I don't know how it happened, but Teagan refuses to poop outside. She will poop only in her crate. She will hold it, no matter how many times I take her outside or for how long, and then once she's inside and in her crate for the night, she'll poop.

She used to have an occassional accident, which I put down to her hips, but she's not having trouble going right now, so I don't think it's that.

When we were away we were in a cabin for a few days, no crate, she never once went inside.

I think she gets attention when she poops in her crate (she gets attention otherwise, for the record, plenty of it) and she does it b/c of that and b/c, I suspect, she doesn't like being in the crate.

Am I over humanizing?

I'm really embarassed we're having this problem and can't think of what else to do.

Luc is out all the time, is it resentment at unequal treatment?

I know I am looking at it in human terms but I think we've ruled out physical problems, so frankly I am stymied.

I've put off posting this b/c it is embarassing, I think I've done something to cause this but aren't sure how to fix it. Please help

Take her outside with you and stay there until she must poop, and then party down. Hats, favors, steaks, toys, cake ....

Then keep taking her out when her poop schedule tells you to, and repeat.

Trust me: She WILL have to poop eventually, outside or not, and you CAN make it a very good thing. Then it won't matter what triggered it.

I've been trying that but maybe I'm not being patient enough. Her poop time is at my bedtime, so I think after 20 minutes I tend to be like 'ARGH'. Maybe a longer walk at bedtime is prescribed, adn then the partying.

The problem is it's hard to reward her outside, b/c she is muzzled, so treats and toys....eh. I can awkwardly treat her though, which is better than nothing.

I just feel like such a mental fool for having this issue.

Hey Jennifer, I would crate Luc too just to see if it is related at all. Our English Setter isnt crated and there were a couple of times you could see tension with her and Billy.

I think I will try it, thanks Steve. That and Connie's suggestion.

I used to leave her and Luc out together during the day, but everything I've read suggests that it's a bad idea to leave them unsupervised together....thoughts?
(Neb still has a tendency to get into unexpected things, so I prefer not to leave him out unsupervised)

Hi Jennifer:
In addition to staying outside until she poops, is there any way to give her a long walk at that time - and I mean a brisk walk across the neighborhood, covering some ground? Walking tends to stimulate bowel movements in most dogs, so perhaps it would help.

Yeah, Get the ole peristatic action goin'

I stood outside with one of my dogs for an hour and a half the other night (while the mosquitoes were loving me). I went to bed very late, but for me, it was better than being woken up too early on my holiday.

Get a lawn chair and a good book and stake her out.

Of course, the good run will make her go faster.

Maybe this is old school, and I would urge you to do your own research before trying this, but this is a remedy that I have used for your situation.

13 years ago, before I knew anything about good dog food or marker training, I had a lab pup that would refuse to poop outside. He was in what I now know to be too big a crate, and he got in the habit of pooping in there. I discussed the problem with my mother, who was an old school dog trainer, and she gave me a tip from yesteryear that fit the bill and did not harm, that I could tell anyways.

1) Take a wooden match, such as a blue tip.

2) Strike match and let it burn until the fizzle is gone.

3) blow out match and let it cool.

4) Repeat #3 until you are SURE it is cool.

5) Lift the dog's tail and insert about 1/4" of the match into the dog's anus. Hold onto the match.

6) Blush ashamedly as the dogs looks at you with a "What the hell?!?!" look on his face.

7) The dog should immediately run out and poop.

8) Let the party begin.

Again, I urge you to do your own research on this and make sure it's not dangerous for your dog. At the time, I could find nothing indicating any negative side effects of this technique. My vetrinarian was consulted, and gave it a "go fer it."

Good luck, and I hope this helps get things going I know it worked wonders with Gunner (may he rest in fields of pheasants).

David

Normally I do a short walk before bed as it's also dinner time, and I'm bloat-paranoid, but I think I will try a longer walk and see how that goes. We walk fairly briskly and sometimes this stimulates her, but not always.

After the arthritis dx (she also has hip dysplasia), I backed away from running with her, but maybe it's time to do more short, slow runs. She does love to run. My mom has been around when I took Luc and Neb for a run and she said Teagan was inconsolable (she got a nice long walk when I got back).

Over the last 2 months we've been very busy with moving. Our dogs' quality of life has suffered since they have spent a little more time in their crates.

Our 6-month-old gsd puppy had been fully potty trained. He figured out that the result of going potty in his crate is freedom.

Things are back to normal for us, but he was still doing the same thing.

This is what I did:

1. Took him out more often.
2. Let him pick his favorite spot to go. Took him out on leash & brought him to that spot every time.
3. He goes on cue. While he's actually going, praise him--not before, not after.
4. If he doesn't go after about 5 minutes, bring him back inside & crate him. After 15 minutes in the crate, bring him back out.

The above is housetraining 101 advice. Here is the part that worked for us:

The only time he gets out of his crate is when I make a certain noise immediately before I take him out of his crate. I use 2 loud claps & then IMMEDIATELY take him out. He can pee or poop in his crate & I completely ignore it. This works because he learns that going potty in his crate won't automatically get him released & that the only time he will be released is when he hears the claps (or whatever cue you want to use). It really works