This is a legitimate question. It’s the one we whisper to someone because it is a little embarrassing to admit that our dog finds it’s poop to be a delicacy. There are ways to deter this behavior. Not to worry - here’s a page taken from my “The Truth About Housebreaking” ebook.
In this, I make light of the problem, but I do understand that it can be very frustrating. Ruling out other issues, the best thing you can do is monitor your dog, don’t give them the opportunity to eat poop, and they will mostly grow out of this behavior.
It’s never too early to begin “training” your dog. I know how tough it is to bring home a puppy and not fill their every moment with your attention and affection. You may be setting yourself up for more than you can or want to handle later. I am referring to the time prior to them being able to focus on specific training.
Obedience training starts when your dog is about four months old, but don’t wait to begin. If the pup is mature enough and/or if they are a large breed dog - start earlier. They won’t be able to focus for more than about 10-15 minutes at a time, so it’s not about duration. It’s about establishing the pattern of behavior that you want for your life with this puppy as it becomes a “dog.”
Puppies are puppies. Brilliant, I know! If you are waiting for them to outgrow puppy to start training them, you will certainly have your patients tried. It can be done, but why wait?
Establishing your authority and the dog’s place with it’s new family begins the minute they come home with you. This is when housebreaking starts and when the puppy gets socialized and made aware of what life is like living with humans. We can be challenging!
Remember, they know how to be dogs and they will do it extremely well. Don’t wait “until” - start immediately providing a safe place where mutual trust and respect nourishes a relationship that will last a lifetime. They’ll love you for it!
Crate training can be a necessity for housebreaking. It also provides a place of safety for your dog and that may mean sanity for you. I often get calls about a “destructive” behavior that a well-behaved dog has suddenly been expressing.
It’s never too late to crate train. The biggest question is what behavior is making you ask this question in the first place? If you are wanting to housebreak a puppy or an older dog, crate training is a great option. You will have to use time and patience in both cases to acclimate them to the idea of being confined.
If you have a dog that is being destructive and housebreaking is not an issue, then you may want to use a play pen or something larger than what is used for housebreaking. This will provide a secure place for your dog and give them room to move around.
There are a lot of variables to crate training. If you are interested in learning more, I have written a Guide that explains the crate training process and how to housebreak any dog .
As I cleaned out the kitty litter box this morning, I thought of how cat poop is such a wonderful delicacy to most dogs. They would never pass on a serving of “kitty rocca!” Makes me wonder. Maybe I could start a recycling program. I’ll save that for another blog post! For now, I’ll write more about dog food.
This is a common concern among dog people. So many questions. What if I’m not feeding my dog the “right” food? What if they suddenly act as if they don’t like their food?
If they become ill we can wonder and speculate that we contributed to this by not choosing a different dog food. I am not going to minimize that, but I do like to be the or at least a voice of reason. If your dog is eating the food, their coat looks good, they are healthy and active - be grateful and stop questioning.
If your dog has suddenly decided to skip a meal, that doesn’t mean the food is bad or that they are deciding to be picky, they may have other issues. Maybe it’s just too hot to care about food or they ate something in the yard yesterday and they need to let things settle before a meal.
There are things you can add to their food to make it more tasty, but wait on that and see if they don’t return to their food. If they have other symptoms along with not eating, then there might be reason for greater concern. Maybe some won’t relate to this; but, most of us don’t worry and stress if we skip a meal because we just don’t feel like eating.
Remember, as your dog quickly swallows that morsel of “kitty rocca” - they can’t be that picky!
First off, crating or kenneling your dog isn’t cruel. Leaving it in a crate unattended for too long of a time without socialization, exercise, training, and affection is. I recommend crate training in conjunction with housebreaking because it is necessary, beneficial, and safe to keep a puppy confined when you can’t keep your eye on them.
If introduced slowly and properly, your dog will associate their crate/kennel/pen as their safe place and will go there on command and/or on their own. Even when a dog is housebroken, it may not be trustworthy. This goes for not only puppies, but for some dogs who mature late in life, get bored easily, or aren’t exactly thrilled about being left behind.
The crate isn’t to be used as punishment or as a place of solitary confinement. Use the crate responsibly and be sure to socialize, train, and give affection to your pup on a regular basis.
The crate/kennel may also be used temporarily to introduce a new dog to the family. As the dog adapts, or when you feel that your dog is housebroken and responsible, the crate may find it’s home in storage until needed again. Some people always choose to crate their dog. That choice is up to you and what works best.
For more detailed guidance on crate training, you will receive a free copy of my e-book “Crate Training Facts” when you purchase my new e-book “The Truth About Housebreaking.”
I have been asked lately if I can help train a dog to use a litter box. It can be done; however, I don’t believe it’s the best or easiest option. I work a lot with clients on housebreaking. If they request that the dog only learn to eliminate in the house, I recommend using a separate area where they use either a pee pad or artificial turf.
A small litter box is difficult for a dog to use (even a small dog) because most dogs don’t just squat and “go” like a cat. They need to sniff and circle first. While that’s not always the case, if you are having difficulty getting your dog to “use” a litter box, you may need to try something larger or one of the other options (before your dog chooses another option).
If, however, you want to litter box train a cat. . .get a litter box, fill box with litter, show it to the kitten — you’re done! If only dogs were that easy. =)
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I came home after a hot day of dog training ready to enjoy my pups. I walked in the door and all of the dogs stood back further than normal (or further than waiting to hear me say “back”) so that I can enter freely. It took about two steps before the odor reached my nostrils. At that second, the first response is to breathe through the mouth so that the odor isn’t as bad. Not a good choice either.
The newest family member had obviously gotten a little nervous after I left and had expressed this with diarrhea all over the kitchen floor. The entire house is tile, so not to worry there. Now, it made sense why the other dogs appeared to be tip-toeing to the door — THEY WERE. They also had the look of “it was her!”
Given the size of everyone and the amount of poo, it could only have come from the Great Dane. “Everyone outside.” There was no fear in their eyes because pooing isn’t something they’ve been corrected for unless caught in the act. This one was my fault. I did, however, see a bit of disgust and I think they teased the Dane a bit for her obvious “accident.”
There aren’t enough paper towels on a single roll for Great Dane Diarrhea. I’m sorry to be so blunt. It didn’t take THAT long to clean up and then each dog had to come through to inspect the level of cleanliness. After all, they do eat off that floor!
So, I now have a new phrase for those days that don’t go as smoothly (I just said “go and smoothly!” - yuck) Anyway, some days are just GDD Days - Great Dane Diarrhea Days.
CONFINEMENT. Confine the dog in a small space - either a crate, play pen, or a very small area of a room. If your dog is not in this space, then the ONLY other option is that they are with you and in your sight (preferably on a leash). In most cases, dogs do not want to soil their living space. The size of the space will grow as they mature. It can also be helpful to feed them in this space.
CONSISTENCY. Consistency with water and feeding on a schedule and taking the dog outside on a regular basis. When you take the dog out, use a word that you will use every time they go outside. They are outside for a purpose. Stay with them until they “go” and reward with a treat and verbal praise. Come back inside and follow Step 1. If they didn’t “go,” it’s still back to Step 1 until you take them out again.
CARING. Caring that your dog will have every opportunity to succeed. That means that you will feel successful! Understand that you are not being cruel by providing either of the first two steps. It could mean the difference of housebreaking taking two weeks versus two months (or longer).
Look for additional housebreaking tips in future posts!
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