Dog messing in the home/ behaviour probs.

[stressed out]

Hi, i am at my wits end and at the point of rehoming my 12 month old staff cross.

The problem is that although she is walked frequently she always poos and wees in my home when we leave the house without her, even for short periods and recently started to do it in the night when we are in bed! Sometimes she eats her own poo! It is difficult to clean up as i live in a flat, especially if she's stepped in it and walked it around. I have a 2 year old and it's difficult to clean with him around. Also she barks at any noise she hears in the main corridor, even more at night after iv'e put my son to bed.

Can someone please help? How can we 'train' her to stop this? (Can't afford puppy training classes). She also 'goes' for other dogs outdoors, just barks at them. She is a really good dog and the best you could want for a family with children but these problems are just going to make me have a nervous breakdown or something.lol!

Thanks in advance x

[drgnrdr]

How long have you had this dog? Dogs need training, they don't know what you want them to do, they are a dog, so they act like a dog, when did the eating poop start? You may have done the wrong thing when tyring to train her to potty. She's either hungry or she is not eating a well balanced food, you may be feeding her a diet with alot of fillers, so it's not digesting enough she can still smell undigested things in it. It sounds like you did not socialize her enough.

She is not potty trained, so you have to do that. You have to teach her to be quiet when you tell her, but if she has no training she probably doesn't look at you as her leader, she may not listen to you. Going after dogs outside is fear aggression or excitement, I can't tell when you say "goes" for others and barks.

So check these website out I hope you can figure this out http://www.4pawsu.com/index.htm click on Articles at the top of the website page. Also http://www.hssv.org/index.htm scroll over "behavior" and click on dog behavior

Now go check this out find the articles and READ what you need to do.

[SamBlackDog]

Dogs in flats are never really a good idea, its very difficult to house train, however not impossible. It sounds like you need to go back to basics with the training. This is not easy and there is no easy answer. You need to do lots of research, either on the net, but preferably a book on training is the best way forward. If you are not careful your lovely dog is going to end up with serious behavioural issues. Everyone has their own ideas on toilet training, so you will read lots of various ways, I guess you have to find one that suits you. As with her barking agian back to basics for training. Are you sure she is getting enough exercise, do you spend time playing with her. A dog that is well exercised and content should sleep all night - mine does and I couldnt have it another way! Like drgnrdr said you have to train this dog, it doesnt know right from wrong and what you want it to do. Please never hit your dog when you are training, this will lead to agressive behaviour and not a good idea as you have a small child. I hope you managed to sort something out, good luck!

[woofgang]

I would like to add to the sensible comments already posted that the poo ing and weeing wen left alone could also be due to separation anxiety. Have you ever taught her to be left alone happily?

For the benefit of the dog, appropriate rehoming may be the best idea, especially if yours is an upstairs flat and or one with no garden

[orange-gnome]

Hi, I have nothing to add about training that hasn't already been suggested but I just wanted to let you know that if you did decide that the best thing for you and the dog was to rehome her and if you wanted to find your own new hom instead of just sticking her in a rescue kennels it's worth checking out caninelifeline.co.uk , I found my most recent rescue dog on there and a year on I am still in contact with her old owner and send her pictures and things. It's a nice way to do it because it meant that I knew her entire history there were no mysteries and her old owner can come and see her whenever she wants.
Also I just want to recommend the dog listener books as good for training help. A lot of people find the method very involved and a bit too much for them however it is good to read if for nothing else but to understand your dog better.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do and let us know.
: )

[Eels]

http://www.dogpages.org.uk/breeds3.htm

The above link gives details of SBT rescues. I don't necessarily mean that it's your only option, but please call these rescues up for help. These people are dedicated Staffy lovers with great experience of the breed and the traits of these dogs, and will be able to help and advise you on an individual basis.

Be prepared to hear things you don't like - maybe rehoming would be best in this case - but do take their advice on board. I hope you get sorted - and well done for being brave enough to admitting that there's a big problem.

In the meantime, the poo-eating isn't too much to worry about. It's extremely uncommon for this to be associated with any dietary deficiencies - much more likely it's just a puppy habit which will be outgrown as long as poo is picked up before the pup has a chance to get to it. The separation anxiety, toilet issues and barking are more complex, and for these problems to be addressed I think you genuinely will need professional help. These behaviours can be triggered by a spectrum of things, which cannot be properly analysed via this sort of forum.

