# Poops on the carpet!



## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

My Gabby is 5 months. She is trained to go on weewee pads. When we are home she goes on the paper both pee and poop but when we go to work she pees on the paper and poops on the carpet. We have the bathroom floor covered with 4 large weewee pads where she goes to the bathrooom even when we are home. In the morning before we leave I put down brand new pads. She only has the bathroom and the hallway to herself while alone. We put up a gate to close her off from the rest of the house. I have sprayed the carpet with natures miracle thinking maybe there was a lingering smell which is why she keeps pooping there. I even moved the gate and gave her more room and she still poops on the carpet when we are not home. Generally she does it close to the gate I noticed after I moved the gate and gave her more room. The next day she had poop next to the new spot where the gate was located. What should I do?? We give her treats when she does a good job but she never has mistakes when we are home it is just when we are out. Help!


----------



## Johita (Jul 10, 2009)

Praise, praise, praise ("good girl"! - then give her a treat) when she poops and pees on the wee-wee pad so that she realizes its a good thing to go there. She's still a baby so she's not 100% there yet. Also, when out pups use wee-wee pads they often mistake carpets and other square shaped objects on the floor for pads - it just takes a lot of patience and praising.


----------



## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

Is the carpet only in your hallway? I would consider gating/closing her only into the bathroom and not giving her access to the hallway while you're gone if that's the case. She really doesn't need a lot of room; she probably just sleeps for most of the time you're gone, anyway, and you don't want her teaching herself that carpet is an acceptable place to soil while you're away.


----------



## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

I have carpet in my entire house. Except for the kitchen and bathroom. I praise her with a treat each time she does pee and poop on the paper when we are home. She never makes mistakes. We watch her but she has free range of the entire house now when we are home because if she has to go she runs to the bathroom where her pads are to take care of business. Her bladder seems to be able to hold it long enough to make it there. So we gave her freedom but always watch her every move. When she was smaller we would leave her in the bathroom only while at work but since its a small bathroom she would step all over her poop and it was a disaster. She would also scratch the wall and paint started to peal and in parts where we have wallpaper she started taking that off too. I gave her a little more room after she learned better which is a small hallway. That is where I am running into the problem. My Shih Tzu learned very quickly and knew better than to step all over her own poop. Ugghh Gabby is just a little special when it comes to her bathroom habits. I appreciate the feedback and ideas with this. How long does it generally take with this breed? I am just a little worried in comparison to my first dog which is now 4 years old. This one just doesnt get it and I am following the same methods I did with my first and still having a rough time.


----------



## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

My pup, Leila is going to be 6 months this week and has been extremely good with her pad, both when I'm home and when we have to leave. I think where you may be running into issues is giving her too much freedom too soon. Since you have wee wee pads, I'm sure you know how tiny their little pee spots can be. It is possible that she could be peeing a few drops here and there throughout your carpet and you wouldn't know it unless you are following her every move throughout the house. I try to keep Leila in the same room as me, with a pee pad near me, so I can make sure I praise her verbally while she uses her pad and then with a treat immediately after. She likes the attention, so sometimes she will run over and try to squeeze a little out even if it's a tiny bit. 

Maltese can be a challenge to potty train (as with lots of toy breeds), but everyone has told me that it's all about consistency. You can't give a pup that's still so young free reign of the house until they are 100% pad trained. You might want to consider getting a black light and looking for spots throughout your house/hallway so you can remove any possible scent she could be returning to. I know you said you used Nature's Miracle, but it will be easier to treat if you can SEE where the spots are. I'm sure you'll figure it out. 

Oh, one more thing. Maybe you could set up an ex-pen in your kitchen or bathroom so she is confined but cannot damage your wallpaper, etc.


----------



## Delilahs Mommy (Nov 22, 2009)

My entire house is carpet as well, except for kitchen/dining area.Delilah, while she 99.9% pees and poops on her pee pad. She will go poop in one of the kids room if they leave the door open and she pretty much has free range of the house. (kitchen/dining/livingroom/hallway) As long as the bedroom doors are closed, she does fine. Leave one open and you will certainly find a surprise sometimes.

I suggest placing a plastic trash bag under the pee pads. This is what I do to give some extra space, since the majority of the time, Delilah will pee on the edges of the pad. Also, if you can not supervise her, then maybe keep her in the one area until you get home, so she doesn't have access to the carpeted areas. If Delilah isn't with me and I have to leave her home, then I make sure she pottys and then I put her in her crate till I get home.

