[Marylou]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can give me some good advice here, my very well trained 15 month old female Shih Tzu has recently started pooping in the house whenever she feels like it!

Up until recently she had been housetrained for around 13 months and had only the occasional accident when she was first training, when we find the poop in the house she will go and hide.

This morning my husband got up at around 7am and let her out straight away (she sleeps in our bedroom) he left the back door open and she then returned upstairs and pooped in our spare room. It is either the spare room or downstairs never our bedroom (although she has peed on our bed a few times)

She is a very happy healthy dog as i am at home i leave the back door open for her most o the day. I am at my wits end as nothing i do seems to work, i have tried tough love, ignoring it, forgiving her straight away but it sill happens....

Any thoughts would be appreciated! [/FONT]

[cigwyllt]

I would say go right back to basics and act as though she has never been trained. Keep the back door closed and take her out and stay with her. Don't give her access to the whole house, keep her with you at all times.

I haven't tried it myself but I have heard good results from "umbilical training" - keeping the dog with you at all times by means of a leash secured to your waist. The only time the dog is free is when he/she is outside.

One other thing to consider is your feeding routine. Don't allow her to graze - keep her to a strict feeding regime. Has her food changed recently? That could lead to a chance in bowel habits too.

[dogs rule]

Has anything changed with your routine? I would keep the door closed with you outside with her to make sure she went outside. When she does go, make a big deal, praise her, offer her a small treat. But try keeping her meals at regular times in the day. My dogs get fed twice a day. At 7am and at 5pm.
But they are big dogs, so maybe yours should be fed 3 times a day?
All the best, and be patient, it'll happen.