[buddysma]

I hope someone can help with this. I'm sorry about the length, but I want to give the full scenario in order to get the most relevant advice:

I have a lab-newfoundland mix that will be 3 years old next month. He weighs about 107 pounds now. My son bought him from the pound for me when Buddy was 7 months old (in an attempt to ease my empty nest syndrome, I suspect). He is very gentle, extremely intelligent, and just an all around sweetheart. I keep him in the house with me and let him out whenever he wants to go (I work most days from home), so there is no schedule. (I also can't put him on one because my schedule changes almost daily). Over the last few weeks, he has begun to poop in my newly remodeled basement. It appears that he is doing this to show his displeasure with me. I started dating in September and my friend has been spending more nights over in the last few weeks. Twice I didn't allow him in my room and he pooped twice. Prior to dating, I would let him in sometimes or sometimes not; so this is not new to him (other than that now there is someone else in here with me). After the 2nd incident, I waited a few days and didn't allow him to sleep in my room (no visitor). He pooped. I am often up until 3:00 in the morning and will let him out no matter how late (early) it is, if he indicates he needs to go. This dog will knock on the door to let me know he has to go! So this pooping is indicating something else.

Someone suggested that I crate him at night. So I tried it. When I first pulled the crate out (he hadn't been in it since he was 10 months old-I bought it large enough to accomodate his anticipated future growth), he went in reluctantly. The second night, he refused to move at my command, so my friend put him in for me. Buddy resisted slightly, but he went. The 3rd night, I tried to get him in and he refused. I must say that I have always been afraid of dogs, but Buddy has changed that to some degree. However, it never leaves my mind that he is a very large animal with lots of teeth. So I'm afraid to try to physically force him. I spent the night at my friend's last night, but left the bedroom door open for Buddy. When I came in this morning, he had pooped in the basement again! I tried to crate him, this time trying to pull him. He was not having it! He did not bare his teeth or anything like that, but he made a move that le me know to back off him and then he stared me down. That is very uncharacteristic of him. What is weird, is that all other commands I gave him after this incident, such as "get out of my room" or "go sit down", he immediately obeys.

I can't have this and I am not going to live in a house with a dog that will poop and not obey whenever he wants too. I can drop a steak on the floor and this dog will not move unless I tell him it's ok to have it. I have never hit him, but I suspect that his previous owner may have beat him before turning him over to the dog pound. My back yard is large, but unfenced. When I let him out, he stays in the yards and many of my neighbors assumed I have an invisible fence, because he rarely leaves my property. If he does, he goes as far as the yard across the street. I do not have the resources to fence my yard or to pay for another (owner) training class. Is there anything else I can do or should I go ahead and try to find him a good home? If so, how do I go about doing that? I love him, but to be honest, I'm really not a pet person. He needs a smarter owner. However, he is an excellent dog and I don't want him to be mistreated in any way. But I think he is going to have to go. Somebody help!

[lange]

Hello. Your dog doesn't sound bad at all. The problems you're having sound very workable. The real problem I see is it sounds like you're not sure you want to keep your dog. Meanwhile, your dog can very likely sense that something is wrong with you. You've had him for quite some time & the worst of the years are behind you. I'm not sure why you would be scared of a dog you own & love that seems to adore & respect you. What I would ask is whether you want to commit to a lifelong companion, through the good & bad or not. If you decide to keep him we can all give you suggestions on the pooping & crate issues.

[buddysma]

Hi and thanks for responding! I would like to keep him, but the year round shedding and the amount of dirt he brings into the house are the most I can take. The pooping I cannot take. This has to be resolved in a relatively short amount of time. I love Buddy, but my love does not transcend poop in the house! If you have some suggestions that would help me keep Buddy, I am more than willing to try.

I am afraid to handle him physically because he is an animal. Animals can act in unpredictable (or predictable, i.e., biting out of fear) ways, that I can't forget. I used to get chased by dogs all the time as a child, so I'm always kind of leery of dogs. A charging, barking dog still strikes fear in my heart! Buddy is not the least bit aggressive, but his behavior does remind me of passive aggressive clients I've worked with, plus I have no idea what is going through his mind. The way he tried to "stare me down" today was an indication of something! It was defiant and his actions were willful. As a 150 lb woman with a 107 lb dog who is trying to communicate something that she is too ignorant to understand, I'm a little afraid of that. Sorry, I know that sounds wuss-like, but I need some help! Thanks for listening

[Lunareclipse]

When I was crate training Buster, I didn't touch him at all to get him in the crate. I just stood up and blocked him from going anywhere else other than the crate. Whenever he went to go around me I moved in front of him. I backed him all the way to the crate and then didn't give him any choice but to go in. Sometimes grabbing a dog by the collar and trying to force them to do something doesn't work. A lot of dogs don't really like to be grabbed by the collar or the neck.

