# Please HELP!!!!! Luna's pooping in the house



## Luna'sMum (Mar 10, 2008)

First the background.

Luna is one year old and was not house trained when we rescued her two months ago. She seemed to be catching on quick and only had a rare pee in the house, always was our fault for not paying attention to the time.

We used a crate at night for the first month, never had an accident in the crate. She graduated to a tiled bathroom with a babygate at night and when we are gone for a couple of hours. She has never had an accident in the bathroom at night or while we are gone. The first thing I do when I get up in the am or come home is snap on Luna's leash and take her outside. In the morning she always pees rather quickly upon going outdoors, when coming home not always. She doesn't even always potty before going into the bathroom (I take her out and give her the chance) at night but still manages to hold it all night long.

For the first month Luna had only one poop accident in the house. Over the past three weeks she's had more then I can count. She'll go 4-5 days with no accident then like this morning I took her outside as always, she peed, I let her in and while the kids were eating breakfast she went downstairs and pooped all over. (She walks and poops so it's never just in one spot)

Since the snow has melted, and things smell so good outside, the issue is getting worse. I'll take Luna out in the morning and she'll pee and then want to play and sniff everything. She will not poop outside unless we go for a walk, but she does not automatically poop everytime we go for a walk. She does not poop on a regular schedule so I'm never sure if she really needs to go our not. 

I do feed her at the same time everyday. And we walk the same time everyday. Two weeks ago I started taking the clicker and treats whenever we walked and when she'd do her business I'd click and treat her, hasn't seemed to make a difference. Someone told me to take her poop from her walks and instead of throwing it away, bring it home and place on the part of the lawn I'd like her to use for pottying. He said then the smell would tell her that's her potty place. No luck so far.

Sorry this is so long but I don't know what else to do? and my husband is super frustrated. We've never rubbed her nose in it when she's had an accident we just confine her while we clean it up. She's older and can hold it for such long periods that I hate to confine her for hours at a time. 

What do I do????? Please Help??????


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## jazak (Feb 12, 2008)

Start from scratch! And limit her space in the house. Do not let her be unattended at any time. If she does not go potty when you take her out, bring her back in and put her back in the crate or bathroom for about 20 mins, and take her out again, continue until she does her business where you want her to. and as always praise, praise, praise!!!


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## Luna'sMum (Mar 10, 2008)

How does this work for an adult that doesn't go potty every hour? We get up 7am Luna peed but no poop so back into the bathroom she went. We keep going out and back in every 1/2 an hour, (but she doesn't poop until we go for a walk and then by the time we get back home does she realized the extra freedom is because she pooped on the walk?) so do I stop walking her until she has it down? Does she spend only two hours outside of the bathroom everyday? (she poops twice a day if you take her on enough walks) This seems cruel but if it's the only way I will do it. She'll go crazy chewing (which she does if she doesn't get walked regularly) but there's not much she can damage in the bathroom I think.


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## jazak (Feb 12, 2008)

When she is being taken out to go potty it shouldn't be a "walk". It is only potty time. Take her to her potty spot only allow about 10 minutes. It is not play time, keep telling her to go potty. Don't encourage any other behavior. (she will sniff and that is okay, that is how she finds where she wants to go potty). Walks are wonderful, but you shouldn't have to walk her every time to get her to potty. When she does finally go she should be praised, and then allowed restricted access to the rest of the house. She should not be out of sight at all. If she can't be supervised then she needs to be in the bathroom or the crate. Walks should be for exercise and recreation, not designated potty time. Although she may potty during walks that should not be the primary goal. Every time she is let out of the bathroom, potty should be the immediate goal. You can also try some potty bells so she has a way to let you know that she wants out. Simply hang them by the door, and ring them every time you take her out to potty. You can put some peanut butter on them to encourage her to ring them. Every time she rings the bell immediately take her out for potty time, not play or walks.


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## Luna'sMum (Mar 10, 2008)

walks are for exercise and fun and when she first came home with us she would poop both when we went out for potty and when she went for walks. Somewhere along the line she switched without me realiing it. We had two terrible days of storm last week and didn't walk( just quick trips to the back yard). She didn't poop. Then the third day I took her out in the morning and she peed, 15 mins later in the house she pooped 9 times. I take her on leash out to her spot every four hours sometimes she pees, sometimes she sniffs and sometimes she sits at my feet waiting to go back inside. When we go to potty we go outback. When we go for walks we go out the front or load in the car to meet a friend and then walk. So I guess I go back to no walks until she starts pottying in the backyard, or else she just holds it and waits. I do say go potty everytime she's pottying and expected her to catch on quick like she has with her obedience(sit, stay, down......)

