2yo dog still messing indoors

[Sparthan]

My shitzu is nearly 2. In the early days she chose a back corner of the kitchen as a toilet. It’s not next to the door so she’s not trying to go out. I think she picked it because it’s out of sight and she could go without being caught. She was smart enough to realise she got in trouble for going indoors, so she picked a quiet spot where she could get away with it.

Anyway she still keeps going there occasionally. She’ll just wander into the kitchen and doesn’t bark at the door to go out, then she comes back looking guilty and I know she’s gone in the corner.

I tell her off and she knows she’s not supposed to go there, but she keeps doing it a couple of times a week. Usually #1 but occasionally #2 if we haven’t been for a walk yet. DH is furious and threatening to get rid of her if I don’t fix it - and I can’t make her stop.

She was doing the same thing in the spare bedroom too. Doing a secret #2 in a room where it wouldn’t get noticed so she wouldn’t get in trouble. I’ve had to wedge the door closed so she can’t push it open. But I can’t block off part of the kitchen.

You need to go right back to basics and train her as if she’s a puppy.

Take her out every half an hour annd anfter every drink/food/play time, and say have a wee! Have a wee! And I usually wouldn’t suggest giving a treat but as she’s older I would treat her with some high value food (cheese, hot dog, ham, whatever she goes crazy for). Really make a fuss of her for going outside.

Don’t shout at her or punish her if she goes inside, you haven’t trained her properly, it’s not her fault.

Can you remove access to the area she toilets in? Stairgate into the kitchen for example. And get a really good bio cleaner so it doesn’t smell like a toilet area. And keep up with the toilet training, she should get it quite easily. You have to be consistent with it though until it’s cracked. Could take a few weeks.

I think she picked it because it’s out of sight and she could go without being caught.

she knows she’s not supposed to go there

Dogs simply aren't smart enough to have that kind of level of cognition. She's going there because that's where she knows and it's probably as far away as possible from her bed (ditto with the spare bedroom).

Take her out more. Massive praise for each and every poo and pee.

Our 2½ yr old lurcher was still toileting indoors regularly up until a few months ago so I feel your pain - it's awful. The smell, the constant cleaning up, the dread when we got up in the mornings (it was always during the night with us).

What worked for us in the end was making her go to the toilet before bed - not just letting her out but staying out with her till she actually went - and removing access to her "preferred substrates" which for her were rugs and mats... I reckon she just didn't like going on any type of hard floor, she is such a princess! 😁 It took a couple months of this routine putting out and taking up all rugs and doormats over night for her click; we haven't had an accident since summer, thank goodness!

Any way you can see a pattern in her timing so you can put her out beforehand? Keep the kitchen door shut at all times so removing her preferred area?

If you “told her off” for going indoors that’s probably why she hides in wierd corners to go to the loo. She doesn’t want to be seen. Agree with PP back to basics, and no telling them off. It doesn’t help and just makes them not want to be seen when they go to the loo

I have to make mine go out at various points of the day, otherwise he is a risk.

Make sure you’re taking her out to the garden regularly. Go back to loads of praise for outside wees and poos.

Please stop telling her off.

She looks guilty because she knows you're angry with her but she doesn't understand that your anger is linked to her pooing inside the house. She's just trying to appease you.

She's doing it because you've failed to train her properly - you need to go right back to basics. Take her outside once an hour as well as after all her meals, sleep and naps. Lots of praise when she gets it right and most importantly, ignore when she gets it wrong. Don't shout, don't tell her off, don't raise your voice - just clean it up with proper pet cleaner and get on with your day.

I appreciate it's hard but it's not her fault she's not been trained. Telling her off will just make her even more anxious and even more likely to hide away and poo.

You need to go back to the start as she is not properly house trained . It may be a good idea to keep her on a house line so she doesn’t get the opportunity to wander off . If you haven’t got one introduce a cue word , it really works and praise like mad every time she goes outside - which does require you to be outside with her .

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