Poop Deck

QUESTION: Candice said...
Oh dear! My year old border collie is still pooping in the house! I got him from border collie rescue about 2 months ago, and he has never seemed to have gotten it. I think he even comes in from outside and goes into the other room to poop. A friend of mine who works a lot with border collies told me that I need to keep my eye on him all the time, but it's hard. She suggested baby gates. I am just about at that point!



ANSWER:
When a dog is older, it's harder to break them of what has become a long-standing "habit". But it can be done.

My suggestions:
  • If you have a yard and are letting him out the door, try instead taking him out on a leash.
  • Keep him outside to potty as long as possible.
  • Next time he poops (inside or outside), move that poop (use baggie or plastic gloves, ew!) to a spot outside where you'd like the dog to go all the time. This will help "mark the spot". Take him to that spot all the time.
  • Use a command to indicate what you want him to do (I use "go pee" and "go poop").
  • When he does go poop outside, make a huge deal over it. Even give an immediate small treat (Cheerios are great for this, you can put a baggie of them in your pocket before going out).
  • Inside, try tethering him to you with a light, cotton lead. Do this until he's completely housebroken. Seems like a pain, but it helps keep him in sight.
  • When tethering, you can bring him to a room you are staying in for a while and put him in a down stay with you.
  • I prefer tethering, but if needed, baby gates can help keep him from wandering the house.
  • The problem with baby gates is the dog still needs supervision. Baby gates will just keep him from pooping around the whole house. He still may poop where he's gated. He really needs supervision instead.
  • Instead of using one gate to keep him in one place, use multiple gates about the house to act just like tethering. Keeps him near where you are so you can supervise him.
  • If you catch him in the act of going in the house, say loudly "NO" and grab him to finish outside. That's the only "reprimand" you should use.
  • Go outside with him and if he finishes outside, big praise.
  • Crate the dog when you're not home.
  • Of course, whenever he has an accident in the house, clean and sterilize. This is imperative since their noses are so sensitive.

I have more info on this topic here.
Good luck with all this! Let me know how it works out.
The WillaWoman


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Workers free dog trapped in sewer pipe

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) -- The sound of barking underneath a street Tuesday led a team of city workers to a dog trapped in a narrow culvert - and you might say they used a backward approach to rescue the mutt. The sickly, scared dog was about 50 feet from the nearest entry point, but since the culvert was just 15 inches in diameter, the workers couldn't fit into it themselves. Not even offers of food could draw out the dog. "He was exhausted," said Tony Talamantez, a public works foreman. Then Talamantez and his colleagues had an idea. They rigged up a long video camera used to inspect drain pipes, and approached the dog from the back. They used the camera to nugdge the dog forward until he reached an entry point big enough for a person to pull him out. The camera recorded the rescue, showing the dog scampering ahead in fits and starts as the camera pokes him in the rear end. The dog wore no tags, only a worn collar. But Julia Gosen, animal control officer for the city, said ...
Read more

Crested Geckos - great pet for the disabled

Image
A few weekends ago at the Austin Reptile Expo, I had the opportunity to meet a really neat woman who breeds and sells Crested Geckos. Since I have lizards as pets and have written before about how great they are as pets for disabled folks, I thought I'd write about the Crested Gecko in particular. The woman I speak of is Kati of Kati's Crested's . She's here in Austin, TX. I had never held a crested gecko before this Expo, but I had seen them in a tank at a local reptile store. They are very kewl lizards! Soft to the touch, almost like suede. The one I held jumped from one hand to the other and held on with it's prehensile tail! The crested gecko originates from New Caledonia (an island east of Australia). Adults range from 6-9" in total length. In the wild, they are nocturnal, arboreal animals living in the forests. Most wild specimens are tail-less, presumably because they dropped their tails while escaping from a predator. All of Kati's cresteds are c...
Read more

Axe Me A Question

Go ahead and ask. Ask the questions you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair. Nothing is too embarrassing. You might as well ask me on this blog since you are somewhat anonymous and don't have to look me in the eye. What have you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair? Here, I'll start: Q: "Hi, my name is LaLaundria! I wanted to know how do you take a shower?" A: Well, LaLaundria, I sit down. On a shower chair. I have grab-bars installed in my shower/tub and my commode rooms to give me extra balance. A shower chair is a hard plastic chair made to fit in showers and tubs. I have a shower massage type shower head that helps get the water closer to my hair. Howze that? Ask away, no question is off limits! (Oh Jeez, what am I getting myself into!)
Read more