# 9 month old pooping in the house?! any advice?



## Maisie1 (Oct 28, 2015)

Hello all! I'm a new member, here to ask for advice on my naughty doggie! I apologize for the long post, we are desperate for help on this. We don't have much experience with bad dogs, so we are at a loss here. 

We have two female retrievers, Maisie and Emma. They are full sisters, only they're two years apart. Maisie is the elder, she just turned 3, and she's an excellent dog. We love both of them to pieces, but Emma has begun misbehaving badly!!

Recently she has been pooping in the house, sometimes multiple times a day! We are flabbergasted at the sizes of the excrement. Every time, we think, "she doesn't even eat this much!" 

She gives no hints that she has to go potty. We have learned to keep her in the corner of our eye, and if she tries to slink off, we take her out immediately. Nine times out of ten, though, she only goes pee outside. She will come back in and immediately go poo on the floor, as soon as we are distracted. 

I have caught her in the act a few times and clapped to startle her out of it. I take her outside right away, and she doesn't go, no matter how long we stay out with her. But it is guaranteed to make an appearance on the floor within the hour.

We can tell when she's gone on the floor because she slinks in and seemingly begs for forgiveness immediately after. We give her a scolding and take her outside every time, seemingly to no avail. She knows not to poo in the house, she knows she will get in trouble, but she does it anyway. Strangely, she hasn't peed in the house since she was potty trained, only pooped. 

We always give her a treat when she goes to the bathroom outside. We haven't tried to crate her recently, because we attempted to put her in one overnight when she was a puppy, and she just howled and barked all night.

She doesn't go on the floor overnight. We take her out first thing in the morning, around six, but she only goes pee. Then she poops on the floor while are taking Maisie out. We can only do them one at a time because they aren't as well-behaved when they're together.

Please give us advice! Maisie and Emma are part of our family, we love them to pieces, but we are all at the end of our wits with this.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to the forum.

Has Maise been seen by your Vet to rule out any medical issues, I ask since you mentioned she doesn't eat that much but is pottying a good amount. 

How much are you feeding her each time per day?

She may need to be out longer to do both.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

First I want to say, you need to re-frame how you think about Maisie - she's not a bad dog. There's an issue that we need to help you figure out, but she's not an inherently bad dog, nor is she trying to be a bad dog. 

A quick google search pulled up these links for me. Since this is a recent behavior, I'd take her to the vet to rule out a medical reason. 

Dog Pooping in House: Possible Causes and How to Correct It

The Dog Trainer : What to Do if Your Housetrained Dog Pees or Poops Indoors :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Are you feeding on a regular schedule? That is the first question I have. You don't free feed, right? Any change of food or schedule or anything you can think of at all?

If this were my house, I would have a crate set up in the kitchen and that is where she would stay while she is unattended while I walk the other dog. Make her world smaller (kitchen with baby gates) until you can get this figured out. Everytime a mistake happens, it is another place that smells like poo to her and is another successful episode of relieving herself in the house.

I know it is frustrating, but try to be patient with her, she is not a bad dog, something is obviously not right if this has just started after her being 100% potty trained. Be glad that it is poop, I would rather deal with a solid poop than a dog peeing in the house any day of the week.


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

Yes please see vet. It may be medical.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

She is not a bad dog, resist the urge to scold her when she has had an accident, and understand that if she has already pooped in the house, it is very unlikely that she will need to go again, any time soon, there is really no purpose or benefit in taking her out, or scolding her, after she has done what she has to do. 
A vet check is in order if the change in behavior is recent, also consider whether she has had a change in food, or treats she doesn't normally get, that may be causing her to not feel well or causing a digestive upset.

When she comes to you 'after the fact' and you scold her - she thinks she is being scolded/punished for coming to you, she does not associate the scolding with pooping on the floor. Don't scold her when she comes to you, praise her, let her know she is a good girl, 'recall' -voluntary or requested is something you do not want to risk destroying by creating negative associations with approaching you.

'if she tries to slink off'- they learn to 'hide' when they have to go, often as a result of something unpleasant happening when they have been 'caught in the act.' (Scolded, startled, grabbed) so they do not feel at ease, (safe) going in front of someone.

'we take her outside immediately and nine times out of ten, she only pees', again, she is not feeling safe enough to do her business in front of you. 
The ONE time that she poops be ready to throw a huge party, lots of high praise, a few extra treats. Let her know how fantastic she is! 

Not sure of your situation, but if you have a fenced yard, when you go out with her, ignore her, turn your back on her, give her plenty of time wander about and do her business, when she does, throw a party. If you have no fence, take her out on a long line, long piece of rope, let her wander away from you, sniff around, or walk away from her, turn your back, ignore her and give her time and space enough to do her business. Lots of praise and reward for success. Or try encouraging her to move around, perhaps play with her a bit, exercise or play can help to relax her, and get things 'moving'.

If she is pooping on the floor immediately after she is brought back in the house, (in the morning) it could be she needs you to give her more time, and more physical 'space' to do her business out there.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

I agree with charliethree. Scolding her when she slinks to you in shame won't teach her anything. I know it's hard but we need to see these things as our problems, not their's.


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