Help my 3 yr old Pitt Bull Stop crapping on the floor!

[Mnemonic]

Hello All,

I have a 3 year old pit bull, he was a stray dog we found last year. All around, he is the best dog any owner could ever ask for, he doesnt bark, get a bad temper, he snuggles with you at night, and is really playful and cute...

But there is one problem we have had since we got him. when we go away for a few hours, or when we are sleeping, he will sneak downstairs and crap on the carpet, in one spot, almost every day now... I have tried everything...

I dont know what to do... the constant feces in my house is really getting on my nerves and it has been a full year with this dog, and i have no progress to show for it.

What can i do?

 

[Renee750il]

Try leaving him in a small, dog proofed area, like a laundry or mud room, with some toys. He'll be a lot less likely to soil his area, and hopefully it will be an area without carpet, so that even if he does, it won't be a major deal to clean up.

Now, to address the underlying problem: it sounds like he has some separation anxieties. Try leaving a radio on - not too loud, and maybe give him an old T-shirt or blanket that's saturated with your smell to sleep with when you're gone. Also, get him a toy, like a puzzle ball or a Kong, that he only gets when you're gone.

Some people try to slip out and not let their dogs know they've left. I've never thought that was terribly practical - dogs are smarter than we give them credit for; they know! I always give mine some responsibility when I leave. I tell them to guard the house, tell Shiva to please try to behave and not steal anything, and tell Bimmer to try to keep the girls out of trouble. Of course, he looks at me and his face just says, "yeah - right!" The girls look at me with the "who, me?" face. (lol)

Anyway, try this and see how it goes. Keep us posted.

 

[Mnemonic]

Try leaving him in a small, dog proofed area, like a laundry or mud room, with some toys. He'll be a lot less likely to soil his area, and hopefully it will be an area without carpet, so that even if he does, it won't be a major deal to clean up.

Now, to address the underlying problem: it sounds like he has some separation anxieties. Try leaving a radio on - not too loud, and maybe give him an old T-shirt or blanket that's saturated with your smell to sleep with when you're gone. Also, get him a toy, like a puzzle ball or a Kong, that he only gets when you're gone.

Some people try to slip out and not let their dogs know they've left. I've never thought that was terribly practical - dogs are smarter than we give them credit for; they know! I always give mine some responsibility when I leave. I tell them to guard the house, tell Shiva to please try to behave and not steal anything, and tell Bimmer to try to keep the girls out of trouble. Of course, he looks at me and his face just says, "yeah - right!" The girls look at me with the "who, me?" face. (lol)

Anyway, try this and see how it goes. Keep us posted.

Renee - Thanks for the reply... when i am gone during the day at work, i leave the TV on animal planet and he doesnt soil the floor, but when we go to bed, he sleeps with us, and he gets up in the middle of the night and craps the floor.. I think a major problem is that he doesnt like to show his emotion through sound.. I rarely hear him bark (maybe 1 time over a span of 3 months) and an occasional whine.. if he whined that he had to go out, i would let him out. I dont want to leave my TV on 24/7... its not good for the TV or my electric bill.

I could confine him to the kitchen, where is is tiled, but I feel bad giving him so much freedom of a big house and then confining him after a year.

Thanks again,

Dan

 

[Renee750il]

That was a problem for Shiva; she didn't wake us up at night when she had to go.

You might want to try cutting off his food and only allowing a moderate of water after 6:00. After he's eaten that last food, spend some time getting him to play and exercise, even for just 10 or 15 minutes. About 30 minutes after that he should be ready to go. Take him out then and see if he goes in a reasonable amount of time. If this works, you're home free. If it doesn't, try confining him at night for awhile. When he's made it at least a week without an accident, give him the run of the house again. If he reverts, back to the small space. And - don't laugh - it never hurts to explain why he's having to sleep in the small room. They understand more than we give them credit for sometimes.