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swwaltw · Aug 17, 2012, 05:32 PM

We adopted a mix breed from a neighbors mother about two years ago. She peed and pooped in our house the first night she stayed with us and then we didn't have any trouble from her again. We kept her inside (not crated or anything) and had a fenced in yard that she would go out with the kids in throughout the day. We never thought about if she needed to use the bathroom, she always just went to the backdoor and we would let her out, then she would come back to the door to come back in. No problems. We recently bought a new house and the backyard is not fenced in yet so she stays inside all the time unless we are walking her outside on leash. I walk her every 2-3 hours and stay out as long as she needs until she potties. Regardless, she pees and poops on our basement floor even though we are all at home just upstairs, or sometimes right there by her. Sometimes it is within 30 minutes of taking her out. She doesn't whine or scratch or tell us in any way that she needs to potty. She just sneaks off and uses the carpet. I have spent the last few weeks crating her unless she was on a leash with me until today when I gave her some freedom. I had just taken her out and she peed and then she acted done so I brought her inside. I went upstairs and left her unleashed and within minutes she had pooped in the basement! What do I do? If we can't get this under control we will have to re-home her!! Really don't want it to come to this.

joypulv · Aug 17, 2012, 05:37 PM

Close off as many rooms as it takes for a while, especially the basement. Many pets view and smell basements, garages, sheds, warehouses as 'outside' and OK to use for a toilet. I moved in mid May and still have to close off rooms. Also if there were previous pets there, there may be left over smells from them going in the basement.

Alty · Aug 17, 2012, 05:39 PM

Dogs don't do well with change. Moving is a major change, her schedule has been disrupted.

She used to scratch at the door and be let out to potty. That's not happening now. So now she has no idea what's expected of her. Walks are great, but she was never trained to potty on walks, she was trained to potty in the fenced in yard, and that's no longer available.

Give her time. She need to adjust, and right now, the best thing you can do is be positive, and give her tons of praise when she does potty outside. When she potties inside a firm "no", the put on her leash and take her outside, say your potty word, and wait until she potties, even if it takes hours. She needs to learn what you want her to do in this new home.

Many people think that once a dog is potty trained, that's it, it's a done deal. That's not the fact. Let me put it to you this way. Have you ever been to Iran? I haven't, but I do know that many bathrooms in Iran are merely a hole in the floor. Hit or miss. Aim for the hole, and hope for the best.

So, let's say you live in the US, you have a toilet, all the bells and whistles like toilet paper, a toilet seat, things that flush. Then you move to Iran and you get a hole in the floor. Would you instantly adapt, or would you look at that hole and think "what the hell am I supposed to do with that? How do I pee in that? OMG! How do I poo? It's a hole in the ground!"

You would likely figure it out, but it would take time.

For your dog it's even worse, because she really can't figure it out on her own. You need to show her what to do now that her fancy toilet has been taken away and she's left with a hole in the ground. :)