Boxer dog reverting to puppy behavior?

Question

We have a 1 1/2 year old female boxer who was house trained up until recently. 2 months ago we brought home our newborn son (first child)- the dog adores the baby but is obviously not getting as much attention as she was before. She has begun to pee/poop on our carpet, regardless of how many extra walks I take her on. How do I break her of this new behavior?
Also, any tips for cleaning the carpet to get rid of the smell- I currently use Resolve carpet cleaner and vacuum with a Pet Odor eliminating powder, but she always seems to pee/poop in the same spots so I am thinking I have not eliminated the smell completely.
One more thing: ever since bringing the baby home the dog has begun to shred anything and everything in her path: opening the kitchen garbage, tearing books over the bookshelf, eating candles.... stuff she hasn't done done in over a year. Any advice on this one?
We are frustrated because our families keeping saying to just get rid of her- not an option!
Please help!

Forgot to mention- the dog shredded one of the cushions of our couch last week and we had to buy a couch slipcover until we can afford a new couch but I don't want her tearing up the furniture! She has also shredded our bamboo papasan chair and several baskets.

Answer 1

Your dog is reacting because it feels the baby has usurped its role in the household. You will have to start housetraining (in fact all training) from scratch, just like when she was a puppy. You are doing the right thing by spending more time with her and getting her plenty of exercise. If she doesn't have them already, get her some appropriate chew toys to relieve her stress.

I'd try crate training. It will avoid the accidents and destruction during those times when you can't watch her like a hawk. It is fine to crate train an older dog and it is very effective. A link is provided below.

I agree - I've used Resolve and it is worthless. There is a produt called Urine-off I get from my vet but can be bought online that works very well. It should do the trick.

Answer 2

Is your dog crate trained? If not, you should consider it. This is plain old fashioned jelousy. I am sure she will calm down with time but I am sure you don't want to replace everything in your house in the process. When ever you can not be with her, put her in her kennel. This way she won't be able to sneak off and potty. I also have Boxers and I go to the thrift stores and buy them all the baby toys I can find. They are actually safer then alot of the dog toys and since they are so cheap it doesn't matter if they get destroyed. Since they have lots of toys they never tear up anything in the house anymore. I had more trouble with my female then my male. Remote controls mainly. If you do use a crate give her toys in there so she won't get bored. Stay persistent with her and let her know you will tolerate her eating the house. You could use a little vinagar on the carpet to help get rid of the smell. Plus they don't like that smell. Also, There is this stuff called Fooey you get from the pet store to spray as a deterent. But be careful with it, it is gross if it gets in your mouth. Hang in there, It'll get better.

Answer 3

This situation is very similar to a question I answered a couple of weeks ago. I cannot remember her name, but she was having a hard time with her dog ever since she brought home her baby...Anyways,

Even tho your dog likes the baby, she is jealous of him. Before you had the baby, your dog was getting alot of attention, and now she has to share it with the baby. She is only messing in the house and tearing things up because that is how she is trying to get your attention. Stay firm with her on telling her no. And give her as much love as you can. You might want to talk to your vet about this behavior change that she is going through. They might be able to help her somehow. Other than that, just give her some love too. She should start to behave. Please do not give her away. If you give her to the pound she might not get adopted and we know what happens after that....=( But, all you have to do is show her as much attention as you do the baby, so that she doesn't think you are picking favorites. Play with her...keep taking her for walks...cuddles her..

Answer 4

Sorry but the only thing i can recommend is to restart her entire obedience training regime, add other things eg agility, tricks. But whatever you do dont give in and spend more time with her than you can spare at the moment or she has won and established that she can get what she wants. Remind her who is boss and you dictate the pack hierarchy not her. Whenever she misbehaves, just ignore her completely for 20 or so mins. Dont display any outward display of emotion over the mess she has made, just calmly clean it up and ostracize her for a while. She will soon learn that it will not gain her any extra attention. Also get a water pistol and when you catch her in the act of destroying something, give her a squirt but act as though it never happened.

Answer 5

For the peeing/pooing.

