My dog is terrified of RV travel and won't pee or poop outside. Help!

Hello there! Thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Perhaps there is something that has recently frightened her out in the yard or garden. There is also the possibility she is having pain while urinating and/or defecating and therefore may be associating the area she goes wee and poo with the pain she may be experiencing. I think the best thing to do in this situation is encourage to go out (perhaps join or accompany her) or take her for a walkie to see if she goes then. If not and you are still concerned, especially if she hasn't passed urine or stool soon, then I would recommend you see your veterinarian for an exam. A urinary tract infection can cause pain during urination and constipation can cause pain during defecation. I would want to be sure there is nothing more serious going on if this behavior continues. Best of luck to you and Cindy!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since she is so scared and you are on a road trip I don’t think it’s unusual she hasn’t gone. if she really had to go she would. Just keep trying and offering her water. Since she is an otherwise healthy dog I think she will go eventually. Good luck!

Poor Lillian. Make every effort to get her outside to potty. Also work on making her more comfortable. It's a big change for her. Once she is comfortable in the house, you can begin trying to get her comfortable outside. It's possible something has scared her in the past and now she has developed a negative association. You may try to counteract this by creating a positive association. Begin by having a high value treat or toy. Start playing/a training session inside the house by the door way. Do this for a few days. Once Lillian seems comfortable playing by the door way, toss the toy or treat outside and allow her to retrieve it and come back inside. Do this until Lillian is comfortable. Then move outside by the doorway way. Gradually move further and further away from the door way. Then begin gradually decreasing the play time and just hanging outside with her. Try not to leave her outside unattended until she seems comfortable. I hope this helps.

I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at her. There could be a few different things going on with Ruby. She can have full anal glands which can be bothering her when she is trying to defecate. Another thing is her back may be bothering her so when she tries to position she can't. Your veterinarian can evaluate both and either express her anal glands or provide her with medication to help her back. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Joey! See the following links for more information on training: House training: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx? pid=19239&catId=102897&id=4952071&ind=395&objTypeID=1007 Submissive urination http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/submissive_urination.html If the house training issues continue or worsen, please have Joey seen by a veterinarian to help rule out a medical cause for this behaviour, as sometimes urinating/defecating in the house could be due to a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, constipation, infection, endocrine disease, digestive issues or trauma to the area. This can be a frustrating issue, and can take some time to fix, but if you keep at it hopefully things will improve soon. Positive reinforcement with lots of treats and praise when he urinates/ defecates outside and taking him out more frequently so you catch him before he goes in the house are a good start.

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

Definitely moving to an apartment can change a pets training behavior. I recommend kennel training Siao-lyn. You can find many great resources online and dog training books. Kennel training her is likely going to be the best way to housebreak her. Sometimes dogs do need a refreshing course in housebreaking when their home environment changes. An adult dog should be able to hold their urine and stool for 8 to 12 hours. Treat her just like she is a little puppy all over again. The only word of caution I will say, is if you are noticing that she is urinating in the house you should take her to the veterinarian to have her urine checked for infection. Sometimes bladder infections will cause dogs to urinate in the house. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.