Why is my Dog Pooping in the House Suddenly?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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. For more about training a dog to poop outside read about our best techniques for dog training.

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.