My dog suddenly poops on bed & floor. Why is this happening?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

  Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

  Published on November 7th, 2016

  If this is a recent change for your dog, then the first thing I would suggest would be to have him checked by your vet since he may have a urinary tract infection or other medical problem causing the accidents - he/she can do a urinalysis to check for any abnormalities, and get him started on medication if needed to treat any problems that are found.
  
  If his exam and urine testing comes back normal, then this may simply be a minor housetraining setback - sometimes, even adult dogs can have lapses, especially if there has been any increased stress or changes in his environment recently. In that case, I would recommend going back to basics with his housetraining for the next week or two - supervise him closely at all times, praise and reward when he uses his pee pads, and be ready to interrupt him right away if he starts to have an accident. Once has has been accident-free again for at least 14 days, you can go back to your normal day-to-day schedule without constant supervision.

  

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• Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on January 2nd, 2019

  I am sorry to hear about Eli! I would recommend an examination at her veterinarian if this is a sudden change without any known cause (such as a very stressful event or illness) to check for a medical cause of the problem, such as parasites or a food sensitivity. If your vet finds that Eli is healthy, then you may need to restart potty training as some dogs do need to be retaught. I recommend this article for information on potty training: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/a_foolproof_potty-training_plan/
  
  
  
  

  

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• Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on March 26th, 2018

  Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. This could be a behavioral problem that has suddenly developed. Anxiety can lead to behavioral changes as well. I would recommend letting him out more frequently and seeing if the Adaptil collar helps (which can be found online quite easily). If he is afraid of something outside, he may find that he feels more safe defecating indoors on the beds. I would try the above and see if 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.

  

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• Answered By Jeffrey Milner

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 22nd, 2017

  As this was only a single incident of defecation inside the house, I would not consider this a problem that requires fixing as of yet. Now that you are home from the hospital, I would give it a few days to see if this sort of thing happens again. If you are finding that it does start to repeat even as things begin to normalize again, I would tell you that you have to return back to basics. Do everything that you did the first time you had to potty train. I would also consider the fact that there could be a medical problem first before jumping to a behavioral lapse. Take a fecal sample and a urine sample into your veterinarian for analysis to make sure there isn't something wrong causing this sudden change. In terms of refusal to go in the yard, this can not be an option. If you must, simply hook a lead and collar on and physically walk her in the yard if necessary. Hope this helps.

  

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