Housebreaking an adult dog

[TERRY VALENTINE]

Hello everyone...I just purchased the course and I’d like to ask a question about inappropriate elimination.  I’ve looked over the articles on the website and as they seem to address mainly situations with puppies I wondered if there might be other things to consider with an adult dog.

We adopted an adult male husky 2 weeks before Christmas, named Sebastian.  We are at least his fourth owners as I’ve been in touch with his last two and he was microchipped and neutered at some point before two owners ago.  He is 3 years, 8 months old and seems pretty well-adjusted in general, with no obvious phobias or problems being touched or handled.  One main problem we’ve had is finding that he has pooped/peed on the floor either during the night or while we were away for several hours.  It may be coincidence but this seems less likely to happen if I give him a chewie before we leave or shut him in a room at night.  Eventually once our two cats are accustomed enough to him we will allow him to roam freely and choose his sleeping spot.  We did buy him a kennel but he seems averse as he became very anxious when we first tried shutting him in, even though it was in the master bathroom, just a door away as he had been in the kitchen, and we put a very comfortable bed inside.   I'm familiar with crate-training as a housebreaking tool so I’ve started trying to get him used to it by degrees, having him go in and then shutting the door while I give him a treat.  In the meantime he has chosen the rug in the hallway as his sleeping spot so we just shut all of the doors around it.  Again if he seems reluctant to “go to bed” when we do, I find a mess to clean up in the morning; but if he’s especially tired or I give him a “good night” treat he waits until I take him out in the morning.  Results have been similar when we leave the house for a few hours.

In addition to this, we have an unfinished second story in our house where my husband has a home office and other used spaces.  Several times now we’ve found puddles next to items that he’s apparently marked(?), as well as the occasional poop.  From what we’ve seen and the articles here I’m guessing that there is some territorial marking combined with his not recognizing that the upstairs is also part of our house/den.  He peed on the main level once or twice during the day (once we started letting him roam) but has not done this for a couple of weeks.  I’m not sure yet if these things were issues in his previous homes, or if these behaviors are new-house anxiety related, especially as my in-laws were here with their two (geriatric) dogs over Christmas.

We haven’t yelled at him or punished him as of course he wouldn’t know what he did wrong, but he’s so sneaky when he pees upstairs that we’ve never caught him in the act.  He gets meals at regular intervals but we do need to adopt a more consistent “potty” schedule, and a belly band may be helpful as well, at least as a stopgap solution.  So my questions are these:

- Is the pooping upstairs due to a separate issue from the peeing/marking, or are they both anxiety-related?

- How can I make the kennel a "safe" place where he goes by habit, if he always wants to be with us during the day?

- Is his messing on the floor at night or while we're away due to separation anxiety or something else?  

Apologies for the lengthy post, and thanks in advance for any experienced advice.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there!

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your new dog! Please see my observations under yours in bold.

We adopted an adult male husky 2 weeks before Christmas, named Sebastian.  We are at least his fourth owners as I’ve been in touch with his last two and he was microchipped and neutered at some point before two owners ago.  He is 3 years, 8 months old and seems pretty well-adjusted in general, with no obvious phobias or problems being touched or handled.  

I visited the local shelter last month and it had several huskies and they do so poorly being kenneled so Sebastian is super lucky!  Thank you for having opened your heart and home to him. Huskies get easily depressed being cooped up and struggle with being alone. 

One main problem we’ve had is finding that he has pooped/peed on the floor either during the night or while we were away for several hours.  It may be coincidence but this seems less likely to happen if I give him a chewie before we leave or shut him in a room at night.  

It's not unusual for dogs to have some accidents when in a new home. There are several things at play, such as different routines, possibly different foods and treats, and any stress may increase motility and make them poop more. If he gets stressed being alone, that can be a culprit, but I would expect you to hear him whining/barking or scratching at the door during the night, although it's also true that some dogs may feel stressed and remain quiet but may be panting and shaking while laying down.

If giving the chewie before you leave seems to help, keep doing that. As a bonus, you are helping him associate shutting the door with something good, but give it as well every now and then at times when you are sticking around so that the chewie doesn't become a reliable predictor of you leaving him alone. 

