... even if it is 1 or 2 times a week, it still breaks up his day. I wouldn't suggest to leave bones out or kongs unsupervised, but find toys that he can have that are fun. Leave the TV on or a radio. My dogs love watching Animal Planet. Make him tired, both mentally and physically. A tired dog is a happy dog. Find a good dog trainer, one that specializes in behavior problems, and start from the very beginning like he is a brand new puppy. Introduce the arrival of this baby slowly. Let him sniff EVERYTHING. Don't create a huge barrier between the baby and him... Every time he is near the baby, always supervise his reactions and what he is doing. Don't EVER leave ANY dog alone with an infant baby. Babies don't smell like humans. A lot of dogs don't know what to do with babies and that is where a lot of the aggression happens. To avoid this, don't make the baby mysterious, or an object that he can never interact with. You want to welcome him with your baby and make it a positive experience. A good trainer will take every step with you to ensure everything is done correctly.

I don't mean to scold you, but I see so many types of these situations fall apart. His behaviors are a result of human failure to give him everything that he needs. Now you need to restart and fix him.

And if you do by chance need to give him up, please choose rescue. These bird dogs do not do good in any type of shelter situation.

But please consider your dog. He was there before your baby... He needs to be given a chance.

You can try some simple behaviour modification tecniques. I do agree that doggy daycare would be a great idea as well as more excersise. Another thing you may want to look into is classes on introducing baby to your furry baby. With Separation anxiety, there is a greater chance he may react negativly towards the new arrival. You want to create a stress free environment for baby and dog! It's a lot of work, but millions of people happily co exisit with babies and dogs AND work full days. Don't get dicouraged by negativity.

I will post some tried and true methods for behaviour modification. But be warned it's boreing, and you may not see the point, but just remember it's your dogs mind frame that you need to change!
My dog has separation anxiety, if it weren't for these protocols for relaxation and deference, I wouldn't have a house standing.

Douglas Island Veterinary Service - Training (http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/bemod_relax.html)

Protocol for relaxation (http://dogscouts.org/Protocol_for_relaxation.html)

Here is some reading material on introducing baby to dog. Call your local animal shelter to see if they offer any classes as well. Try your vet too, and try and trainers in the area as well. Have you thought about obedience classes as well?

I like the second link the best.

Introducing Your Pet and New Baby : The Humane Society of the United States (http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/pets_babies.html)

Introducing Baby to the Family Dog (http://www.petfriendlyhouse.com/information/Children_Pets/introducing_baby_to_dog.aspx)

Good Luck! Any if there is anything more specific you would like to know, let us know! :)