[Pita526]

I have a 19 week old Shih-Poo and she poops on my bedroom carpet every single morning! I have trained her to go potty on her pads. She has 1 in the master bathroom and one in the kitchen. Every morning when my alarm goes off, I find poop on the carpet! I don't get why she's doing it. She doesn't have any accidents at all during the day or evenings. My husband thinks she gets upset that she knows I'm getting ready to leave the house. How do I get her to stop doing this? :confused: I thought about locking her in her crate at night until she learns to stop having these "accidents" but she hates her crate and barks non-stop. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.

[alkalineangel]

I used to have a dog that would poop on the bed any time we would leave for an extended period (more than an hour or so) It is very possible this can be the issue. They don't like it when their owners leave... but there are dog people here who will have more reasons as to why... Ill leave it to them for a better answer... lol.

[kkwright]

Dogs are not capable of spite, nor do they understand the idea of "mom is going to be leaving in an hour so I'll poop now"

Best thing you can do is get rid of the potty pads altogether AND start using the crate. The potty pads will only teach the dog to go in the house and not outside.

As for the crate, she will bark and whine at first but you have to just COMPLETELY ignore her when she does this. If you give her any attention at all for the barking/whining, even looking at her, this is what she wants so she will just continue it. Remember, dogs only learn by cause and effect. She barks, you pay attention, therefore she will keep barking. If you ignore her, she will quickly figure out that barking is not getting her what she wants.

If you think she actually needs to go out, wait until she is quiet, even if it's just for a few seconds, before you let her out. When she goes outside, treat, treat, treat, praise, praise, praise.

You may have a couple of sleepless nights but it will be well worth it in the end.

At 19 weeks, that may be a bit young for her to hold it all night, depending on your sleep schedule. What time do you feed her. Try not giving her any food after 6pm, then make sure she goes out right before bedtime.

Goodluck!

[labman]

Your post makes it obvious who is in charge now. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. 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 Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss The top dog rules are more for older dogs. Here are some things meant for ones more your dog's age:

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.

I am not completely sure dogs never do things for spite, but don't over stress as a factor. Your own stress can cause your dog physical problems.

I agree on going back to the crate when you can't watch her. There are some things in the sticky that may help starting at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802