Trained 2 yrold Beagle started pooping in the house

[tasher3433]

Well, obviously she isn't trained! Sophie lives in Las Vegas, with my husband and I, has a dog door, and is crate trained, though she has had the run of the house since Dec. 2008.
While I have been in Victoria, Canada since early June, Sophie has been with her Beagle cousins in Denver so she wouldn't be alone all day. My daughter reports that Sophie poops in the house, once a day, daily, usually early in the morning, but all other eliminations are outside. There is a dog door and a very large, grassed yard. When she first arrived in Denver it was night, and pouring rain. As she had never been in that home before, she was unaware of the dog door, and pooped and peed in the house, which to me is understandable, since she didn't know any better and obviously had been holding it for several hours. But a week later she started the pooping in the house.
I can't find any info on why it's happening, or I'm looking in the wrong places!, but I need to understand why so I can stop it. She and I will be returning to Vegas early in October.

If any of you have any information, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

[snooks]

Not all dogs get the doggie door thing. Their brains don't find it as obvious to make the connection i can go out any time i want to so i can poop any time i want to. many dogs esp 2 years or less regress in potty training when given a doggie door because they don't generalize door = outside = poop. door might = outside = bark at birds.

Suggest you teach dog to signal when she wants to go out like come put a paw on ur leg or ring a bell. You say OUTSIDE? good and go to the doggie door, toss a treat through it if you have to and say outside?? goood. then go out WITH her and make sure she goes. then really reward and praise her--use some good treats like chicken or meaty good stuff. put potty on cue and use it. Soon she'll get the idea that outside = potty.

Until then remember a watched dog never ever goes in the house. It doesn't sound like she was "trained to go out the doggie door" it's not entirely intuitive to some dogs. If you go back to ur house with the door and no doggie door be more vigilant for a while and be sure she's going OUTSIDE and rewarded. I didn't use my doggie door for a year or so when i moved to this house b/c the puppy would go out and pee right there in front of the door instead of going off the deck. so i took her out where i wanted her to go and cue her to go. they both now take themselves out to the litter box on the lower level fine.

Good luck...tell ur daughter to not give her free roam of the house either. smaller areas are easier to watch and she won't find herself in the basement having fun and forget that she has to back upstairs and out the doggie door to potty. doggie gates or closed doors help.

same applies to ring a bell as paw on the knee http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1171

[tasher3433]

You are right! We may have expected the other 2 dogs to "babysit", and didn't keep our end of the bargain in monitoring them all. She and I will both be home in Vegas early in October, and re-training with be the first priority. Good, long walks will be the second priority, as I wonder if she may be bored, and trying to send that message as well.

As she did just turn 2 (Aug 11), we will do the "puppy training" again.

I really appreciate your comments, and I'm excited to have found this site.

[snooks]

In the mean time Housetraining Basics | Karen Pryor Clickertraining lots of potty articles here all positive that might help.

Yes puppy 101, I agree but it will go lots faster. Hang in there.

[tigerlily46514]

Good advice as usual, Snooks!!

[tasher3433]

Thanks, Everyone. Sophie will be coming home Oct 3. I can hardly wait to love on her, but in the meantime, i've been researching, reading, asking questions. You are correct! We need to persevere, start from scratch and praise every good potty. I appreciate your comments.

[snooks]

Let us know how it goes....will x fingers and paws for u