Why is my dog starting to have accidents in the house despite the fact he is potty trained?

Question

The dog is 2 years old, potty trained, and has never had problems with accidents in the house. Lately, he has been using the restroom on the carpet (#1 and #2) EVERY single time we leave the house. We always take him out and give him ample time to use the restroom before we leave. Even if he goes potty outside, we leave for 30 minutes, come back and he has managed to leave ANOTHER present on the floor. I tried a crate a few months ago (for chewing) and he would cry the entire time we were gone (got complaints from neighbors). I have tried just about everything. I reward him when he does potty outside. I clean the mess up with vinegar. I take him for walks before I leave.

I feel like he is doing this as a retaliation for being left alone (since he is a pound puppy and has seperation anxiety.) What else can I be doing to stop this? Do I just keep the reward/clean up system going....because so far it's not working.

Additional details: I guess I should have mentioned that the dog is about 80 pounds and our backyard is not enclosed. We can't leave him outside unattended (and don't want to chain him up) and we do stand outside with him while he potties.

And.....Thanks to all the answers so far. Sorry somebody went and gave a thumbs down to everybody. I thought most of you have good ideas and info.

Answer 1

You need to walk him more, dogs need lots of excersise and will do that if u dont tend to their needs.

Answer 2

Make sure your carpet is clean of all previous accidents, completely! I cannot stress this enough. If your dog can smell even a tiny bit of a previous "spot", chances are he will do it again and again. Try to get a cleaner that specifically states it is for cleaning up dog accidents. These cleaners usually have an enzyme in them that breaks down the odor and eliminates stains. We have tried Nature's Miracle and Petzyme, both work very well and are available at petsmart or online. Our dog started "messing" after we got a new puppy (who is always crated when we leave). That's when I started using those cleaners, I also rented a cleaner from the store, and steam cleaned the carpets. We also make sure we give both dogs plenty of affection so no one fells left out. As for crating when you leave, have you tried leaving the tv or radio on? Our puppy likes the radio! Hope this helps, good luck!

Answer 3

An additional thing to consider... You fairly don't know her history and Cockers strengthen this style of concern once they get scared or upset. My feminine has the equal hindrance. She was once first-rate unless my boyfriends German Shepard determined that it used to be going to be the dominant dog. The Shepard was once very aggressive and just about imply. My Cocker would piddle on the floor nearly involuntarily when she felt threatened or like she was going to get into main issue. Good I bought rid of the boyfriend so the dog went with him. This helped substantially however we still have to be rather cautious about how we approch her. Even when we play it needs to be a gradual and non aggressive factor. She still will do it if we try to make her go within the garage (where she sleeps) when she does not want to... As a rule if we recall that she is readily scared and be certain she's comfortable and non threatened it works pretty well.... It might constantly be some of the different suggestions but this is an extra thougt. She could have felt threatened at some factor before you picked her up and now when she will get worried it's just about instinctive to show submission. Depends upon the drawback. Excellent success!!

Answer 4

Continue using the reward/clean up system, but go back to crate training. Go outside with him and be sure he actually goes.

This may be separation anxiety involved, but in every case I've seen of a dog that is potty trained, but suddenly starts going in the house, a health problem such as a UTI was involved.

It is nearly impossible to address potty problems behaviorally if the problem is rooted in a physical cause.

Answer 5

Sounds like he is digressing a bit.....some dogs do that, especially if they are nervous, anxious, worried, etc.

Maybe try the crate again, but put a toy with treats in it, or block him in one room so he can't roam the house. You can also try taking him outside, letting him do his biz, and when you put him inside, wait only 1 or 2 minutes and come back in. Gradually extend the time away, so he realizes that you are coming back, but the time may vary.

Also, don't make a big deal about leaving...act as if you are just walking out for the paper and coming right back.

Answer 6

crate training is definitely the answer. put the dog in the crate for say 30 minutes before you leave to get it acclimated, when you are home, leave the door to the crate open, the dog may go in of it's own accord just to lie down (denning instinct) Play the inside the crate outside the crate game with the dog, you know throw a toy in there for it to retrieve, i have 3 large dogs, 2 Shepard's and 1 lab, all 3 have been crate trained.

Answer 7

Incredibly frustrating problem you have described here . . .
According to pet psychologists, the animal is 'acting out' - either fear of abandonment, or something else, intangible.
When I had a pet that could not be left alone, I had to have it put down - very bad ending, perhaps, but no intervention kept her from tearing up the door frames and walls, when left alone at home - even for just a few minutes. . .
Good luck to you in this dilemma . . .

EDIT:
Wow 'sillybutt' . . . looks like you asked this question to be able to publish your very long, "covered it all" answer? Amazing how you were able to get ALL that info - typed, proofed, and entered - long before I got this short answer in!!! Amazing - wonder if you will earn the best answer, too?

Answer 8

Seems as if he is having separation anxiety. Try confining him to one room when you leave, as opposed to the crate. Hopefully it will be a room with a tile floor in case of accidents. When training my puppy, it seems to me I read NOT to let the dog see you clean up after it or use bleach to clean the area. Try leaving him alone for shorter periods of time, if possible, then gradually work into a longer time. Bless you for rescuing a pound puppy and keep working at it.

Answer 9

Dogs don't use poop and pee for retaliation. Dogs are fascinated by urine and feces, they love the stuff. It isn't logical that they would use it as retaliation.

Standard procedure for any dog that has been reliably housetrained and suddenly starts pottying in the house is a veterinarian visit.

Usually, this is the result of a health problem.

Answer 10

Wow sounds like your dog is like mine! Try leaving a TV on or a radio for an hour or so when you first leave, if you have a timer on your TV and are going to be gone a long time leave it on for 2 hours or more. At least mine eventually falls asleep after listening to the TV for a while. I think she thinks that we are still home. It may also help with the seperation anxiety. You might also consider trying litterbox training, so when he is inside there is a designated box (like cat's have) for him to use...but I'd try the TV first...

Answer 11

Has your routine changed or have you moved recently? My dog was perfectly potty trained before I moved a month ago and I'm also having problems with him "showering me with presents" . Looks like we're in the same boat. I'll be checking back on this question for advice for myself.