[chill26]

I have two dashies.aged 2 and 1. Both are housebroken and we rarely have accidents. BUT if I leave my bedroom open my youngest will poop on the bed! Without fail (its a futon by the way 4cm off the floor). Nowhere else does this ever happen. And (I know its bad but... ) they sleep with me as hubby is shift worker.. I always wonder why she does this... the room is always closed now but I am itching to understand why she would do this. Oh and she has never done it when we are in bed.. just when no-one is around. Any ideas? Thank u

[shygrneyzs]

My oldest son had a basset hound that would do this to his bed when he went to school. Our vet told us that the dog experienced separation anxiety and that was why she would poop on his bed. Once we closed the door to the bedroom and kept the upstairs blocked off, she quit doing that.

There may be other reasons. Perhaps others have experiences in this.

[labman]

It is hard to say why dogs do things. I am afraid she is going to have to start spending her nights in a crate next to the bed. Who sleeps where is a big thing with dogs. Many people let their dog sleep with them with out any problems. Once a pack status issue comes up, the dog has to go. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm I don't know about all that site, but the top dog rules are very good.

A crate is a great tool for the dog owner. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
In a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at
Feeding time for more than one dog.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.