Quote: Cindy Easton Rhodes

It's totally common for even completely housetrained dogs to have accidents in the house after a snowstorm.

I know that some of my house dogs really don't want to go out, and if I didn't make them leave the back door they would just stand there until I let them back in.

Make sure you are seeing your dog poop OUTSIDE before letting him back in, don't assume he's going in the snow.

Well, then, I'm no longer going to consider my rain-hating senior to have been a weirdo.

And in line with what Cindy is saying about actually SEEING the dog going outside, I did indeed walk with her to the tree-sheltered area to make sure she really went.

Dave..my apologies as well. Didn't mean to question your judgement..especially when I am the one asking for advice.

I am very lucky and I have great young dog. I bought several of Ed's videos before I bought my dog and they got me -- and him started off right. This is my first dog, however, so most everything I know I learned from Ed's videos and from this site and forum (thanks everyone).

I will take your advice, back up and crate him in the evening and re-work the reward training when he poops outside at night. I just finished shoveling the area, down to grass, where he usually pees. He will usually pee on command for me and about 50% of the time he will poop on command, so I am reasonably confident I can get him to go in this shoveled area.

As an afterthought, he did not poop at least on of the nights when I took him out - he peed but did not poop. Then he did his thing over night in the basement and once the next day...so, as someone stated, I assume he has decided the basement is a toilet.

I'll re-crate himme at night, re-emphasize rewards when he poo's outside and make the basement off limits for a while.

Other suggestion welcome.

Respectfully

Randy

 Quote: Randal Dull

Other suggestion welcome.

Set him up for success: Make the opportunities to get him outdoors for poop so you can have a party for him when he does it.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Randal Dull

Other suggestion welcome.

Set him up for success: Make the opportunities to get him outdoors for poop so you can have a party for him when he does it.

Yeah,a POOP PARTY. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Oh, lordy .....

I have found that sometimes dogs are not the best generalizers. Housebroken during the day, does not mean house broken in the night.

Like David said, all this new found freedom at night time, with no one watching him or seeing his "gotta go" signals, may have set the dog up for an accident.

Of course now that the dog has pooped inside at night and nothing happened, except that the behavior was reinforced by him getting releif from having to hold it, the behaviour is more likely to re-occur.

As already said, just go back to basics and don't give him the opportunity to make the mistakes for a while.

If it turns out to be the snow thing, that could be understandable if you don't get snow a lot.

I combat this type of not wanting to go out in bad weather thing by feeding my HUNGRY dog outside, unsheltered, no matter what the weather. Plus we work in bad weather, plus we go for walks rain or shine.



Just some ideas...

 Quote: david eagle

Interesting. We don't have this "Snow" that you speak of.

:laugh: :laugh: Oh that made me giggle.

I will just add to the OP that depending on the condition of the basement (fully finished carpeted versus having a cement floor..) that a lot of dogs will use the basement as a potty area. This is if the basement is not finished/furnished etc, and when the floor is cement/concrete etc and not carpeted. If a dog has ever been allowed to or praised for peeing or pooping on concrete/cement (like a patio or sidewalk) it will not be hesitant to use a cement floor in an unfinished basement if it really has to go.

Did your dog have full roam of the house or was he just kept in the basement? If he had full roam, and then chose the basement to poo in, I would think that the basement is a different enough atmoshphere that the dog does not associate basement with house. At 7 months old it is not uncommon for some house breaking mishaps if a dog has only recently been allowed to free roam.

I second the other suggestions, also, of making sure he goes. Living in Wisconsin for 5 years, dogs not wanting to go on or in the snow is not uncommon. Some dogs just really don't like it until they get used to it.



Edited by Jennifer Marshal (12/07/2007 06:17 PM)
Edit reason: can't spell lately!

Or if the snow gets too high, if you catch my drift (excuse the pun)

Thanks everyone. Heres an update from last evening.

We have had over 2 feet of snow in the last 48 hours (Park City, Utah). I took him out last night and we played for about 30 minutes. During this time I re-shoveled two areas down to grass. He, however, had a different idea and made his way through deep snow to the fartherest part of my yard and pooped; the snow was almost up to his back. So... with an n=1, he doesnt seem to mind pooping in deep snow.

The basement family room is fully finished but for some reason he has decided its ok go go there. Previous owners had a dog..maybe the carpet is "marked" we used the basement for playroom for my kids; they have had accidents there and despite being cleaned maybe it has a smell that he identifies as a toilet.

I placed a gate on the upstairs steps so he wsa confined to our 3rd floor bedroom area. He had a usual night, slept the whole night. I dont think he will poop in the bedrooms.

The basement will be off limits for a while and I am going to re-shampoo the basement carpet. He is a very well behaved dog young dog, doesnt chew on furniture and with the exception of liking to destroy Barbies, he leaves most things alone. Given his good behavoir, I have reduced his crate time significantly which, in hind sight, may have been asking for trouble. Anyway, back to the basic.

Thanks

Randy