Why does my dog only poop right next to me, even after being outside?

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Soska. This is a common issue for dogs who have been punished for having housetraining accidents - they become afraid to pee or poop in front of the owner, which then makes it extremely difficult to teach them where to go. I would recommend going back to basics with Soska and starting over with her housetraining as if she were a puppy. This means taking her out frequently for potty breaks, and rewarding with praise and a treat as soon as she poops outside. Inside, she needs to be supervised at all times to prevent any opportunity for accidents. You may need to be very patient at first, since if she is afraid to "go" in front of you, it will take her a long time to trust you again. See our article on housetraining for more information on how to teach her where to potty: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining

The two most common reasons for this problem are either a medical problem or a behavioral problem. I would recommend starting with having your veterinarian check a fecal sample on Chloe. My dog starting having accidents like you describe when she was around a year old, and we found a microscopic intestinal parasite. Once we treated it, her accidents stopped. The other possibility is that Chloe is holding her stool on a walk because she wants the walk to continue. If that is the case, then I would try to find a location with a large number of dog smells to encourage her to go in that location. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely just him needing to get used to going out to defecate with someone else. I would recommend that when he is taken outside by that person, that they give him a longer time to go potty while he gets used to them. This should get better on its own. Best of luck!

I'm wondering if you mean that Miss Cocoa Chanel is picking about where she wants to have a bowel movement. One idea about that is that they are choosing a place to mark. The dog wants to pick the best spot possible to leave her scent to show this is her territory. It could also be that she is particular about the surface she poops on. For example, some dogs want to poop on soft grass, not dead and drying grass. My own dog hated pooping on wet grass, and would poop on the patio when it was raining outside. It is normal for dogs to be picky about where they poop, and I would give Miss Cocoa Chanel time to find her place to poop :-)

I would talk to your veterinarian about arthritis. Sometimes when older dogs have arthritis they won't position long enough outside to defecate and they end up coming inside and doing it. Your veterinarian can examine her and see if that is what is going on. I also would recommend a joint supplement for Phoenix as she ages. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Are your dogs sharing a pee pad? If this is the case this is the most plausible reason. Many times in multi dog house that are utilizing pee pads, additional pads are required. It allows each dog to establish their own territory so to speak. Going outside of the established area may just be Molly's way of saying, "OK, then this area is going to be mine." On the other hand, if your dogs are not sharing pee pads, I would say that you need to investigate matters from a medical standpoint first before examining a possible behavioral issue. It is equally plausible to thin Molly could have contracted something from Belle upon intermingling that is resulting in the symptoms you now clean up eight times daily. Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you need further consultation.

It's possible that it may be an issue of timing - many dogs are very regular in their bathroom habits, and she may prefer to do her business in the evening. If you think that she really does have a preference (some dogs do!), then if your boyfriend is willing he can try taking her on a long walk around the time she usually likes to poop. When she finally goes (which she very likely will, if he walks her long enough), he should praise and reward her with a treat. Have him do this for the next few nights if possible. Once she is comfortable pottying with him as well as you, it shouldn't matter who takes her out :)