HELP!!! 1 1/2 yr old dog pooping inside!

[Eastcoastwesty]

My Westie is 1 1/2 yrs old, and potty trained, or so we thought. Lately he has been pooping and peeing inside, although we take him out 3 times a day. We have now increased to 5 times per day, and that does not help. Is it canine "adolecent defiance" as I have read? We do not spank him or rub his nose in it, or otherwise punish him. Our current strategy is to keep him under close supervision at all times, and in the crate when supervision is not available, and if we catch him in the act, make a loud noise to get his attention, and take him outdoors to finish. Every time we put him in his crate, he cries, moans, and howls like the world is coming to an end. We took him to the vet recently, so there is not a health problem causing it. What am I doing wrong?

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

I would first make sure there are no health problems, which it sounds like you did.

I don't think your dog is being an unruly teenager. I think he just isn't properly house trained. It sounds like you are going about things right. Close, close supervision. Every time he is able to eliminate in the house, he learns that doing so is ok. You can leash him to your side if that helps. At all other times he should be crated to prevent accidents. Another thing that people always seem to forget is to reward for eliminating in the right spot. After he has done his business in the yard, give him a big yummy treat for a job well done.

As for the crate noises, all you can do is ignore them. This is part of crate training (the big bad ugly part ). If you so much as look at him while he is making a fuss, he is rewarded for the behavior. One thing I found that made crate training easier for me was stuffing kongs. This way the dog regarded the crate as a good place to be (associated it with food) and it kept him busy.

Good luck and let us know how things go