My 4-year-old dog is acting out. Why is he pooping inside and chewing?

It sounds like Eloise has developed some separation anxiety. I would recommend first getting a crate to keep her in while you are gone. This will help prevent her from destroying the house and keep her safe so she doesn't get into anything that could harm her. Crate training can take a few weeks but once she is used to the crate she will begin to feel safe there. I would also recommend taking her on a fast paced walk before you have to crate her to help drain some of her nervous energy. You can also try giving her a chew toy like a kong while in the crate to keep her distracted. If these tactics do not work I would recommend talking to your vet about starting her on an anti anxiety medication. Good luck.

Raising a puppy can definitely be frustrating at times! Dogs don't understand "bad" behavior the way that we do - they just do what makes sense to them at the time. He may know that you're angry when you come home, so he runs and hides in his bed - but he doesn't understand that his behavior earlier in the day was the problem. So I would recommend not scolding him anymore when you come home - it won't help the problem, and just creates additional stress and anxiety which can actually make things worse. If he's still having some issues with destructive chewing and housetraining accidents when he's home alone, then he's not ready to be left loose in the house just yet. Many dogs need to be crated or confined to a puppy-proofed room when you're gone until they're 1.5 - 2 years old, or even longer - this is perfectly normal. So my recommendation would be to simply not give him this much freedom yet. Another possibility to consider, if he's only having accidents and destroying things when you're gone, is that he may have separation anxiety. If you're unsure, try videotaping him one day when you're away to see if he seems upset or just bored. If he does have separation anxiety, you will need to talk with your vet as well as a good reward-based trainer who can help you work through this.

Since it sounds like this is a recent behavior change, the first step would be to have Stain examined by a vet to see if there may be a medical reason that he is pooping in strange places - there are many illnesses that can cause dogs to suddenly begin having house-training accidents, so your vet may recommend doing a fecal exam and possibly some blood work to check for any problems. If everything comes back normal, then this behavior may be a result of stress or anxiety, or some recent change in his routine. In that case, I would recommend going back to basics with house-training for the next few weeks to help get things back on track - take him out frequently, and go for long walks if needed so that he has plenty of opportunity to poop outside. When he does, reward with a treat. In the house, supervise closely to prevent accidents and use a crate if needed to confine him at night or when you aren't able to watch him. Once he has gone a few weeks without any accidents, you can gradually transition back to his normal routine.

Hi thanks for using PetCoach. Tootsie could certainly be exhibiting some signs of anxiety. Dogs can also develop some cognitive dysfunction as they get older as well. There are some diet some supplements that can possibly help with cognitive dysfunction, as well as medications. It maybe worth a visit to her veterinarian, to discuss options and try to differentiate whether this may be anxiety or cognitive dysfunction. Here’s a bit more information on cognitive dysfunction and some foods or supplements that may help https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/behavior-counseling-senior-pet-cognitive-dysfunction https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-for-dogs-with-cognitive-dysfunction-syndrome-cds https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/behavior-counseling-senior-pet-behavior-problems https://indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs/aging_pets/cds

Peeing in the house, barking excessively, soft stool and drinking a lot could all be caused by stress/anxiety, for which non -prescription VetriScience daily Composure chews (available on chewy.com) may help, however a consult with your veterinarian re: Prozac (which takes 3 weeks to take effect) or an alternate anti-depressant /anti-anxiety medication or the help of a trainer may be needed. It would be safest however to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam, full screening bloodwork, a urinalysis and fecal exam to rule out parasites as the cause of the soft stool or renal disease/diabetes as the cause of the increased drinking. Your vet can also prescribe/send home metronidale which is an anti-inflammatory antibiotic to resolve the diarrhea +/- probiotics to help with the soft stool. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. There are definitely things you can do without having to see a veterinarian. Unless the anxiety is so bad that you need anti-anxiety medications, it is not necessary to see the vet for this behavior. There are several things you can try listed below to see if this relieves the separation anxiety. As for eating other dogs feces, you can buy bitter apple and apply it to the feces on the ground to help deter Sadie from eating the feces. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Adaptil collar and diffuser 2. NaturVet Quiet Moments Calming chews with melatonin 3. Provide more toys and use sound such as the TV or radio when leaving Sadie home alone 4. PetCube - this device allows you to interact with Sadie using your voice and a laser pointer that you can control from your phone ***All of the above products can be found online quite easily***

I am sorry to hear about your dog! The first step is to have your vet examine him to be sure there isn't a medical reason for this new issue. There are a multitude of issues that can cause urinary accidents, including urinary tract infection, bladder stones, kidney disease, diabetes, and more. If the vet rules out a medical cause you can discuss if this is an anxiety issue or a loss of potty training. Anxiety is sometimes treated with oral medications. In mild cases a pheremone product like the Adaptil collar or diffuser (available online and at some pet stores or vet offices), thundershirts (also online and at stores), and oral supplements like Composure and Zylkene. You can read more about re-potty training at https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/is_my_male_shih_tzu_being_a_s_when_he_potties_in_the_house/