I don't get this because when my husband gets up he lets the dogs out and before he leaves he lets the dogs out and our poodle always poops outside, but he manages to squeeze one more out after my husband leaves and then runs and hides under the bed.
Now my poodle is two years old and potty trained, why the sudden change in behavior. (I've known poodles in the past to poop out of spite, it seems to be a poodle thing. I've never known a breed to do something like that other than the poodle)
Also we have a baby on the way so this behavior ofcourse we need to stop before we move into our new place (So exactly 4 weeks).
How can we go about correcting this?also both dogs, Poodle and Terrier mix. Don't sleep in their crates. Our terrier has a bed next to our bed and our poodle sleeps at the end of our bed. Both dogs have been doing this since they were each about 10 months old.
My husband feels with the new baby coming we should start crating them again at night. Atleast until the baby is older. The babys bed will be in our room at first and he thinks we should crate the dogs in the living room.
I feel kind of bad about it.
Is that the best decision? If so when do we go about starting this? When we move that way they think its just a new place thing?
(the dogs have been allowed on the furniture their whole lives by the way)
thanks
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I don't believe any dog does this out of spite, though stress is a distinct possibility, and poodles are great at picking up vibes, realizing that something is different, but not knowing what.
First step would be to prevent this- don't allow him access to where he has been pooping when your husband is leaving, and make sure you have completely gotten rid of any scent. Since you're moving in 4 weeks, I'd just continue this through the moving period. You might want to crate him, or just gate him from the area.
Start developing a routine for after the baby comes home- even taking the dogs on a walk with a pram or carriage. You can play crying noises so the dogs are used to this strange new noise, though they may react to the actual baby even so. Some dogs become very insistent about crying babies- pawing and otherwise letting the adult humans know that the baby is in distress. And on a completely disgusting note, many dogs love the taste of dirty diapers, both on and off the kids, so keep the diaper genie or whatever behind a gate, figure out where that will be now, and if the dog starts paying attention to your baby's diaper, its probably time for a change! And you'll know that, because dogs and babies are NEVER to be left alone together unsupervised, and that includes up until the kid is 5 or 6 years old.
I do think that crating them at night would be a good idea, but I'd prefer to crate them closer to you, preferably in the same room if that is where they are used to sleeping. If not, is there a hallway? You could crate them in your room for right now until the move, then in a hallway or nearby room. This is also a time to brush up on their obedience and general behavior- before the baby comes home.
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- It IS a good idea. And as far as the morning poop session...don't allow it to happen. Pick the dog up and put him in the crate...or take him outside. Just go back to "housebreaking 101".
- It's a stress thing.
Your husband needs to be calm when he's leaving and coming home, and not make a big fuss over the dogs at that time.
The dog should be crated when he leaves, then taken outside immediately when you get up.
He is stressed about your hubby leaving, and also about the changes taking place in the house (preparation for new baby, preparation for move).
Crating when they can't be supervised around the baby is definitely a good idea. - Starting tonight, have the dogs start sleeping in crates in the living room, and get them used to being pets, not kids. This way, when the baby is born, they'll be used to being just pets, and there'll be no jealousy where the baby is concerned. The pets need to know they are NOT on equal footing with the baby. The baby comes first.
Do it now, before you move, because moving is headache enough as it is. As for the dogs on the furniture, that's fine. It really has nothing to do with the situation at hand.
Add: "What if I just crate him for 10 minutes for the accident. he already hates the crate still not sure why."
That would be using the crate as punishment. Not a good idea. Start crating them at night, get them used to it, and you won't have to have that headache, on top of the zillion other headaches you'll have with being pregnant and moving.
Add: You can report the person, but there's nothing stopping them from creating a new account and answering your questions again. Just ignore them. This is just the internet, anyway, so no need in getting upset over what some stranger over the internet says. - Ok. Lets be clear. Just to make sure you know, this is NOT a matter of bowel problems or actually having to go to the bathroom for your dog. This is severe separation anxiety issues. You husband could let the dog out all morning long, and that dog would still poop on the carpet because he's pissed.
