[Jasten00]

I have a 7 year old border collie min pin mix. He has been peeing and pooping in the house recently (in the same general area) and I am not sure how to get it to stop. He has done it off an on for years: he will go weeks without doing it and then suddenly start again. This time it doesn't seem like it is going away. It seems like it may be two issues: 1. he will pee and poop if my husband and I are both working late and 2. it seems to be anxiety related and he will do it while we are home, but I can't figure out what set him off to do it. I clean it well with Natures Miracle, but he keeps doing it. Any ideas of how to stop it?

[Alty]

How often is allowed to be outside to pee and poo?

How long have you had him?

How often do you take him for walks?

What is his feeding schedule? When is he walked after feeding?

How long is he left alone at home while you work? Is he walked before work?

I need to have the answers to these questions before I can give you an accurate answer. :)

[Jasten00]

I have had him since he was 7 weeks. He goes out at least once every hour or two usually, some days less, he is good at letting us know when he needs to or wants to go outside- he enjoys it out there.
He goes out on a chain in the yard and then for a short walk within an hour of when I leave for work (I work at 3 PM).

He eats in the morning and afternoon (I am not typically home in the evening to feed him). And he goes outside usually right away or at least within 30 minutes.

He seems to have more issues on days my husband is home later, he would be along for 6-6.5 hours.He has not had a problem going that long before.

I have talked with a vet and it did not seem like it was a medical problem as it is sporatic.

I have been trying a calming tablet in case in part it is anxiety related, but have not noticed any improvement.

[Alty]

I'm going to post something, and I'm hoping that when you hear it, you won't get defensive. I have to add that I understand having to work, having no choice, and not being able to spend 24/7 with your dog.

As soon as you said "border collie min pin mix", my first thought was that this dog isn't getting enough exercise or stimulation. If you had a more laid back breed then what you're doing, your lifestyle, would be fine. But with a border collie mix, it's a recipe for disaster.

No matter what you mix a border collie with, the border collie breed will be dominant. Border collies are very active dogs. Thankfully they're also very intelligent dogs. But, they're bred to work, and no matter what you mix them with, that working gene is dominant. They are bred to herd, to work, to spend 16 plus hours a day doing very hard labor. To have a border collie sitting around most of the day, not a lot of exercise (walks aren't enough for this breed), is asking for trouble.

I would bet (this is not a diagnosis, because I can't give one), that this issue is due to boredom, lack of stimulation.

If you've ruled out physical ailments from your vet, then that's what makes sense.

So, something has to give. Your dog isn't happy. He's peeing (again, this is my guess based on what you posted, it's not a diagnosis), and as a result he's being destructive. He could eat your living room sofa, but instead, he's defecating in your home. This is his only way to tell you that he's not happy.

Being a family with two working adults myself, and also having a lot of experience with the border collie breed (all 3 of my border collie's, the newest is 10 weeks old, have been mixes), I do know a bit about what you're going through.

First step is to re-establish potty training. A firm no when he potty's inside. Confirm what he knew, that outside is where he's supposed to go. When he goes outside (this requires you going with him, even if it's in the yard), then a lot of praise. He's an older dog, potty training has been established in the past, so he should catch on again very quickly. No hitting, no yelling, do not punish if he has an accident in the house. Just a no, then outside, use a potty word, and then party time when he goes outside.

Next step is to satisfy his breed. Give him a job. Instead of just going for a walk, take him to a field (if he's well trained and comes by command), and throw a ball for him. Yes, fetch. It's really as simple as that. Throw the ball for as long as he's willing to go get it and bring it back.

Hide a bone in the yard, or an old shirt that belongs to you. Don't let him see it. Then get him to find it. When he does, huge reward!

He's not a very young dog, and probably would not be able to compete, but, agility training would also be great for his border collie mix breed. Border collies, and border collie mixes, do very well in agility, because of their intelligence and stamina. They don't tire easily, which is why they're better suited for people with very active lifestyles, or a working farm.

You have to make sure he's stimulated. I have two dogs right now, a beagle (that breed may well be the death of me. Love him to death, but talk about stubborn, and even though I love him so much, I have to say, beagles aren't a very intelligent breed). So loveable, but dumber than a sack of rocks. Sorry Chewy. Love you anyway! :)

I also have a border collie mix. He's 10 weeks old (wait, actually he's coming on 11 weeks). We got him at 8 weeks. In the few weeks we've had him he's completely crate trained, almost fully potty trained, and walks at a heel perfectly. Smart breed. But, I know (because my other two dogs which we lost not that long ago, one 16 years old, the other 10 1/2, were both border collie mixes) that he will need to be challenged, he'll need a job. Even though hubby works, I work, we have 2 kids, 2 dogs, 4 rabbits, a bird, and two fish, we're getting our new baby, Rascal, into agility. It's a must. That breed can't be a good dog if it's forced to sit at home all day. Your dog needs a job, or a challenge. Something.

That's my advice to you. :)

[Jasten00]

Thank you that makes sense. Do you have any suggestions for when we find the pee/poop after the fact. Should I bring him to the spot to deliver a firm no, or in a dogs mind is it forgotten? We always discover it once we are home from work or the next day when we have daylight to see a urine spot.
And do you have suggestions for inside jobs to give him? If only he could clean and do the laundry!

[Alty]

If they could clean and do laundry I'd have a dozen dogs! ;)

Border collies, and dogs mixed with border collies, aren't really fans of the great indoors. They're outdoor dogs, bred to work outdoors. It will be hard to keep him satisfied inside. He needs room to run, room to stretch his legs, and inside just doesn't provide that.

Do you have an offleash area near you? Is he good off leash? If you do, I'd take him there, unclip the leash, bring a ball, and let him play fetch for an hour. An hour off leash is worth a 3 hour walk on leash. Let him stretch his legs. Fetching will give him a bit of a job to do. Agility would be the best, but he's 7, so I don't know if it would be wise to start him now. But, I do know a few people that started their dogs in agility when they were older, and they loved it. Something to think about, but training isn't cheap, and it takes a lot of time.

If you find a spot that's already done, ignore it, clean it up. If you catch him in the act then a firm "no", and take him directly outside. Stop him mid stream or mid poo if you catch him at it. Don't get angry, just let him know that's not okay, and then show him what is okay.

Is he crate trained?