Just keep being consistant, she will get it, and it sounds like for a 5 month old she is doing good. Maybe some of these Malts need to come teach my 3 yr old Sheltie some potty training manners. I have tried and tried and will not let her have free roam of the house, she will definately pee somewhere!


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

i agree that maybe u r giving her a bit too much space when u r not home.. dolce is maybe 98%-99% wee wee pad trained , he gets treats most of the times and praise lately since he knows i give him more praise then treats , he will play all over n will go pee poop in his wee wee pad , we used to use two now we use one. he will sometimes pee too close to the edge.. 

he did leave a surpsrise under the boys beds and ive noticed thats when he has too much freedom n forgets he has to go n by then its too late.. and my dolce is 6 months today !!! wow just realized that !!!! 

i think ur baby is doing good , maybe when u go out just give her less freedom.. i have my dolce in the kitchen w a baby gate when i go to work.


----------



## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You need to greatly reduce her space. I would gate her in the bathroom, pads on 1 half, bed and water on the other. No carpet. 

Dogs are specific to the type of surface they go on. Absorbent soft surfaces are usually a favorite. Hence, carpet feels good. You must prevent accidents until your dog is very consistent and then add space in small increments. 

Keep in mind your dog is not learning to hold his/her urine and bowels by allowing free access to potty 24/7.


----------



## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

patricia20 said:


> Well try to teach him, whenever he poops spank him and tell him no. You need to watch the puppy all the time for signs that he needs to go to the bathroom.


I apologize to the OP, as I know you would NEVER consider the above reccommendation.

Patricia, a hand should NEVER be used to spank a pup or dog. Never not ever. No rubbing their nose in their mistake, none of it. All you will create is a very anxious upset pup, who will then become afraid of the human hand, and will have no idea in the world that he or she is being treated in that manner. That is abuse plain and simple. If a person is thinking of getting a pup or even an older dog, perhaps, some training for the pet owners to be, on how to potty train their loving pet.

To the OP, you received wonderful advice. Lesson their options. A bed to sleep (which they will generally never have an accident where they sleep) food and water, and wee pads. I have found the highest success with the pads from Personally Paws. They are washable and Mia and Leo were the easist to train using these.

I always tell a new pet owner, expect oooopsies, they will happen. If you don't catch them while they are making the mistake, their is nothing you can do, but to clean it up. Leo came to me fully potty trained, which was shocking. Mia had her ooopsies. And if I caught her, I calmly picked her up and placed her on the pad, and when she finished I praised her.

I would also liked to point out, that when these precious ones become Seniors, and come down with an ailment, that may result in a potty mistake, as in the case of my Flakey, one time he had major diarerra, with blood in it, and the poor thing hid behind the dining room table, while he could not hold it. Poor thing. We rushed him to the ER and took care of that aliment, and cleaned it up and gave him nothing but love and care.

It's just a matter of patience and love.

Patricia, I am quite shocked that this thought process of spanking a pup or dog exsist and I sure hope you are in the minority and change your ways. That's partly why, so many of these precious babies, become anxious and fearful of humans, and sadly the owners have given up on them, and they end up in shelters, and take a great deal of love to undo the damage of being spanked for something that haven't fully learned.

Another thing, while I am at it, is I have heard people say, oh when I left my house, their dog was so upset at them, they spitefully pood or peed other then where they were trained to. Dogs are not wired as humans, and are not spiteful.

To the OP, good luck, and in time, with all the great advice you have been given, you will see your little one doing much better on the potty issue.


----------



## Miss_Annie (Mar 3, 2010)

allheart said:


> I apologize to the OP, as I know you would NEVER consider the above reccommendation.
> 
> Patricia, a hand should NEVER be used to spank a pup or dog. Never not ever. No rubbing their nose in their mistake, none of it. All you will create is a very anxious upset pup, who will then become afraid of the human hand, and will have no idea in the world that he or she is being treated in that manner. That is abuse plain and simple. If a person is thinking of getting a pup or even an older dog, perhaps, some training for the pet owners to be, on how to potty train their loving pet......


:goodpost: Thanks for saying what I couldn't.


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

patricia20 said:


> Well try to teach him, whenever he poops spank him and tell him no. You need to watch the puppy all the time for signs that he needs to go to the bathroom.


Could it be TROLL TIME again?????


----------



## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Snowbody said:


> Could it be TROLL TIME again?????


I think so!


----------