It may help to record his behavior upon being left alone (like set up a nanny cam) so to see what he is exactly doing. Some dogs suffering from separation-related distress will pee/poop when left alone. 

Eventually once our two cats are accustomed enough to him we will allow him to roam freely and choose his sleeping spot.  We did buy him a kennel but he seems averse as he became very anxious when we first tried shutting him in, even though it was in the master bathroom, just a door away as he had been in the kitchen, and we put a very comfortable bed inside. I'm familiar with crate-training as a housebreaking tool so I’ve started trying to get him used to it by degrees, having him go in and then shutting the door while I give him a treat.

We don't know his history, so maybe  he wasn't well potty trained from the get-go, maybe he was kept outdoors most of the time and likely, from his response, he wasn't ever placed in a crate. Sadly, since the pandemic there has been a surge of pups surrendered due to separation-related disorders. 

  In the meantime he has chosen the rug in the hallway as his sleeping spot so we just shut all of the doors around it.  Again if he seems reluctant to “go to bed” when we do, I find a mess to clean up in the morning; but if he’s especially tired or I give him a “good night” treat he waits until I take him out in the morning.  Results have been similar when we leave the house for a few hours.

This sounds more like some issue with being left alone. Dogs don't 'revenge poop," rather in most cases, they have accidents as a result of the distress associated with being left alone.  

Of course, there may other factors at play, like not emptying the bowels before being alone for a certain period of time. So it may turn helpful with time, training him how to go potty on cue:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/

Upping his exercise, play, training and mental stimulation (brain games) can help him keep busy and feel more tired to go to bed at night, but it sounds like he's more worried about being alone that bored. 

In addition to this, we have an unfinished second story in our house where my husband has a home office and other used spaces.  Several times now we’ve found puddles next to items that he’s apparently marked(?), as well as the occasional poop.  From what we’ve seen and the articles here I’m guessing that there is some territorial marking combined with his not recognizing that the upstairs is also part of our house/den. 

 He peed on the main level once or twice during the day (once we started letting him roam) but has not done this for a couple of weeks.  I’m not sure yet if these things were issues in his previous homes, or if these behaviors are new-house anxiety related, especially as my in-laws were here with their two (geriatric) dogs over Christmas.

We haven’t yelled at him or punished him as of course he wouldn’t know what he did wrong, but he’s so sneaky when he pees upstairs that we’ve never caught him in the act.  He gets meals at regular intervals but we do need to adopt a more consistent “potty” schedule, and a belly band may be helpful as well, at least as a stopgap solution.  So my questions are these:

- Is the pooping upstairs due to a separate issue from the peeing/marking, or are they both anxiety-related?

Peeing along with pooping as mentioned can be triggered by separation distress. Some dogs though also urine mark novel items, and like you mentioned, they may also pee if they aren't fully potty trained (incomplete house training).

If possible, I would keep him mainly in one area (lower floor) until he's more reliable and nearby a door always under clear supervision, and if really needed, keeping him upstairs only after you're sure he's empty (peed and pooped very recently) and for no more than a couple of hours (or for how long he has demonstrated he's capable of holding it), always watching him carefully.

It could be that in his past home, he was scolded for going potty in the home, and this has created in him a need to sneak away and go potty out of sight. 

Peeing after other dogs being in the home is also a big urine marking trigger so we would have to factor that in as well, especially if he has stopped urine marking for a while after them being there. 

- How can I make the kennel a "safe" place where he goes by habit, if he always wants to be with us during the day?

Very slow introductions are needed, starting without shutting him in and encouraging him to visit it and creating positive associations with it often during the day. Here are some tips:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/

Since he always wants to be with you, you would also need to work on brief separations, always making sure he's not left for longer than he can tolerate. If this is a true case of separation distress, you would need to take baby steps:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/general-guidelines-for-clingy-dogs-dogs-with-separation-anxiety/

- Is his messing on the floor at night or while we're away due to separation anxiety or something else?  

It could be a separation distress behavior, but we would need more info/proof on this such as by recording his behavior and seeing what he is exactly doing when alone. 

