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RP: Dog issue
I
have a four year old lab named Tiki. He hasnt had an accident in the
house since he was a puppy. However, in the last week, he has defecated
in the house three times - twice in the basement, and once in a spare
bedroom.All three times occurred when me and my husband were not home.
one occasion was when i was gone for an extended period of time (over 4
hours) the other two times happened when he was alone for an hour or
less
Some background: we have lived in our current house for over two years. Since we've moved in, we dont allow him to have free reign in the house while we are gone - all doors are closed with the exception of the spare bedroom listed above (door doesnt shut all the way, and he can nose it open) and sometimes we forget to shut the basement door. So he has no access to the living room, master bedroom, bathrooms and other two spare bedrooms. He DOES have access to the hallways, dining room, kitchen, spare bedroom listed above and the basement if we forget to shut the door.
Now the only major changes are that in the last two months we have completely remodeled the living room - which is where we all spend most of our time. We put in new hardwood floors and got new furniture, Because of this, the dog is now not allowed on the couches (he used to be allowed on them before), and the husband is a bit ornery about the dog in the living room, possibly scratching the floors, and I think he has been actung kind of hostile about it (the husband - not the dog)
The dog doesnt exhibit any other anxiety issues, although he isnt without his behavior faults - he jumps on people when the enter the house, he jumps on the counter to try and snatch food (if given the opportunity), he is a little hyper active, he barks out the window at passersby, squirrels, garbagemen.
Let me know if you need any other info on the situation, but Id love to hear opinions or insights into what might be going on...
****Upstate NY only side note - husband is getting really pissed off about this ... and i am afraid he is going to make me get rid of the dog... its not even an option in my head at this time, and I dont even want to think about the fights that will ensue if this doesnt stop - honestly, Im pretty sure DH hates my dog - even though he has lived with him for nearly as long as Ive had the dog... ugh - this has me really stressed out...
Re: RP: Dog issue
How much exercise does Tiki get? Has this level changed at all? I would suggest a vet check to rule out a medical issue first. Maybe doggy day care 1x a week for some hard play, and making sure he gets enough play at home too. Does he have a fenced yard to play in, daily walks? You work a lot right? Has this increased lately?
We have a lab too, he is too smart for his own good and we have really had to step up his structure and play since baby came!
Good luck!
A couple of things come to mind- is/was he ever crate trained? If so, it might be time to crate him when you're not home, at least for a while, to reinforce the housetraining.
Our dog was really out of sorts when we redecorated- we actually swapped the living and dining rooms- so she was completely confused. One thing that helped was getting her a new bed for downstairs (before she'd just lay on the rug or whatever), and making a big deal about it. I think it really helped that she learned she has a new spot that's "hers". She's not allowed on the furniture either.
It might also be worth a call to your vet. Good luck!
Are you sure he's going to the bathroom when he is given the opportunity? Our male doesn't like the cold and unless we're watching closely won't actually go while he's outside. He'll just run off the deck and then come back to the door.
Otherwise Labbie said exactly what I was going to say.
Hey Ladies!
thanks for the input... today there were no acidents, which was good... He's allowed in the living room, when we are home, so hes acclimated to the room, but it could be the redecorating.... but it could be that I am working/going to school/coaching all the time... ive been kind of crazy the last few months....
He is crate trained, although we havent used he crate in 2 years... his exercise is minimal - we have a fenced in yard, and he runs around by himself out there, but we dont walk hijm like we should - i know this...
I think i'll def call the vet though... but I am also going to take him to some new obedience classes, and will also bring in an in-home behaviorist too...
ill let you know how it goes!
I know I'm later on this, but I think that unless there is a medical reason the biggest thing that will help is increasing his exercise. We have been thru 3 different obedience classes, and honestly the one we saw the biggest change at home was when we were in an agility class and she had to exercise both mentally and physically.
Mental exercise is big at our house because we have seen the results. 10 minutes a day of doing tricks and/or using the busy buddy toys. Walks are good, but off leash running and playing with other dogs is the best. When Abby starts acting out, it is usually when we are "too busy" to exercise her. Even 15 minutes of tossing the ball or frisbee around outside helps a ton. We also take her to doggy daycare, not often, but 1-2 times a month helps a lot and she comes home completely exhausted. Occasionally we let her and our friend's dogs play together and that is great because even 30 minutes leaves everyone happy and satisfied.