Hi, I have a 4 year old dog that has pooped/peed in the house occasionally at night when we are upstairs. Recently she has been going practically every other day in the house. We have a steam cleaner and clean the area. When I wake up in the morning she already knows she's been bad by the behavior she presents me. I don't know what to do. I know she is house broken because she only does it at night when we are not around. Oh, a note they have a doggie door so this shouldn't be an issue. Any ideas?

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Originally Posted by chimaan

hi, I have a 4 year old dog that has pooped/peed in the house occassionally at night when we are upstairs. Recently she has been going practically every other day in the house. We have a steam cleaner and clean the area. When I wake up in the morning she already knows shes been bad by the behavior she presents me. I dont know what to do. I know she is house broken because she only does it at night when we are not around. oh, a note they have a doggie door so this shouldnt be an issue. any ideas?

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She must really be upset with you for some reason. Did you just come back from vacation after leaving her somewhere?

I am having trouble figuring out just what is happening. Start with a complete vet check explaining the problem. Is it urinating, bowel movement, or both? ''They''? Do you have more than one dog? How old and what sex is it? Are the dogs fixed? Even if I had the answer to all those questions, I still might not have much more than to suggest it is your pack structure.

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

I didn't explain myself well, sorry. Nothing has changed. We are the alphas but she has always been a bit stubborn, think it's the breed. I have 3 other dogs and none of them have ever gone to the bathroom in the house past their first year. I just don't know what to do with this one. I am at my wits end.

Even though you think the doggy door isn't an issue, it may be. Dogs aren't loners. They need to be with their packs. She might not like the idea of going outside all by herself at night without having another one of her pack stand guard for her. If none of the other dogs make a late night potty run, then she might be holding it in past the point of no return. Some dogs, like humans, just can't hold it as long as others. Try going outside with her as late as possible and going out with her as early as possible in the morning. If this doesn't resolve the problem, I would do as labman suggests. Take her in for a check up with the vet.

Dogs' behavior usually stabilizes after 3 years. Still RPB's idea is worth trying. Not just out, but some activity to stimulate the body.

Yes, labman, the activity is a vital part of it. Chimaan that is something that does need to be done.

The fact that this dog has a life history of doing this on an irregular basis and now is starting to do it every night is very difficult to evaluate on the surface here. Chimaan, my thoughts are that maybe at one point, some nights either she was able to go out later or some mornings she was able to go out earlier and/or she was able to hold it for the most part. Now, after 4 years, even though she is not that old, she might not be able to hold it anymore or the potty times may have changed? Who knows? Trying to adjust the potty schedule might help. It might be that she never really made the connection at night in the first place, when you thought she did. Or, there just might be a problem and she should be given a thorough check up by the vet. If it is only urinating, maybe she has a UTI. If it is defecating and nothing seems wrong with it, something else is going on, whether it is physical or psychology is hard to evaluate here. Maybe she is telling you that she needs more attention and exercise than she is getting.

Is the dog a daschund?
Crate the dog at night or leave it outside