Why is my older dog pooping inside and extra cuddly after moving?

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.

There is no one reason on why dogs will all of a sudden start pooping in the house. I would recommend going back to crate training Cali. I would keep Cali in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on her. When she comes out of the crate I would then walk her. If she goes then I would play with her and once you have to turn your back she goes back in the crate. If she does not go to the bathroom when you take her out of the crate I would put her back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch Cali going to the bathroom tell her no and take her and put her where you want her to go and praise her for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to Cali. A crate should be big enough for her to stand up, sit down and turn around. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I would try this route. I would also recommend getting a stool sample performed at your veterinarian's office. This will rule out intestinal parasites. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

There are a couple of reasons why Hunter is pooping in the house lately. It could be due to stress, he could have diarrhea from a medical illness causing him to have to go right where he is at the moment, or it could be due to canine cognitive dysfunction, which is similar to dementia in humans. I would have Hunter seen by a vet tomorrow for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis. These tests will help identify if there is a medical cause behind this behavior, and if there is, the vet can discuss treatment with you. If he does have canine cognitive dysfunction, there are medications to help with that as well as diet changes you can make. Again, the vet can discuss this with you.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sometimes as a dog ages they develop something called cognitive dysfunction (like dementia) where they forget their training. This may be the cause of Tot's accidents. A supplement like Senilife may help withi this. Pain and arthritis can also lead to accident in an older dog as they have a harder time going outside and positioning to go to the bathroom. Sometimes urinary tract infection, internal medical issues or digestive problems may also cause accidents in the house. A visit to your Veterinarian may help to sort out what the cause of Tot's accidents are. Until you are able to take him to the vet you may want to take him outside more frequently to avoid accidents.

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with Phoebe, A break in house training can be frustrating especially with a new baby on the way. Changes in toileting behavior can be related to a medical problem or a behavioral issues. Possible medical issues include colitis (inflammation in the colon), infections, parasites or metabolic issues like inflammatory bowel disease or liver disease. Behavioral issues can stem from changes in routine, stress or fear. If your household routine has changed in preparation for the upcoming addition, it is possible that Phoebe is reacting to this. Other possibilities include stress or anxiety caused by things inside and out. If Phoebe has had a scary episode such as slipping on a floor, falling down stairs or being frightened by a person or noise outside, this could cause anxiety about going outside. My recommendation would be to look for other signs of anxiety such as hiding behavior or fear about going outside in general. If you do not notice these, it may be worth taking a stool sample to your veterinarian to check for parasites and possibly scheduling an appointment to address your concerns.

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.

I am sorry to hear about Penny! I would recommend a vet visit and an examination and some baseline bloodwork to ensure that she doesn't have any changes that could be a source of a problem (occasionally a disease such as thyroid disease or cushings disease may cause some strange changes in behavior). If no issue is found, it is possible she is starting to suffer from some cognitive disorder/decline in mental function due to her age. You can read a bit more about that at : http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2549 and discuss with your vet if they think it is possible with Penny. Some dogs see improvement with this issue with supplements or special diets (ProPlan Bright Minds is one available over the counter, or the supplement: Omega Benefits Cognitive with DHA http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977956 is another option. If these don't help there are some medications that can be tried as well, but it is definitely worth a trip to the vet for an exam/workup.