Breed: Pug Age: 9 years Sex: Female The last year or so is when it started but lately its gotten so bad. Her entire life she's done pretty good with going potty outside. I remember reading (and it was true until a year ago) that the dog will not poop in the cage that he sleeps in. It seems like once she pooped in the cage, all bets were off and she feels the green light to do so. She goes outside 7-10 times a day. Her entire life she would poop once at night and once in the morning, but this past yr shees been pooping 3-4 times a day at random times. I can be outside with her for as long as 20-25 and she will NOT POOP and as soon as I step foot in the house she goes. The issue really is we don't have the time to be outside that much. My 4 year old son is in the apartment and I can't leave him unattended for a lengthy period of time. Last night I took her outside at 7:30pm and then I napped from 8pm-9:30pm (I work overnights at 10pm) and she had already done BOTH in the apartment. My wife is furious and ends up spanking her to no end. We're starting to think its the dog food we feed her because its cheaper then what she probably needs (we feed her Trader Joes now, we use to feed her Nutro) but that was 3 years ago that we switched dog food. I know she's aging but this is getting to be a daily thing with her. I have no other family that can take care of her and I just don't know what to do anymore. Any tips/advice/suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
1) Hitting the dog isn't going to help. If anything, it might make things worse. 2) Crate training typically is the best way to go, but the only option you have now is going to a smaller crate. Not ideal. If she's pooping in a crate, something must seriously be bothering her. 3) At 9 years of age, not only is it weird for a dog to unlearn behavior, it's common for health problems to crop up. Go see a vet. Sounds like a diet change or medication are in order.
Yeah I see what your saying. Smaller crate isn't even an option given my dog barely has enough room to turn around and stretch out in it as it is. Looks like I'll be seeing my vet soon.
Sorry bro it's time to put her down. Looks like you will have to retrain her to poop outside with some treats and praise her when she does all over again like she is a pup.
^^ Yes, your wife needs to chill out. I'll say one thing. Negative reinforcement as potty training does not work unless you catch them in the act. Even then, it's questionable vs positive/reward-based training. If she is hitting the dog a hour later when you find the poop, that dog has no idea what she is being punished for. In the dog's mind: "I ran up to great her at the door, wagging my tail and followed her into the kitchen; then the crazy b**** just started smacking me."
Not only that, dogs can also develop a complex whereas they urinate as a defense mechanism if you hit them. It's called "submissive urination". They pee when they feel intimidated as a way to signal to you they are not a threat. Dealt with that in some dogs I've fostered before.
That's horrible. It's a pug. Defenseless doesn't begin to describe the dog. You should get a German Shepard and let her slap him around.
Your wife needs to be spanked. Hitting a defenseless aging dog? Your wife has some serious issues. Take the dog to the vet and get her better food. You made a commitment to the dog when you got it, just cause she is older now and needs more care doesn't mean she has to treated with less care. SMH...if my wife ever hit my dogs (which she would never) she better call the cops to defend her and an attorney to file divorce papers.
I would assume she loves her precious floor more than taking the dog to the vet and seeing what the underlying issue is.
If you can't beat the medical issue out of a dog then I'm stumped. That's the only logical course of action I can think of.
Hitting dogs doesn't work, your wife is an idiot. The dog is probably going through some anxiety issues, which is only going to be exacerbated by the abuse. 1. Stop hitting the dog. 2. Spend more time with the dog. If you exercise her right, she'll be too tired to make messes. If my lazy ass can wear my 4 year old German Shepherd out, anyone can do it with their dogs. 30-45 minutes a day of play and my dog sleeps 18+ hours. Dogs love to sleep, and getting them tired makes them sleep more. 3. If she's doing it in a crate, she must really have to go and/or she can't control the urge (anxiety). 4. Take her to the vet and get a professional opinion. 5. Try a dog anxiety vest.
