hi guys, any suggestions????? my 15mth old large breed dog has started to be dirty again!!! she has gone months without doing anything but after her recent season shes weeing AND pooing in the hse every other night!!! i know that when in season bitches need to wee more frequent - had this with another bitch, she had odd accident when in season until spayed - but this is now no laughing matter. she is far too old AND big to be having so many accidents. i've tried going back to basics - going outside with her to reward her for doing her stuff - but she just sits at my feet or wants to play, she refuses to "poo" in public so late night walkies are of no use either. i've tried feeding her earlier in the day, and feeding her later in the day, feeding her twice a day, once a day, all to no avail.! i have other dogs of the same breed who are older & their all clean. i have never had this problem b4 so i am at a loss now of what to do next. i have also - so not to blame the wrong dog -  set up a camera in the kitchen where they sleep to be sure it is her who is being dirty. she knows shes done wrong when shes dirted in the hse cos she wont look at me or get out of her box when i enter the room in the morning. the only way i can be sure of her being clean all night is to let her upstairs at night, there she'll sleep at my bedside all night long - but - the other dogs howl if they cant come up also - and if they do then the snoring is horrendous and no human gets any sleep !!!!!!!
Any suggestions folks?????????

Hello,
First of all I would change your topic title, I don't think many people are responding because it just sounds like your bitch is rollin in the dirt and bringing it inside! ahahah..

But for the question at hand, I am sorting having the same problem with my 11mth old lab. He just suddenly starting peeing inside the house, got him checked out and they said that they can't find anything wrong with him, so no UTI. They believe and so do I that it is a behavioral thing. (There are other dogs inside the house as well) I am no expert by any means, but that is what it sounds like. You stated that it is only when she's in the kitchen with the other dogs that she "dirties" the kitchen, not sleeping with you. Which seems to futher the thought that it could be behavioral. I would make an appointment with the vet and see what he/she has to has. Sorry that I'm not much help, but I understand your frustration. I'll google it and see what comes up but until then, Good Luck!
~Remi's Mom

thanks for your reply Remi_sMom .
ive bin to see the vet & his suggestion was  - 'back to basics' - which is something ive bin doing, rewarding her for doin her stuff etc..
regards mabs.x

Have you ever told her off or shouted at her for dirtying in the house?

Some of the things you said suggested to me you have: "she knows shes done wrong" and "she wont look at me or get out of her box" and she refuses to "poo" in public".

By 'in public' do you mean, in front of you, or outside your house in front of other people and off your property?

Dogs don't 'know they've done wrong'.  But they can tell when you are angry.  So, she poos in the house, several hours pass, you come in and see the poo and are angry.  She knows you are angry and to appease your anger, she acts submissively.  It doesn't mean that she knows what she has done, just that she knows you are angry.  The fact that she won't look at you or get out of the box means that she is afraid of your anger, not that she knows she has done wrong. 

Some dogs 'learn' that they shouldn't toilet in front of their owners, because every time they did so (inside), their owner shouted at them and was angry.  So these dogs then run behind trees or bushes to toilet.  Because instead of learning 'I must not toilet in the house', they have learnt 'I must not toilet in front of my owner'....

I would suggest you do several things.  First, mop the whole floor with biological washing liquid mixed with water.  Every time there is a mess, clean it up with biological washing liquid.  Dogs have a good sense of smell and once they have started to toilet inside, it smells like a 'toilet' to them, even if it doesn't to us.  So they go there again and so on.  To break the cycle, you need to use biological washing liquid that will digest the enzymes in the wee/poo and stop it smelling like a toilet.  (Bleach and most disinfectants don't work like this and leave a smell of ammonia.)

Second, keep doing what you're doing with the rewards when she goes outside.

Third, ignore any messes inside and just clean them up.