[lange]

I'm glad you came on here to ask for help, Buddysma. Like Luna, I try not to physically put the dogs in to their crates. One of my dogs doesn't like the crate but she has gotten to the point where she'll go in at night when I tell her to. During the days she goes in with a bribe. She knows that means I'm going to be leaving so she tends to shy away a little more.

She is very food motivated so I will put a high value treat in the crate & close the door with her outside of the crate. She'll circle & sniff around for a while until I open the door to let her in. Sometimes I leave the door open and wait by the crate as she makes up her mind to go in or not. She'll walk in within a minute or two. I just let her take her time. The best way (in the long run) is to let your dog willingly go in so that he doesn't associate bad things w/the crate. If he's picky about food. You can keep some chicken, hot dogs, or other meat handy to give him the extra push he needs. If he likes kongs you can try those. You can also start giving him his normal treats or even his food & water, toys, blankets in his crate, letting him wonder in to build up more positive associations.

When your dog has an accident you have to use an enzyme cleaner. I personally use Natures Miracle Advanced. It does a good job in getting rid of the smell. You probably know that a dog, whether house trained or not, will be more likely to soil an area where it has already soiled because it can still smell it on the floor. These cleaners will rid the smell.

I noticed you mentioned you had just remodeled your basement, and from what I'm understanding is where he's having his accidents? I read A LOT, and unfortunately don't always remember what book or site to reference to but just recently I read that a dog is more likely to soil an area where the smell of the pack is not as strong. For some it would be guest rooms or some other lesser used room. It has me thinking that your basement, being newly remodeled, may not smell enough like the rest of your home and might be one reason he is getting partial to going there sometimes.

I hope some thing here helps you & Buddy. Let us know how things go.


edit: Wanted to add, give a command everytime he's entering the crate. The hope is that that will become his cue in the future without always needing a bribe.

[buddysma]

Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. Because of the layout of my house, it is difficult to block or guide him toward the crate. Two people are needed as their are "escape routes" for him that allows him to get upstairs, so then we have to start all over again! When he went out yesterday, I wouldn't let him in for 3 hours. It was cold and he kept knocking on the door. Sometimes when he knocked, I would yell through the door at him to stop. Later he'd knock on the door and I would open it and tell him why he couldn't come in (OMG! is this a warning sign that I may eventually become a "dog person"?!). When I let him in, I guided him by his collar, straight to the crate and he went in without incident. Was I too harsh with him? Is he really able to associate this treatment with pooping in the house?

I had one year old carpet in my basement when I first got Buddy. The subfloor is cement with a layer of tile over it. The laundry room is also tile over cement. Whenever he had an accident before the remodel, it was always in the basement, never the laundry room or any other room in my house (all other floors are hardwood, including kitchen). After removing carpet, stripping tile and glue, cleaning, then spreading a layer of cement leveler, a layer of underlayment and then laminate flooring, I didn't think he would still be able to smell previous scents. I use the same product for cleaning, but I am extremely sensitive to the smell of poop. I smell it long after others don't (probably all in my mind because I'm so offended by it being on my floor). Also, one of his most recent episodes was the first time he had ever peed in the house.

I have some turkey bones left from the holidays that I was saving for him as treats. I didn't want to lure him in with that, because I didn't want to reward him with a treat when he was being punished. I am only crating him when I go to sleep at night, and have never had any problem with him bothering anything or having "accidents" when I'm not home during the day or evening. The poops happen between approximately 2:00 to 7:00 in the morning. How long should I keep doing this with him? I was thinking for about 1 week, should it be longer? Thanks for your help!

[reeskujo]

If I remember correctly you stated you didn't have him on a potty schedule? When housebreaking is an issue having a potty schedule as well as a feeding schedule is critical!...Are you feeding him at the same time every day or is he being free fed meaning he always has food in his bowl and can eat at will?

Putting him outside when he has an accident is only going to be effective if you put him out immediately after he's had an accident...If you do it hours later as a correction he will have no idea that's why he's being put outside...Also when you do put him out as a correction within a very short time span just a few minutes actually he no longer remembers that's why he's outside so even though the cold isn't an issue for him because of his breed, there is really no need to keep him out longer then maybe a half hour for a correction...Also even though we all do it at one point in time telling him why he can't come in serves absolutely no purpose...He honestly has no clue what your talking about...All he senses is that by the tone of your voice you're upset with him but he doesn't know why...

If you don't have him on a feeding or potty schedule that is where you need to start...

[Lunareclipse]

Put a leash on him so he can't run away or hide under the bed.

[chiclet]

Thinking about what Lange said, perhaps you could spend time in the basement with him so that it becomes part of the house. You could also try items that smell of you. Have you made sure there isn't a physical cause? How is he getting along with your new friend?

[fairydogmother]

Originally Posted by chiclet

How is he getting along with your new friend?

I was wondering that myself. I tend to thing that the pooch is having more a problem with your new friend than with you. Sounds like to me he is trying to tell the friend who is the "top dog" in the house. Just a thought...