It can help training him to go potty on cue so that when you leave or close him for the night he's "empty."

Make sure to clean messes with an enzyme-based cleaner and use a blacklight to detect missed urine spots.

I hope this helps, in the meanwhile Happy New Year!

 

[TERRY VALENTINE]

Thank you!  A few replies to your responses, by way of more clues as to his history:

- We tried shutting him loose in the master bath for a few nights as a precursor to having him use his kennel, and he did whine for a few minutes before settling down (and as this was before I started giving him chewies he did mess in there once or twice).  Once we left him in the bathroom while we were away and the next day we noticed deep scratches on the inside of the door, possibly made as he heard us getting in the car and driving away (He does love car trips, presumably for the change of scenery but likely also to avoid the separation).  After a few nights he didn't want to come in the bathroom and went to the hall instead (where there's a comfy wool rug), which was when we started shutting him in there.  We don't typically hear whining but there have still been messes.

-  I've received a response from his last owner, who tells me she let him out every couple of hours with her other dogs and kept him penned in the house, so she apparently didn't have the issues I've seen.  The pics from two owners ago show him only outside, so between the two it may be that he didn't so much learn not to eliminate in the house as much as he simply had no opportunity.

- He's not quite as clingy as some dogs as he typically chooses a central location (or his rug in the hall) to sack out rather than following us around all the time.  And for the first week or so we kept him shut in the kitchen during the day (and night) to prevent him from chasing the cats (who aren't interesting enough to him now to be worthwhile), but with the room being centrally-located we were in and out frequently.  We only moved him to a different night-spot after he kept stealing food off the countertops, no matter how well we tried to keep things out of reach and put away.

- Our cats go upstairs where there's a large kitty tower (and their selection of "safe" places has diminished of late) so shutting the doors to keep Sebastian downstairs may not be feasible.  He typically follows me or my husband when we go up there but occasionally sneaks up there to potty if he hasn't been out recently (which is our fault).

I do agree that a more regular "potty" schedule is in order and I will look at the links you provided.  We'll also see about setting up a camera as we may actually have spare security camera we could use.  I've been out of the game for a few years and had grown accustomed to the schedule and habits of our last dog of 15 years, so I undoubtedly have things to relearn.  I'm also looking for ways to exercise him (beyond a run 1-2x/wk and walks down the driveway) as we're out in the sticks and there are no "good" parks and no safe place outside for him to be off-leash (unless/until we can train him not to run away).  I'm hoping the brain games will help keep him occupied until I get more rigorous activity schedule (bikejoring?) worked out.

Thanks again, and Happy New Year to you!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful!

 

- We tried shutting him loose in the master bath for a few nights as a precursor to having him use his kennel, and he did whine for a few minutes before settling down (and as this was before I started giving him chewies he did mess in there once or twice). 

 

 Once we left him in the bathroom while we were away and the next day we noticed deep scratches on the inside of the door, possibly made as he heard us getting in the car and driving away (He does love car trips, presumably for the change of scenery but likely also to avoid the separation). 

 

 After a few nights he didn't want to come in the bathroom and went to the hall instead (where there's a comfy wool rug), which was when we started shutting him in there.  We don't typically hear whining but there have still been messes.

 

It does sound like he is struggling somewhat with being left alone. Some dogs may also struggle with being confined, even if in a room, especially if they were kept outdoors most of the time. Being new to your home, it also takes some time to adjust to new schedules and feel safe and secure that he's in a permanent place. On average it may take anywhere around from 3-6 months to settle in. 

 

However, at night it sounds like he's capable of settling which is good. Recording his behavior both at night and during the day can help you get a better insight into what is going on and when the pooping takes place. 

 

If upon being left alone, he's sleeping and wakes up, goes to poop and then goes back to sleep, it's likely because of other causes than anxiety, versus a dog who is restless, panting and walking back and forth and pooping, maybe settling for a bit, and then going back to acting restless, panting etc. 

 

If he settles pretty quickly and sleeps for a good part of the time alone, then wakes up and poops, it may just be that he needed to poop upon waking up. If you are able to record several days, perhaps you can notice a pattern (like at what time these accidents happen). A middle of the night trip or early morning trip about half hour prior may help prevent that. 