[Honey pot]

I would say your dog is suffering from anxiety and is bored. I have had dogs all my life, three staffs, a rottweiler and a boxer all who are toilet trained and socialable. When you train a dog to be clean it is harder in a flat as your cant just open a door. when you allow a dog to go a toilet you would close the door behind them that way they can tell the difference from being inside and out. In your case i dont think you can do that? When you know you are due to go out take your dog for a walk and make it fun for the dog. When you leave the dog alone you can buy a toy called a Kong ball, looks like a bee hive. Get a large one and fill it with a biscuit like Bakers, pack the Kong ball and add alittle warm water to make it swell up inside the toy. Dont feed the dog if you know you are going out, the Kong ball will keep the dog occupied especially when hungry.Feed your dog once a day!!! Take the dog out for frequent walks as a dog of that age and breed are active and need to be amused and exercised.Y ou could also leave the dog for 5mins walk back in the house as if you hadn't left and do it again increasing the time, this is a long process but it does work. This is to stop the dog from being dirty in the house. There are some web sites that give free infornation and or contact the PDSA who can advise you on how to cope and or provide contacts to FREE training. Good Luck

[drgnrdr]

The websites I posted is FREE info on dogs and how and what and why. And they are experts. The training websites have certified and registered trainers. Since you said you had no money for training.

Taking a dog out for a walk is not enough for someone of this age and breed. She needs an "aerobic" work out something that makes her tongue hang out and pants real hard. If you are not exhausted after your walk neither is the dog.

The pooing in home even if they leave for short periods, and going in the night, sounds like not housetrained correctly. They may walk her but if she doesn't go, they need to leave so go ahead and leave her, then she goes, she should not be loose in your home, it's a priviledge not a right, they have to earn the priviledge, and how they earn it? YOU teach them.

How to tell if they have sep anxiety? Cont'....

[drgnrdr]

Typically they have a dramatic anxiety response within a short time (20-45 min.) after the owners leave them. The most common behaviors are:digging chewing scratching at doors or windows in an attempt escape and reuntie with owner...Howling barking crying in an attempt to get owner to return...Urination and defecation(even in HOUSETRAINED dogs) as a result of stress.

How do you know they have SA? If most or all of the following statements are true about your dog then they may have SA: Behavior occurs primarily or exclusively when she's left alone...She follows you from room to room whenever your home...She displays effusive, frantic greeting behavior.The behavior always occurs when she's left alone, whether for short or long period of time...She reacts with excitement, depression or anxiety to your preparations to leave the house...Dislikes spending time outdoors/or inside by themselves..this may not be you since you don't have a yard...but if your dog doesn't want to sleep when you leave the room it means she doesn't want to loose sight of you. So if this is you then woofgang is correct in saying SA might be problem. Check out the websites...

on 4pawsU you'll need to click on "Library" to get to the articles...

[woofgang]

I have been having a think about drgnrdrs last post and his use of the word privilege. No offence but my problem with it is that the dog doesn't understand the concept or understand the concept of "loss of privilege"

As well kind treatment, food, water, shelter, freedom from pain, freedom to express normal behaviours, IMO, dogs have three other rights.

They have the right to be treated as dogs, which is to say creatures whose thought processes, communication and conceptual understanding differ from our own.

They have the right to be taught kindly and in a way that they can understand, how to behave in the circumstances in which we, their owners, place them.

They have the right not to be put into circumstances where they do not know how to behave or where they are unable to behave in the way that is expected of them.

Thats why we don't let un housetrained pups run around the house unsupervised, because it is their right to be protected from behaving in a way that we don't want them to.

just wanted to get that off my chest. We who own and love dogs know this and behave accordingly, and I of course include the posters on this thread in this category, but for some reason,we don't SAY it!!

[drgnrdr]

I have to make this short...work is calling...woofgang sorry you misunderstood me,,,I use the word privilege mostly to get the HUMANS to understand the concept that they have to TEACH the dogs..they don't know the rules when they are born. When they understand the rules they get more freedom, slowly, they have to earn your trust they will not be destructive and not soil your DEN.

Privilege is only used for being loose in your home, and that they don't know rules until you teach them..would you let your 2 yr old loose in your home with no supervision?

Driving a car is a privilege not a right...you earn our trust and learn the rules and you get to go if I let you borrow the car..unless you earn money to buy your own and are 18..but the cops still have say, if you break the rules you get your privilege taken away.

Same with dogs, if your dog is allowed on your bed because they never challenged you then all of a sudden they growl if you tell them OFF, they would loose their privilege from the alpha, same as in the wild, they would have to get back in his/her good graces.
The posting you made was very good...I gotta go...