Also to be perfectly clear, this is NOT just a Poodle thing. Many dogs do this out of spite and it's not always an issue from the get-go. Yes, small dogs may have more of a tendency toward this type of behavior, but that's usually related to bladder control when excited. So don't blame it on the breed.
Your Poodle is upset. Believe it or not, dogs are a lot more intuitive than you might realize. I'm sure they realize that there is something going on. You have a baby on the way AND your moving in 4 weeks!? That's a lot for any dog to handle. I'm sure the household is going through changes, routines may be slightly different, and even if not, dogs can simply play off of our emotions. If you have nervous or excited energy about these coming changes, it could easily make the dog nervous.
Chances are, if you don't work on this (and work on it HARD) right now, it's going to get WAY out of hand when you throw a new baby and new house into the mix. That's going to be very difficult for an anxious dog to deal with.
Here's some steps you can take to correct the problem. Keep in mind, this takes consistency and dedication. This isn't something you can fix overnight. Your dog is stressed so you're going to have to work extra hard to make her feel safe and trusting toward you and your husband.
1.) It sounds like you're still home when the dog does this after your husband leaves? Do you just watch it happen? You need to just stop it from happening. All you'd have to do is completely distract the dog before your husband leaves and for a bit after. Take it for a walk, give it some treats, play...just don't let it obsess over your husband leaving and certainly do not allow it to bark and then even get over the spot where he normally poops*. Just grab him and put him outside if anything, but simply DON'T LET him keep doing the same thing. If he behaves, give him a treat or a special toy each time. Also, try to have your husband leave through different doors if possible. It may confuse the dog just enough that he doesn't think he's leaving.
*If he does poop inside again, grab him before he can run upstairs, give him a stern "NO" and scoop up the poop. Take it and him outside and put the poop in the spot where he should be going outside.
2.) Be sure you thoroughly spray the spot where he keeps going with some type of dog spray. NOT a deodorizer, something from your local pet store that actually deters dogs and keeps them away. If you want, you could even buy a cheap old throw rug, douse it in the "Dog Off" stuff and put it in that spot just to throw him off.
3.) Whatever you do, don't yell at the dog for being upset. It will only make it worse. Yes, you can discipline him for pooping in the house, but when he is barking and upset, it's only going to make it worse for you to yell.
4.) I know this sounds harsh too, but for the time being, you may want to try giving the dog something a while before your husband leaves. They sell over-the-counter calming herbs for dogs that are mild, or you could try Benadryl (ask your vet for the proper dosage). This may help break the habit and aid in the overall transition. They also sell what's called a D.A.P. diffuser or "dog appeasing pheromone diffuser." You can Google it, but basically what it is is an "air freshener" type thing that is supposedly the smell that mothers release to their puppies to calm them. You may try having that plugged in near the door.
5.) Also, does he do this ONLY when your husband leaves for work? If so, practice having your husband leave little by little. Like start early on the weekend, go through the motions, but have your husband "leave" and then come right back in and give the dog a treat (assuming he hasn't already ****). Gradually increase the amount of time he does this until the dog doesn't always freak out.
6.) Now this is important. You MUST keep the dogs routine as NORMAL as humanly possible! If you have a baby and move into a new house, the LAST thing you want to do is make the poor thing feel like he's being further punished by crating him at night. There is no reason to do this. Especially in the living room! The poor things would probably howl all night if not become destructive. DO NOT DO THAT! If you MUST, get the Poodle it's own bed next to your like the Terrier mix and let them both stay in the room. The more things you change for the dog, the harder it's going to be to keep it calm and well-behaved. The dogs are already going to feel jealous and neglected at first, so pushing them further away is the worst thing you can do. Introducing a new home and a new baby is going to be difficult. You have to treat the
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