Fourth, think about using a crate.  Older dogs can be crate trained too, and the useful thing about crates is that dogs are reluctant to soil their "bed", so they usually won't go inside the crate.  If you use the crate for long enough (several months), that should be long enough to break the cycle, and if you then stop using it, hopefully the dog still won't go inside.

yes, i have told her off for dirtying in the hse. but i'm no ogre, but i do appreciate and understand what your saying. it just gets very frustrating, but your dead right, she doesnt no shes done wrong shes just scared of my reaction now.
she doesnt poo while were out walking, but she will poo in front of me outside at home occasionally. she just doesnt seem to like to do her business with anyone [dog/human] around really.
ive been using biological washing liquid on the floor, it has helped before when she was a little puppy but obviously this isnt the problem now, its like youve said shes learnt not to do in front of me. having not had this problem with any dog b4 ive really gone about it the wrong way havent i? [dont you just annoy yourself sometimes!!!! ive been a complete prat]
i will from now on ignore what she does, and ill carry on rewarding her for going outside.
if all this fails ill try the crate method!
thanks for your comments they made a lot of sense.
regards mabs.

Yes, this is one of the main problems when people tell their dogs off for toileting.  The dog often becomes too scared to toilet in front of them, so the dog then saves it all up for a long time and waits for you to go away.  But when you've gone, the dog is usually in a place where it's not allowed to toilet (ie inside).  So, the bursting dog then has to toilet there.

It's hard to say, online, if this is what's happened, but from what you say it would be my bet.

I think, to reverse or undo this, you have to make a HUGE fuss and treats and praise and have a game with a tuggy or something outside, every time your dog goes in front of you outside.  (And pick the poo up after you've had the game, if you can manage not to stand in it LOL).  That way hopefully this huge positive response will help to undo some of the negativity which is causing the problem.  And try to increase the chances of the dog going in front of you by walking on lead until the dog has toileted.

i'm inclined to agree with you 123.  i think this negativity around her going is now the problem.  i feel awful now, but when a dog has been clean for such a long time its difficult to understand why suddenly it stops. i didnt tell her off initially as i thought it was just part of her season - and needing to go more often - and maybe the fireworks as they start round here from sept. onwards. i only told her off after it had happened many times.
i'm not a natural shouter or aggresive person i'm a true Libra - very amicable and fare, but this doesnt stop me having control over my dogs, as they are large dogs its important that i can control them and they are obediant, i respect them & they respect me - their all very well behaved and i am able to walk them all together even though just one of them weighs as much as me. training them has been relatively easy as they are all driven by food and their love of it!!
i will use this love of food again now to try and undo whats gone wrong. i cant beleive that ive allowed all the hard work to be undone, it has happened so quickly.
shes a lovely dog in every way. and i'm determined to sort this quickly, especially now i've been put on the right track thanks to u 123.
regards mabs

Has this happened recently? Reason I ask is, dogs around October/November time often become wary of fireworks and daren't spend much time outside doing normal poos etc...and may then end up doing them in the house.

Sometimes the brand of food can affect when a dog goes, and how much.

Lots of other possible reasons such as:

medical conditions (many - including, congenital and anatomical malformation, endocrine disorders, neurological problems), age related problems, environmental change, incomplete house training and faulty learning, breed type, inadequate management by owner, substrata preference, excitement, fear, submission, status with other dogs, attention seeking, anxiety, bacterial and viral problems, obstructions, food allergies/intolerrance,changes in gastro intestinal mobility, and so on!

So, it's often best to have a chat with the vet and then, if all is still unfathomable, contact a reputable behaviourist who may be able to solve the puzzle and give management techniques etc. I do agree with 123 though, if she's now associating going with being told off (and it seems as if this may be the case due to the reaction of not wanting to go with you there) then you can probably solve it by the methods outlined :)

Good luck
Lindsay
x

hi lindsay
yes i do think that the fireworks have added to this problem. and i have thought that i'd change her food possibly?
i'll try 123 's suggestions and see how we go. if this doesnt work i'll be visiting the vets like you advised.
thanks for your suggestions.
regards mabs.