# Pooping in the house issues. HELP!



## cla517 (Jun 19, 2013)

My GSD pup is 4.5 months old. We've had him for 6 weeks. For the most part, he does great with going outside. But, there are times when I'll have him outside, he'll pee but won't poop. Then, we come in and he goes!

Here are some facts. We both work and Rocky is crated during the day. We let him out before we leave for work. We come home at lunch and let him out. When we get home from work, we take him out again and then feed him. We take him out multiple times after that. (Both to play and to do his business) At night (bedtime) he is not crated but is in our bedroom with a baby gate in the doorway. He is fine through the night.

He seems to "forget" that he needs to go outside when we give him the run of the house after we get home from work. (After we feed him) We have cats and so we can only let him run around the entire house when we are there to supervise. (He wants to "Play" with the cats but they have no interest, so until he doesn't chase them, we keep a close watch)

It seems to be during this time that he'll poop in the house. 

1. Is there a way to make him realize the he's supposed to go out no matter where he is in the house? (He obviously "gets it" when he's in his crate and in our bedroom)

2. Is there a way to get him to go a bit faster? He'll pee immediately, but he needs a **** engraved invitation to poop! (This is part of the issue of coming in and pooping, he'll be out there forever, I'll bring him in and he'll go 5 minutes later!)

Thanks! Sorry this turned into a novel!


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## kjdreyer (Feb 7, 2013)

I think it would help if you could stay literally right on top of him when you let him out of the crate, rather than letting him have so much run of the house - it can take quite a while before a puppy can earn that kind of trust! It sounds like his natural aversion to messing the crate works, but that he doesn't really understand yet that he's only to go outside. If you could tether him to you or have him gated in only the same room you're in so you could keep an eagle eye on him and usher him out when you see him starting to do the circle/sniff, he'll start to get the idea. Or, you could just rotate between taking him outside and popping him back in the crate, and he finally gets to be out having fun AFTER he's done the deed. 

And, (sorry this is so long, but the housetraining is still so fresh in my mind!) you may need to stay out with him longer to wait for him to poop. With my pup, the peeing always was quick, but there was a lot of walking around and finding just the right spot before the pooping. Just getting them walking, like even take him for a little walk, can help get things moving. And, definitely after eating is prime time for them needing to empty. 

I've read that using a command when you see them going can help, like every time you see them going outside, say "go potty" or "go outside", and have a treat ready when they finish. Eventually, they may actually go on command, but that never really worked for me. But be really generous with the treats, throw a little party and jackpot the treats every time you see him poop outside, and he'll realize that's what you want. Good luck!


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## Roemly's Mama (Apr 3, 2013)

can you tell more about when you are taking him out relative to his feeding? Like 15 mins after, 30 mins after, etc. I've always read to take them out within 20 mins but sometimes my boy just didn't poop at that time. I would bring him in and put him back in the crate and we would go out 10 mins later and keep up that routine until he pooped. He didn't get out of the crate for fun until he pooped. 

Now that he is older (9 months) about 1-1.5 hours after he eats is when he gets up to let me know he has to go out so he takes his time processing, lol.

Sometimes he didn't poop until the next day (after his night meal) and that still happens on the rare occasion. At 5 months I would not let him out of the crate for any length of time if he didn't poop. If I did I watched him like a hawk. Now, I can cause he barks to tell me he has to go. Just something he started to do. (but honestly that is rare cause we go outside enough anyway).

Bottom line at your pup's age I would not let him out of the crate in the house until he pooped. If he didn't poop, then no out of crate time for that night. Not to be a punishment, but saving the floors and the carpet until he gets the idea.


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## AugustGSD (Mar 29, 2013)

My pup has done this too, and I quickly realized that it was because I wasn't staying out long enough. I always take August out right after his meal, and he is quick to pee, but he takes his dear sweet time with pooping. Typically, he only takes as long as 20 minutes to poop, but if I have time and the weather isn't too hot, I stay outside until he does it. The reason he "gets it" in his crate is because he knows if he messes up his crate he'll be messy too. One way to speed it up is to put his leash on and make him stay in a particular area until he has both peed and pooped (if you don't do this already). It won't work immediately, but he will start to speed up the process just to get that leash off and play.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

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Save yourself alot of headache and get a crate. He should have just enough room to turn around and lay down in it. 

When you take him out, carry him out. Don't put him down. Go to the door, tell him potty and take him to the same spot in the yard everytime and stay there until he poops and pee's. Don't try to rush and keep him in the potty area. You do this enough times, he will get the idea he needs to go outside for his buisness.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

I wouldn't worry about it. As the dog grows up it will realize where to poop. The dog doesn't think it is doing anything wrong. If you make it an issue then the dog will get a complex about it and that's not fair in imo. Just clean it up and wait for the pup to grow up.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Umm .. yeah. If the puppy is able to be out of your sight, then it probably has too much freedom. I would baby gate him to a more confined area so that you can keep a closer eye on him. If he didn't go when you went outside, either stay out longer or take him out every 20 or 30 minutes until he does finally go. Make a huge deal of it. But I would NOT let him just go ahead and poop in the house and clean it up later and hope he'll outgrow it. He probably won't.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

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I some how missed the part where you do crate him.


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