Behavioral problems

Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly?

Ameera Mills
By Ameera Mills, Writer and researcher. Updated: July 30, 2024
Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly?
Dogs

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Are you wondering ‘Why has my dog started pooping in the house at night?’ Is your dog suddenly acting or behaving differently? There are many different causes behind a dog’s change in behavior, some include an acquisition of new fears, anxiety, stress and more. But what do these changes mean and how do we stop them?

If you are wondering ‘Why is my dog pooping in the house suddenly?’ Keep reading here at AnimalWised to find out why. In addition, we’ll be giving you some of our top tips on how to stop a dog from pooping in the house.

You may also be interested in: Natural Dog Repellents
Contents
  1. Dog pooping in the house: illness
  2. Dog pooping inside: separation anxiety
  3. Dog pooping inside all of a sudden: cognitive dysfunction syndrome
  4. Dog pooping in house on purpose: predilection
  5. Dog pooping inside house: fear
  6. why has my dog started pooping inside the house: marking
  7. How to stop a dog from pooping in the house?

Dog pooping in the house: illness

There are many diseases that can cause a dog to suddenly change when it come to behavior. However, before suspecting that the cause is psychological, we need to rule out all possibilities of pathology. If your dog is suddenly pooping a lot or urinating excessively, we recommend consulting a veterinarian to make sure that the cause is not a physical one.

Some common causes of a dog suddenly pooping a lot include:

  • Food Allergies in dogs.
  • Irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Intestinal parasites.
  • Bad nutrition.
  • Dog poisoning.
  • Bacterial infection.
  • Viral diseases.
  • Stomach flu.
  • Incontinence in dogs.

For more, we recommend reading why is my dog vomiting and has diarrhea.

Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly? - Dog pooping in the house: illness

Dog pooping inside: separation anxiety

Have you noticed that your dog poops in house when alone? One of the main causes of this is separation anxiety in dogs. If this problem only occurs when a dog is alone, when the owner is absent, we can conclude that the likely cause is due to a high level of stress. Want to find out if this is the reason? Test it by leaving the house for a short time and noting whether this still occurs.

If your dog urinates and defecates at home when you leave it alone, you are probably facing a case of separation anxiety. It is important not to punish your dog if it defecates inside the home. Rather consult a specialist and treat this behavioral change appropriately in a positive way. For more, we recommend reading about separation anxiety in dogs.

Dog pooping inside all of a sudden: cognitive dysfunction syndrome

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a common pathology in elderly dogs and is usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as disorientation, fear, behavioral changes and lack of appetite. Although it is a degenerative disease that has no treatment, it can be slightly reversed with the use of mental stimulation exercises.

If you believe your older dog is suffering from cognitive dysfunction syndrome, we recommend consulting a veterinarian to administer appropriate treatment to help minimize symptoms. For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss old dog behavior changes.

Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly? - Dog pooping inside all of a sudden: cognitive dysfunction syndrome

Dog pooping in house on purpose: predilection

If your dog poops in a random area of the house, it may be caused by diarrhea or something uncontrollable. However, if your dog keeps on pooping in the same place in the house, one can conclude that your dog has a predilection to defecate in this specific place, such as on a rug, in the bathroom or on the terrace. Are you wondering, ‘Why has my dog started pooping in the house at night?’ Usually when a dog is pooping in the house on purpose, they choose to do it at night to avoid confrontation.

In this such case, try and block access to this chosen ‘space.’ In addition, make sure that you clean this area well with enzymatic products in order to avoid smell and get rid of pheromones. In addition, consider reeducating your dog, teaching it how to defecate outside. Remember to always opt for positive reinforcement. For more, we recommend taking a look at our article where we discuss how to train your dog.

Dog pooping inside house: fear

Fear can cause a dog to poop inside the house. Dogs can be afraid of a great variety of stimuli: people, other dogs, objects, noises, darkness ... This fear can develop in any period of a dog’s life, usually after a trauma or negative experience. It can, however, also occur due to a genetic condition or after continued punishment.

Expressions of fear in dogs can vary. Some dogs express fear through uncontrolled urination and other dogs poop inside at night.

Fear in dogs is a very complicated behavioral problem and treatment will vary depending on the specific cause. Some basic tips to take into consideration when dealing with fear in dogs include:

  • Avoiding the stimuli causing the fear.
  • Make sure the dog has a safe and comfortably place to sleep.
  • Make sure this area is cleaned properly.
  • Consult a behavioral specialist in order to deal with the trauma and fear.
  • Make sure you surround your dog will love, care and comfort.

Read about why is my dog scared of everything?

Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly? - Dog pooping inside house: fear

why has my dog started pooping inside the house: marking

Although it is one of the least frequent forms of dog marking, feces marking in dogs can occur. In these cases, a dog will usually poop on the walls of the house, leaving small or large traces of feces.

Some treatment or ways of stopping this behavior include castration, the use of synthetic pheromones, correct hygiene practices and/or the reeducation a dog.

How to stop a dog from pooping in the house?

If you have not yet figured out the exact cause of your dog pooping inside the home, we recommend consulting an ethologist, dog trainer and/or veterinarian to distinguish whether this behavior is cause by a health problem or a psychological one. An evaluation by a specialist will be key in dealing with this problem quickly and preventing it from becoming chronic.

For more on how to stop a dog from pooping inside the house, take a look at the tips below:

  1. Teach your adult dog to defecate outside, again. Although they already know how to, you need to make a point of reminding your dog to do their business outside.
  2. Set a fixed schedule of when to walk your dog, giving it enough opportunity to poop outside. Remember that a dog should enjoy, between 2 and 3 daily walks.
  3. Make sure your house is well cleaned with enzymatic products.
  4. Avoid punishing or scolding your dog. This negativity can increase stress levels in your dog. Rather favor positive reinforcement.
  5. Value ​​the use of synthetic pheromones.

It should be noted that these guidelines are indicative and generic. This means that treatment will depend on the case at hand and its causes.

Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly? - How to stop a dog from pooping in the house?

If you want to read similar articles to Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly?, we recommend you visit our Behavioral problems category.

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5 comments
Rating:
Vicki
My dog is 10 years old and has started pooping in the house. How do I stop this. He use to sleep on the bed untill he messed up the bed. Now I won't let him sleep on bed again. He just decides to poop in the house and just does it. How do I stop this. Took treats away.
Rating:
Omar
Why does my 5 yr. old not have a set time for potting? Sometimes she'll wake me up in the middle of the night. Other times at 7am, 2pm approx, 4:30pm, which are her normal hours. But suddenly she's pooping inside the house.
Rating:
Tiena
Hi, My poodle is pooping and peeing in the house after we moved to a new home. We thought it is because there is only paving so we went and bought grass but she still dont want to use it. We also find out that there was a big dog in the yard before. Any reason or suggestion what to do.
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi Tiena,

There are many causes, as the article suggests. The moving process can be stressful, especially if there are elements of their new environment they find intimidating. You should reinstate training to get them to do it outside again. If this fails, you may need to speak to a trainer.
Rating:
Chico's Mom
Why do dogs poop on the wall? And how do I stop it?

Rating:
DaneeK
if my older dog is pooping in the house is it a sign of stress
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi Daneek
Older dogs become more prone to diseases due to a decrease in both physical and mental strength. If your older dog is pooping in the house suddenly, it can be caused by stress, the inability to control bowel movements or anxiety. For more, you can read our following article about dog old age symptoms
https://www.animalwised.com/dog-old-age-symptoms-2754.html
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Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly?