Doggie drama...

[shewasmyshadow]

So, my new dog is still giving my daily drama. Well, it's not really daily. It comes in spurts. Everything will be going fine and then she falls apart again.

I'm a nice person and I started off giving this dog the benefit of the doubt in all situations. Every-time I do I get in BIG trouble.

This dog has separation anxiety so bad that she literally is foaming at the mouth and drooling so badly that when we come home her kennel is SOAKED. I thought it was pee, but it's not. It's from her mouth. Yeah, gross! I know. This is something that had almost worked itself out, but now came back again.

She is completely untrustworthy as far as potty training is concerned. I know she KNOWS how to go outside and KNOWS not to go inside. I take her outside 10X more then I have ever with any other adult potty-trained dog. I make sure everything is perfect for her to do her business. That means putting her in the backyard loose and making sure she has time for at least 100+ circles before pooping. So, yeah, this isn't a pee problem. It's a BIG HUGE DUMP problem. She will literally POOP in my son's room not 5 minutes after I took her outside to go. I'll take her out again and she'll come inside and POOP again! I'm at my wits end! 'Cause sometimes she's fine and then all of a sudden she's back at it-pooping in the house.

I want to take her into the vet, but I really think that it's not a vet issue. I think it's a training issue with the pooping and a "it takes time thing" with the separation thing (and at least that seems to be improving).

BUT!! I want to try extra hard this week on the pooping thing and maybe try some homeopathic remedies for dogs that can't control their pooping. Like maybe she's got no control over her poop. (Here we go again with the benefit of the doubt:rolleyes:.) Or maybe she needs to eat yogurt to balance the PH in her stomach. Or change her food. That type stuff.

Any ideas of what I can try?? By the way I will take her to the vet, but I'd like to try some home-remedies first.

[WashingtonBay]

Well, my personal view is that if you really think she can't control it, I'd take her to a vet instead of trying some kind of home remedy.

But unless she's got the runs, I wouldn't think it's necessarily a lack of control issue. I've seen lack of control. They don't run off someplace to do it, they do it when they aren't even trying to do it.

This is a first dog right? Could be you have gotten yourself a first dog who isn't an easy first dog.

I might suggest a truly 'holistic' - meaning considering the whole picture - approach to this. Start with an obedience class with a good trainer. Interview a couple so you can tell if they're really a good dog trainer or a fruitcake. You'll find a few of each in any town. Obedience training, good quality time, consistent routine, good diet. See where that leads you. Taking on an adult dog with a history of her own, sometimes it really helps to start over with the bond and the relationship from scratch, like you would a new horse. And an obedience class helps make you stick to a routine of spending the right kind of time with her, as well as potentially helping you with some of the 'how-tos' if you aren't sure.

[alittleoffkey]

Lucky has mild seperation anxiety (just with me, he doesn't care if anyone else in the house leaves *rolls eyes*). We're working on it (I've started completely ignoring him when I get home, aside from letting him out in the yard, until he's completely calm. THEN we play). This site (http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html)describes stuff really well. I really like the steps in this site (http://www.petlibrary.co.uk/dog-training/separation-anxiety-in-dogs-how-to-treat-it.html?Itemid=34)- I did a lot of research for Lucky and this one's steps seem to be agreed upon in most places, and it lists it out really well. :)

[shewasmyshadow]

This is my first dog, but when I lived with my parents we had 3 family dogs. All of which I trained and worked with on a daily bases. The fact that this dog "tries" to go outside, by circling upwards of 100X makes me think it might be diet or something. It like she's constipated UNTIL she's inside, then she just goes. *sigh*

[WashingtonBay]

Oh - well if you've seen some circling outside like she'd like to go and can't, then it might be an issue... not even necessarily a serious one. She may need her 'anal glands' expressed. My little Zulu needed that from time to time. They have a couple little gland/sac things right in their anus that can get filled up with ~blech~ and swollen and they hurt. If you can squeeze them and empty them from time to time, it clears them up and the dog goes "aaaahhhhh". If you have a strong constitution, you can do this yourself. A good dog groomer could even show you how, but so could your vet, and I'd want to have the vet do it just to see if that is indeed what it is, and all it is.

But it might indeed be a cause that would make her not want to go until she simply can't hold it any more.

[mtnmollie]

If my dog is not house trained they can be in the kitchen if I am watching them, the dog crate or outside. They can not have the run of the house.

I changed dog food and my dogs quit having to poo in the middle of the night.

Apple cider vinegar on accidents takes the smell away.

Good luck. :)

[shewasmyshadow]

Yeah, I'm going to change foods first thing. She had her glands expressed about 1 1/2 months ago. Do you think she needs it again?

[WashingtonBay]

Were they bad then? They sometimes need it fairly frequently, if they're the type to get inflamed.

Does she ever scoot?

[shewasmyshadow]

:puke:She never scoots, but she licks and licks and licks "down there". :puke: BLAAAAA! *gags*

[Dixie]

What kind of dog is this and how old?

My advice would be she needs to stay in her crate except to take her outside, eat, drink and play. Right back in the crate she goes after these things. If you want to keep her out of the crate, use a 6ft leash and attach it to your belt loop or belt, that way she has to stay with you and can't run off to hide to do her business. Taking her outside on a leash might help too, take her out to the same spot every time and use a word, like 'potty' to get her to associate it with her business. When she does do it outside in the spot, praise her. Not with treats or food but with a toy if she has one she likes or just extra love and pets.

Ideally they should go outside 20mins after eating and after playing, puppies will need to go out right after and then again a little later. She will learn and from what you describe it does not sound like she has issues with going, it sounds more like she is running around outside willy nilly having fun and not doing what she should be doing, when she is brought in, the game is over so she poops.

The seperation anxiety might need to be addressed by a vet though, some dogs are given doggy prozac to help with that.

[Mercury]

Agreed with Dixie. This is the same method I use for my puppies. I know you have an older dog but it still applies. Play time doesn't happen until business happens. If my dogs don't go to the bathroom when told, they get no play time and go straight to the kennel. I have smaller dogs so I don't even let them touch the floor of the house. I pick them up and scoot them into their kennel. For the first month I also kept them tied to my belt loop so they couldn't find someplace to hide and go to the bathroom.

Bella has seperation anxiety and the thing that helped her was another dog. I've found that having 2 dogs is easier than one. Another thing that helped was filling a kong with peanut butter when I left. It's very distracting for her ;)!

[shewasmyshadow]

Here's the deal with Sasha... She's a 3 yr old doxie/lab cross. She gets anxious about just about everything. That includes someone sitting and watching her or telling her to "go potty". Doing this accomplished NOTHING. She tries to sniff, but keeps getting anxious about me standing there and can't concentrate. I tried this method for about 3 weeks when I first got her. It DID NOT work. The best method I've found is to take her out off-leash out in the backyard. If I stand out there in the center of the yard and pretend not to watch her she will do her business the best. Plus, my husband is running with her now. She can NOT hold her poop after a big run. LOL. So, that always works.

I also figured out that my son was feeding her at the table. I think her stomach is probably sensitive and that was making her have tummy aches.

So, we're doing better now. We'll pray it continues.