 

So watching how he acts and reacts is key. 

 

-  I've received a response from his last owner, who tells me she let him out every couple of hours with her other dogs and kept him penned in the house, so she apparently didn't have the issues I've seen.  The pics from two owners ago show him only outside, so between the two it may be that he didn't so much learn not to eliminate in the house as much as he simply had no opportunity.

 

Huskies in general like to be with other dogs, so if he used to be with other dogs in his previous home, it's possible that being completely alone is adding him some extra stress. 

 

It would be interesting to know whether the owner also took him out for a bathroom trip in the middle of the night to prevent accidents. 

 

- He's not quite as clingy as some dogs as he typically chooses a central location (or his rug in the hall) to sack out rather than following us around all the time.  And for the first week or so we kept him shut in the kitchen during the day (and night) to prevent him from chasing the cats (who aren't interesting enough to him now to be worthwhile), but with the room being centrally-located we were in and out frequently.  We only moved him to a different night-spot after he kept stealing food off the countertops, no matter how well we tried to keep things out of reach and put away.

 

That's good (that he isn't so clingy). 

 

- Our cats go upstairs where there's a large kitty tower (and their selection of "safe" places has diminished of late) so shutting the doors to keep Sebastian downstairs may not be feasible.  He typically follows me or my husband when we go up there but occasionally sneaks up there to potty if he hasn't been out recently (which is our fault).

 

Yes, more supervision here can certainly help, along with ensuring he is "empty" prior to heading upstairs. Try to not give him the run of the house, just confine in the same room you are so, so that you can supervise and take him out quickly if you notice any pre-potty signs (sniffing a spot, distancing himself, sneaking away behind something, about to raise a back leg). 

 

I do agree that a more regular "potty" schedule is in order and I will look at the links you provided.  We'll also see about setting up a camera as we may actually have spare security camera we could use.

 

  I've been out of the game for a few years and had grown accustomed to the schedule and habits of our last dog of 15 years, so I undoubtedly have things to relearn.

 

  I'm also looking for ways to exercise him (beyond a run 1-2x/wk and walks down the driveway) as we're out in the sticks and there are no "good" parks and no safe place outside for him to be off-leash (unless/until we can train him not to run away).  I'm hoping the brain games will help keep him occupied until I get more rigorous activity schedule (bikejoring?) worked out.

 

A long line (attached to a back clip securely fitted harness) may turn handy in these cases providing a compromise. For sure, he'll enjoy walks and hikes and bikejoring, but check with your vet before any rigorous activities to ensure he's all clear and his growth plates have closed. Brain games and training are certainly helpful to keep that busy mind stimulated and entertained. 

Happy training!

 

[TERRY VALENTINE]

7 hours ago, Adrienne Farricelli said:

Huskies in general like to be with other dogs, so if he used to be with other dogs in his previous home, it's possible that being completely alone is adding him some extra stress. 

This is quite possible, given that he was one of three dogs in his last home as I mentioned, and the "rescuers" who had him before that also had multiple huskies.  I think he would like to befriend our cats (and only chased them before because they ran) but I'm not sure if they'll ever come around to that.

My security camera idea didn't work out so I don't know if we'll be able to nanny-cam him (although I'll suggest it again to the husband)...We haven't found any messes these past few mornings, just one when we got home from church on Sunday (along with fresh scratches on the door to the garage).  So it seems he's become more comfortable here but still doesn't like us leaving without him.  He also poops/pees on our covered back porch (which serves as a compromise to letting him run outside - and it's too high off the ground for him to consider jumping the rail, presumably), even if he just did so outside, apparently...so emptying on command will be a work in progress.   There has been a little progress on the crate training as I tried placing his breakfast in the kennel this morning (having placed it next to the kennel yesterday) with the idea of him just sticking his head in, but he walked in entirely and sat down.  And we aren't letting him go upstairs, so the cats just have to slip in and out when they get a chance for now.   

An outside run is theoretically doable (provided the ground isn't muddy), although he did discover indoor-fetch today.  We've ordered a GPS tracker but I view this more as a safety net than a babysitter.