Maybe if she spends a couple of days very restricted she'll figure it out. 

How long after she has gone potty should you give a one year old dog before confineing again. I'll have to confine her because I have to many little kids opening the babygate on the stairway and letting her through.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I really don't have any advice for you because I trained Nikki to go on potty pads inside. On a dog training show last night, I saw this stake type thing that they put into the ground in their backyard to attract the dog into pottying there because it was only pottying on walks and they wanted it to potty in the backyard. It's supposed to smell like the urine of a dog (yuk, but oh well.)

I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you because Luna is a rescue, and I know how hard it must be for you to have to decide to confine her all over again. I'll say a prayer that she is trained very soon. :grouphug:


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## Luna'sMum (Mar 10, 2008)

Well, we started confining Luna again Sunday night, while taking her out for regular potty breaks. She did not go potty at all that night. On Monday She pee'd in the morning and was allowed to be out of the bathroom on a six foot leash hooked to my belt loops for a while then back in the bathroom. I took her out for 10 mins every hour, she did nothing until 6 pm when she peed again, and was again allowed on leash in the house. Nothing else before bedtime. I worried she might go potty in the bathroom overnight, but she didn't. This morning she peed so she's back on leash with me. Going outside to her spot and pacing for 10 minutes out of every hour. I did buy some scent spray that is suppose to encourage her to pottty, she seemed intrested in sniffing the area, just not interested in pottying.

How long before I worry because she hasn't pooped?

She was eating grass this morning and then threw up in the kitchen. Is this because of not pooping? Do I need to be concerned?


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## jazak (Feb 12, 2008)

> Well, we started confining Luna again Sunday night, while taking her out for regular potty breaks. She did not go potty at all that night. On Monday She pee'd in the morning and was allowed to be out of the bathroom on a six foot leash hooked to my belt loops for a while then back in the bathroom. I took her out for 10 mins every hour, she did nothing until 6 pm when she peed again, and was again allowed on leash in the house. Nothing else before bedtime. I worried she might go potty in the bathroom overnight, but she didn't. This morning she peed so she's back on leash with me. Going outside to her spot and pacing for 10 minutes out of every hour. I did buy some scent spray that is suppose to encourage her to pottty, she seemed intrested in sniffing the area, just not interested in pottying.
> 
> How long before I worry because she hasn't pooped?
> 
> She was eating grass this morning and then threw up in the kitchen. Is this because of not pooping? Do I need to be concerned?[/B]


I know this is gross, but if Max poops in the house, he immediately tries to eat it. I wonder if luna isn't pooping in the bathromm and then cleaning up her mess? I don't know but it could be a possability.


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## Luna'sMum (Mar 10, 2008)

Luna has pooped in the house before and then just walks away. I really think she's holding it waiting for a walk. She's not peeing in the bathroom either and only went twice yesterday.

We'll kep trying. Thanks.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

The eating of the grass is because she has a tummy ache. And probably from not pooping. But it is a natural thing that dogs do when their belly hurts to relieve it. I may be wrong but at this point I say no don't worry. She will go poop. She is trying her hand and the dominance thing. And wants to go for that walk. I would go too ever two hours though. She is a year old and should not have to pee every hour. As far as pooping you have her on the lead. And she will probably do a little something to let you know if she is going to poop in the house. If she does snatch her up and take her to where you want her to potty. Praise, praise, praise when she is done. 

Kelly has given you some wonderful advise. Keep up the diligence and she will come around. 

I have told you this before and I will tell you every time I think of it. Thank you for rescuing Luna and giving her such a wonderful home. :grouphug:


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## junosowner (Mar 24, 2008)

One suggestion that's been really helpful is to put her on a feeding schedule to predict when she poops. Someone here mentioned that eating and exercising will initiate bowel movement. It's helped me predict when Juno will poop. He usually goes immediately after eating and then again 2-3 hours later pretty much like clockwork.


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