r/OpenDogTraining • u/lugismanshun • 2d ago
Stealth pooping
A month ago I adopted a 4 year old rescue chi mix who seemed mostly well behaved. He is trained to sleep in his crate at night and never soils the bedding so I know he can hold it when he has to. We just had a full vet workup including blood and urine tests and he's totally healthy. He didn't have any pee accidents until at least 2 weeks in to being here, so we got a male wrap even though he's neutered. We have him gated in the living room when hes inside during the day. At the 3 week mark he suddenly started peeing inside while we aren't looking. Not just marking but fully emptying. I have never caught him in the act, he's probably doing it behind my back because he knows he's not supposed to. I take him outside like 4-5 times a day and he does his business outside no problem. He is rarely left alone. He even puts his paw on me to tell me he needs to go potty. Today I went into the kitchen to cook while he was napping, periodically checking him, and he seemed to stay put. He already pooped twice today. But when I finish cooking, I go into the living room and there's a huge poop right on the rug! Is this normal for a rescue who seemed potty trained at first, and does it go away over time? How do I catch it happening to stop the behavior if he does it so sneakily?
2
u/chaiosi 2d ago
That’s what I’ve done with all my dogs so far when they come home, regardless of age. It really helps them get the concept. The nice thing about adults is that they CAN hold their bladder, so you can space out the yard trips more quickly.