By Laurencia

Why is My Dog Suddenly Pooping in the House?

Common Reasons and Solutions

dog on a leash sitting in a city street at night

If your dog has suddenly started pooping in the house, it can be frustrating and confusing (for the both of you!) There are many reasons why this behaviour may occur, from medical issues to changes in routine or environment. Fortunately, there are also many solutions to help your furry friend get back on track with their potty habits. Let's look at the main reasons:

Most Common Reasons Why Your Dog Has Been Weeing Or Pooping In Your Flat:

Changes in routine or environment
Ageing
Emotional causes

Is there anything worse than coming home after a hard day at work and finding a poop or piddle waiting for you on your carpet? We've all been there! Thankfully there are things you can do to prevent his from happening.

Firstly, It's important to find out whether this is due to a medical or emotional issue, or if there have been changes to your dogs diet or routine.

Medical causes are generally only the case if you notice a marked change in the colour/solidity of your pup's poops, as well as if you notice them pooping more often than ever before. ALWAYS consult your vet before jumping to conclusions.

Let's look at the main reasons in more detail:

Changes in Routine or Environment

Red haired dog sitting on couch looking at door

Dogs thrive on routine and familiarity, so any changes to their daily routine or environment can cause stress and anxiety, leading to accidents in the house. This could include changes in feeding schedule, a new family member or pet in the household, or a move to a new home.

To help your dog adjust, try to maintain a consistent routine and provide plenty of positive reinforcement and attention. Gradually introduce any changes and give your dog time to adapt.

Routine change

Perhaps you've been working longer hours lately and your dog's daily walk is a bit later than usual. Or you've changed their dinner time to earlier in the day, and therefore your pup's bowels are adjusting to this new schedule. These could also be reasons why your dog is urinating or pooing in the house.

Dogs and puppies do best on a regular schedule. The schedule teaches them that there are times to eat, times to play and times to do their business.

Ageing

As your dog gets older they may be less able to hold in their bladder, giving them less control over their bowels overall. This is largely unavoidable, and one of the reasons that having a portable dog toilet can be incredibly useful for older (wiser and cuter!) dogs, that can't access greenery as fast as their younger fluffy counterparts.

A more serious cause could be that your elderly dog suffers from canine degenerative myelopathy which can lead to incontinence. Always check with your vet if you suspect an illness.

Emotional Causes

Your dog may be stressed or suffering from separation anxiety. If you notice your dog's behaviour has changed recently; for example if they're barking or whining more than usual or they're pacing or shaking then this may be a sign of stress.

Is it possible that your dog may have been scared by loud noises during the day? Have there been building works going on next door? This could have triggered or increased your dogs anxiety and stress.

Lack of Proper Training.

Your Dog Doesn't Know How To Ask To Be Let Out

One common reason why dogs suddenly start pooping in the house is due to a lack of proper training. If your dog was never properly house trained or if their training was inconsistent, they may not understand how or where to go potty.

It's important to establish a consistent routine for potty breaks and reward your dog for going in the right place.

If your dog has already had accidents in the house, it's important to clean them up thoroughly to remove any lingering scent that may encourage them to go in the same spot again.

Consider working with a professional dog trainer to help with house training and behavior modification.

Check out our training tips page or our article on house training a puppy in an apartment: 6 steps. It features a short video from City Doggo's in-house trainer, Thomas-James Laidlaw.

If your dog hasn't been trained (this may be the case if your dog has recently been adopted) then they may need a little help and some time to adjust.

We would also recommend trying to use potty training bells which allows your dog to alert you whenever they need to be let out on a balcony for example, so that they can access their Oui Oui Patch.

What Can You Do To Stop Your Dog Pooping Inside?

Our Solution:

Oui Oui Patch offers your dog a safe area to do their business, at all times. The combined scent of freshly harvested soil and grass are intuitive triggers for dogs' potty instincts. This means that half of the hassle of training is already done for you, they'll take to it quickly and easily and will know that this is the correct area on which to do their poop and piddle.

If the patch is able to be kept in an area that your dog can access throughout their day, we guarantee that you will be faced with fewer unwanted gifts on your carpets!

WINNING!