We found this method worked well with our dog when there was a baby in the house,
i know it sounds harsh but its not! Try showing her what she has done and then put her into the garden to show her that is the place to do it.
Hope this helps!
Good Luck :)

Answer 6

Many adult dogs adopted from animal shelters were housetrained in their previous homes. While at the shelter, however, they may not have gotten enough opportunities to eliminate outside, and consequently, they may have soiled their kennel areas. This tends to weaken their housetraining habits. Additionally, scents and odors from other pets in the new home may stimulate some initial urine marking. Remember that you and your new dog need some time to learn each other's signals and routines. Even if he was housetrained in his previous home, if you don't recognize his "bathroom" signal, you might miss his request to go out, causing him to eliminate indoors.

Therefore, for the first few weeks after you bring him home, you should assume your new dog isn't housetrained and start from scratch. If he was housetrained in his previous home, the re-training process should progress quickly. The process will be much smoother if you take steps to prevent accidents and remind him where he's supposed to eliminate.

Establish A Routine
Take your dog out at the same times every day. For example, first thing in the morning when he wakes up, when you arrive home from work, and before you go to bed.
Praise your dog lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must praise him and give him a treat immediately after he's finished and not wait until after he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he'll know that's what you want him to do.
Choose a location not too far from the door to be the bathroom spot. Always take your dog, on leash, directly to the bathroom spot. Take him for a walk or play with him only after he's eliminated. If you clean up an accident in the house, leave the soiled rags or paper towels in the bathroom spot. The smell will help your dog recognize the area as the place where he's supposed to eliminate.
While your dog is eliminating, use a word or phrase like "go potty," for example, that you can eventually use before he eliminates to remind him of what he's supposed to be doing.
Feeding your dog on a set schedule, once or twice a day, will help make his elimination more regular.
Supervise, Supervise, Supervise
Don't give your dog an opportunity to soil in the house. He should be watched at all times when he's indoors. You can tether him to you with a six-foot leash, or use baby gates, to keep him in the room where you are. Watch for signs that he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around or circling. If you see these signs, immediately take him outside, on a leash, to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.
Confinement
When you're unable to watch your dog at all times, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won't want to eliminate there. It should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around in. This could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room blocked off with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your dog and use the crate to confine him (see our handout: "Crate Training Your Dog"). If he has spent several hours in confinement, when you let him out, take him directly to his bathroom spot and praise him when he eliminates.

Oops!
Most dogs, at some point, will have an accident in the house. You should expect this, as it's a normal part of your dog's adjustment to his new home.

If you catch your dog in the act of eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt him like making a startling noise (don't scare him). Immediately take him to his bathroom spot, praise him, and give him a treat if he finishes eliminating there.
Don't punish your dog for eliminating in the house. If you find a soiled area, it's too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your dog's nose in it, taking him to the spot and scolding him, or any other type of punishment, will only make him afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals don't understand punishment after the fact, even if it's only seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good.
Cleaning the soiled area is very important because dogs are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces (see our handout: "Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains").
Other Types Of House-Soiling Problems
If you've consistently followed the housetraining procedures and your dog continues to eliminate in the house, there may be another reason for his behavior.

Medical Problems: House soiling can often be caused by physical problems such as a urinary tract infection or a parasite infection. Check with your veterinarian to rule out any possibility of disease or illness.
Submissive/Excitement Urination: Some dogs, especially young ones, temporarily lose control of their bladders when they become excited or feel threatened. This usually occurs during greetings, intense play or when they're about to be punished (see our handout: "Submissive and Excitement Urination").
Territorial Urine-Marking: Dogs sometimes deposit urine or feces, usually in small amounts, to scent-mark their territory. Both male and female dogs do this, and it most often occurs when they believe their territory has been invaded (see our handout: "Territorial Marking Behavior in Dogs and Cats").
Separation Anxiety. Dogs that become anxious when they're left alone may house soil as a result. Usually, there are other symptoms, such as destructive behavior or vocalization (see our handout: "Separation Anxiety").
Fears Or Phobias. When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your dog is afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks, he may house soil when he's exposed to these sounds