AboutLynn Houston Experience I have had a service dog since 1988. I do numerous presentations a year to schools, businesses, local clubs and other organizations regarding regarding SDs and through a small non profit I own, provide information and referral.
Education/Credentials There is no formal training for service dog education. I have 20 yrs of hands on experience and a necessity to learn the laws that apply to myself and my service dog.
Expert: Lynn Houston Date: 7/15/2008 Subject: Dog going bathroom in house
Question Hello Lynn,
I have a 8 month pomeranian who is very well behaved. Since we got him when he was 3 monthes old, he has never chewed on wires, cords, furniture etc. We have never crated him during the day because of this good behavior.
We do crate him at night though. I do not feel comfortable crating during the day and at night.
When we first got him, we trainned him to pee and poop in a little box with a trainning pad. He would go the bathroom in the box 9 out of 10 times.
We slowly tried to get him to go outside to pee and poop as he was getting older. So we take him out 3-4 times a day. So he will go outside if we take him or if he needs to go and we didn't notice, he would go in the litter box.
All of sudden with in the last month, he will only pee box and will poop on the carpet. We do take him out to go but he usually goes in the house while we are at work.
My question to you is
1.Is he confused because we allow both in door and out door?
2.Is there a way to change this behavior with out crating during the day?
3.Help!
Answer Sorry, but crating was going to be my suggestion. If you can't crate him or watch him during the day, you're never going to teach him the appropriate place to go potty. He needs to be praised for toileting in the proper area and not allowed to toilet in inappropriate places. If he has free run when you're not home and can go wherever he wants without consequences, he'll never learn there's a right and a wrong place to go.
