dog from pound, poop training!

[cominis]

I rescued Trooper from the local pound 3 months ago. (he was in the pound for two and a half months and is a Blue Tic Hound) Basically he is a good dog except for the fact that he still poops in the house. I did the pointing and "no" thing, then went out and bought a crate and started crating him when I left the house and at night. I put him out before I leave and he's only alone for 4-5 hours and then I put him out around 11 pm when I go to bed. About two weeks ago he started pooping in his crate! I thought they wouldn't poop where they slept! I called the vet and they said to change his diet as the cheaper dog foods have fillers and will make him go more. Now he has Purina One, three cups a day and he is still doing it. Now I have to bathe him all the time and wash the crate all the time. Please help!

[GretaJack]

How old is he? Is the crate too big for him? He'll potty is a crate if he can get away from it. I had one that would constantly poop in the crate. I swear he would squeeze one out simply because he was peeved about being crated. Normally, all of my dogs are kenneled together in one outdoor large kennel when I am gone. My older two dogs were trustworthy in the house, so if I was just going to be gone for s short time they could stay in the house and I crated the pup in the house. I don't care if he pooped right before I left, he would find a way to mess his crate. I never did figure it out. Anyway,I will stop babbling. The crate might be too big for him, otherwise he might not of had an option but to poop in his kennel/crate at the shelter and grew accustom to it. Good luck and I hope it gets better. It stinks, literally, to have to clean out a kennel full of **** .

[Dax]

It sounds like your dog enjoys the "EXTRA" attention of being covered in poop. It works on the same principal as rolling in something really smelly to be interesting to the pack. If you can take your dog for a walk (go with him outside) and act like the poop on the grass is the best thing ever. Also a little poop won't kill him so don't go rushing to clean up after him. In fact, don't pay him any attention at all when you clean his cage (put him in a different room) Also I suggest all meals be served in his crate.

[cominis]

The kennel is not too large. He is tall and about 50 pounds and the crate is a large size. He barely has enough room to turn around, when he lays down, he can curl into a ball on half of it. Does that make sense? Yes, at the pound they didn't go outside much, they had inside kennels. Okay so I won't make a big deal about him being so disgusting, and I'll clean the cage when he is not around, any other suggestions?? Still need some more.

[Dax]

Serving his meals in his cage is a good idea - one meal a day only. Don't lock him in with it just put in in the middle so he eats in his cage.

[GretaJack]

Is all that he is getting is dog food? No table food? Or what about cat food he can get in to? Does he hold his duties for more that 4-5 hours when he is outside the crate? Does he have bedding in the crate? Unfortunately there is no quick solution to this. I told you that I had one Lab that did this constantly. Never found out why nor did it stop before he was killed.

Are you using a Varikennel, plastic walled with a wire/metal door and windows? If you are, MAYBE try a completely wire crate. This gives them the feel that they are still in the house, not necessarily in the crate since they have complete visibility of their surroundings. I warn about this because if he still poops and is a poop musher and makes a real good mess to clean up, a wire crate makes it worse and you have more of a chance that the dog pushes out of the crate onto the floor in the house.

Does he poop if you crate him for only 1 hour or so? Or only if you are gone for a longer period of time? What are his daily activities like?

Wish I could help you more. I know how bad this stinks...

[ March 12, 2004, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: GretaJack ]