Why Does My Dog Poop in the House

Dogs are amazing creatures. They’re great companions, joyous, and extremely loyal, hence their appeal. But of course, they’re not all perfect. Like your best friend, your dog can break your heart occasionally. Only this time, the experience smells pungent.

Here’s what that means: your beloved pup may sometimes poop in the house. You can laugh about it if it’s once in a blue moon. But you may have a severe problem on your hands if it happens consistently, especially if your dog is housetrained.

Why does your dog poop in the house, then? Let’s find out!

Anxiety

If your dog is experiencing separation anxiety or is afraid, it may poop in the house as a way of self-soothe and consoling itself. When under stress, dogs tend to have trouble holding their stool, leading even highly trained dogs to poop in the house.

Luckily, you can spot separation anxiety. If your dog behaves nervously anytime you get ready to leave the house, they suffer from separation anxiety. It can be more severe if you spend extended times with your dog and now change your routine.

Medical issue

The poop problem may be medical as well. The most common medical issue that arises with house pooping is from intestinal parasites. If the problem truly is medical, there’s little your dog can do to prevent it, as your dog may find it difficult to control its stool.

Intestinal parasites are a major medical problem that causes dog diarrhea. When this happens, you need to visit your vet immediately. Why? It’s usually a sign of a more significant health issue.

Lack of proper house training

Proper house training goes beyond getting your dog to eat from a particular bowl, sleep in a specific kennel, or poop in the right places a few times. Proper house training is more extended, especially if you’re dealing with a pup.

You may have your dog pooping in the house if you don’t do that. After all, it takes time to etch a routine in anybody’s brain. You can train your dog with a poop schedule as they can adapt to them quickly. However, you must see the vet if you’ve housetrained your pup.

Age

As a dog ages, the muscles responsible for controlling its poop weaken. This means your dog cannot hold its poop long enough to go outside and poop. As a result, an old dog tends to poop in the house by mistake.

Fear of going outside

Your dog may fear going outside to poop, mainly if other animals attack it. Some dogs would even rather poop in the house than go outside for fear of certain sounds they hear.

Diet change

Did the poop problem begin after introducing your dog to a new food? If so, this may be the reason. An abrupt change in the diet leads to loose stool, which is hard for your dog to hold, making it poop accidentally in the house.

Solutions to Your Dog Pooping in the House

Now that we know the possible problems, how can you fix them?

• Seek medical attention – Visit your vet for checkups to ascertain if there are any medical problems. We even recommend visiting a behaviorist to help your dog overcome anxiety.
• Train your dog correctly – Train your dog thoroughly on how to use a potty. A routine takes longer to sink into your dog’s brain; hence, continue training it after it has pooped in the right place several times.
• Slowly introduce your dog to new foods – A sudden change of diet for your dog can cause medical issues that make it poop in your house. Introduce it to new foods gradually and see how it responds.
• Entertainment – Toys could help reduce your dog’s anxiety while you are away. Ask someone you trust to check on it or turn on your radio before leaving. This helps address anxiety problems, preventing your dog from pooping in your house.
• Introduce a schedule – Create a reliable timetable for your dog. This will help it hold its stool until it is pooping time. In addition, you can ask a friend to ensure you don’t interrupt the schedule when you are not home.

Final Thoughts

Your dog’s indoor pooping is undesirable. However, they may not have a say in it. Why? The problem may be medical.

Even if it’s not, it may be from a rapid diet change, separation anxiety, or aging. You can address this trait by gradually introducing new foods, proper training, and health checkups. If you are unsure about the problem, visit a vet or behaviorist for help.

Hopefully, you’ve understood why your dog poops in the house. Did we miss any reasons? Do you have a solution we haven’t mentioned? Be sure to tell us in the comments.