My adult rat terrier just pees & poops on carpet. HELP!?

Question

I just got my sweet little rat terrier a few months ago at a shelter. They think she is about 2 years old. She goes to the bathroom outside really well as long as you let her out every couple hours, but sometimes she will go inside. When she goes inside, it is ONLY on carpet or a rug. She will never pee or poo on a hard floor. She doesn't go to the door when she has to go either. Any ideas of how I can break her of this habit? I had to throw out my floor rug so she wouldn't pee on it anymore.
THANKS!

Answer 1

First you will need a big dose of patience.

I will suggest a few things here:

Be sure that you have and maintain a feeding schedule, water may also need to be included in that schedule based on excercise, etc. I'm not saying starve and/or deprive your dog, but starting a schedule for everything, eating/drinking, pooping/peeing. Dogs, like small children like the discipline and regularity of schedules. You are also establishing yourself as a leader in the dog doing things when you allow it.

A bell by the door (jingle bell type that you can hang from a knob or spend money on this and go to a pet store and buy one, but you can make this yourself as I did)...show the dog the bell makes noise (you tap or hit it) open door, go outside.

Over praise the correct behaviors when outside. Go outside immediately after food is consumed and stay out until the correct behavior is there (pee/poop). Throw a party (over excitement) and give a few pieces of kibble if you choose.

Going to the bathroom inside is not a good thing as you have learned. Just as you respect your home, your new pup will have to as well.

Best of Luck and above all else, no excuses for either of you. You need to do this so you 2 have a good relationship, bond well and so you aren't replacing carpet every 2 weeks.

Answer 2

A two year old dog shouldn't have problems with bladder or bowel control, unless it is a symptom of a medical issue. Consider consulting your vet, just to be sure.

If the problem is not medical, it sounds like this pup has never been a part of a structured household. You may need to do some work establishing a routine with her. You'll need to begin putting her on leash and bringing her outside every couple of hours, consistently, and waiting for her to go. When she does, praise, praise, praise with lots of love and / or treats. If she doesn't go after 15 minutes, bring her back in, but turn around and go right back out 15 minutes later. Doing this consistently will establish the door and 'outside' with potty time, and eventually she should begin 'asking' to be let out when she has to go.

If you are needing to leave her alone for any length of time indoors, consider crate training. Dogs instinctively will not defacate or urinate where they sleep or eat, so try a little crate with a blanket and a small dish of kibble. Try googling "crate training" for loads of websites with advice on how to crate train.

If your dog does have another accident in the house, you'll want to be sure that you clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner that removes not only the soil but the animal's scent. If left in the carpet, the animal will return to the same spot over and over again, as she has now marked it as hers.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I have a jack russel that did the samething when we first got him he is now one year old and we also have a boxer but we have the opposite problem with him he pees on hardwood floors only no carpet. the only thing we do is as soon as he does it we pick him up quickly sometimes before he has even stopped and put him outside and let him stay out there for a long long time. here lately where it has been cold he has learned that if i pee in the house for no reason then I am going to be put out in the cold and we now only have him peeing in the house if we are gone for a extended period of time other than that he been doing good not going in the house.

Answer 4

I love Ratties and have had one for almost 5 years now. I crate trained my pup, and even though it was hard to put him in there when I left the house or when I couldn't watch him, I'm so glad I did. He never has accidents inside, and he asks to be let out (though I did not consciously train this, it just happened) Those bells that you hang on the doorknob are probably a good idea for her.
There's a link below for more info about crate training. Be sure to crate her when you are not paying 100% attention to her! She will try to go on the carpet when you're not looking, and you really don't want her to do that.

Answer 5

Has she been checked by a vet recently? Sometimes there are physical reasons why dogs do this.

Have you considered crate training her?

You should not discipline her unless you see her do it. When this happens, tell her no in a firm voice and immediately take her outside.

When she does go outside, make sure to praise her ridiculously and give her a piece of treat.

Answer 6

ive had my "rotten rat terriers" for almost 11 years now
my boy rat was a rescue dog, and was 2 years old when we got him. he too had "bathroom problems" he would go all over the house. we tried taking him out and to no avail we would walk him and hed go outside and come in and go again! so we bought a large wire crate to keep in our room for when were gone and they havent pottied where theyre not supposed to yet!

Answer 7

TRY SOME TOUGH LOVE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD BEAGLE AND A VET ADVISED ME TO CRATE THE DOG AT NIGHT AND WHEN I'M AT WORK BUT WHEN EVERYONE IS HOME WITH THE DOG HAVE HIM ON HIS DOG LEASH (NOT TIED UP SOME ONE IS BASICALLY DOGGY SITTING)UNTIL HE STRAIGHTENS UP IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 2 WEEKS DEPENDING ON HOW HARD HEADED YOUR DOG IS. GOOD LUCK

Answer 8

Negative reinfoecement. When she goes in the house, put her time out. They hate to be away from us.