A question on teaching the "lie down" command...He came to us understanding "sit" but either doesn't understand that he has to stretch out on his belly or doesn't want to.  I've tried teaching it in stages, and have gotten him to hunch over to take the treat near the floor without standing up, but when I try to complete the "L" he straightens up again.  Using a chair is a good idea but we don't have one that he'll fit under (as they all have the horizontal support brackets 3-4" from the floor).  A couple of times he did reluctantly sprawl over onto his side (and I clicked him for this), so it might(?) be that he understands but has that stubborn-husky streak.  He flops over on his side all the time and displays his belly, so he doesn't have issues with lying down in general.   

[Adrienne Farricelli]

 I think he would like to befriend our cats (and only chased them before because they ran) but I'm not sure if they'll ever come around to that.

Careful with the kitties, huskies have strong predatory drives and not always things go well with cats. 

My security camera idea didn't work out so I don't know if we'll be able to nanny-cam him (although I'll suggest it again to the husband)...We haven't found any messes these past few mornings, just one when we got home from church on Sunday (along with fresh scratches on the door to the garage).  So it seems he's become more comfortable here but still doesn't like us leaving without him. 

A Furbo camera can come handy if your Husky turns out having separation-related distress. It's on the costly side, but this camera not only records, but also allows us to interact with our dogs such as talking to them and tossing treats while we are are away. 

He also poops/pees on our covered back porch (which serves as a compromise to letting him run outside - and it's too high off the ground for him to consider jumping the rail, presumably), even if he just did so outside, apparently...so emptying on command will be a work in progress. 

Huskies are known for being escape artists, so I wouldn't be surprised if he discovers how to jump over the rail (if I recall well, I think rescues recommend fences as high as 6 feet to prevent them from jumping). In any case, it my help to treat the porch area like any other area of the home and keep him there when he is empty and you can supervise him for giving signs of needing to go. It also may help feeding him, and playing with him./training him there, so he perceives it as part of a living area and not a bathroom.

Make sure to praise and reward for going potty outdoors so to encourage him to keep going there, and if you find a poop accident on the deck or house, place it outside so that he sees/smells it there and recognizes that outdoors is his bathroom area. 

 There has been a little progress on the crate training as I tried placing his breakfast in the kennel this morning (having placed it next to the kennel yesterday) with the idea of him just sticking his head in, but he walked in entirely and sat down.  And we aren't letting him go upstairs, so the cats just have to slip in and out when they get a chance for now. 

Great! Baby steps! It's nice when they surprise us and show us that they're up for the next level. 

An outside run is theoretically doable (provided the ground isn't muddy), although he did discover indoor-fetch today.  We've ordered a GPS tracker but I view this more as a safety net than a babysitter.

Right, the GPS can just help track him down if he happens to escape. 

A question on teaching the "lie down" command...He came to us understanding "sit" but either doesn't understand that he has to stretch out on his belly or doesn't want to.  I've tried teaching it in stages, and have gotten him to hunch over to take the treat near the floor without standing up, but when I try to complete the "L" he straightens up again.  Using a chair is a good idea but we don't have one that he'll fit under (as they all have the horizontal support brackets 3-4" from the floor).  A couple of times he did reluctantly sprawl over onto his side (and I clicked him for this), so it might(?) be that he understands but has that stubborn-husky streak.  He flops over on his side all the time and displays his belly, so he doesn't have issues with lying down in general.   

I wonder if he's trying to belly up, rather than lie down, considering that he seems prone to that "submissive" flopping to show his belly. If so, it may be he's not too comfortable with us standing closely to him, looming over so he feels like he needs to appease. In any case, it may be worth trying with you sitting on the couch (with your dog on the floor) or  you kneeling, asking him to sit and trying to do the "L" from a sitting/kneeling position. This may also be easier on us, allowing us to relax more as well. 

Here is a demo with me training a down, kneeling next to a small dog. The exercise should look the same, only that you'll be doing the L from a higher distance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv1B1Kd53uQ

 

[TERRY VALENTINE]

I'm typically already crouching or on my knees in front of him when I try the "L".  We do lean over him sometimes while he's lying down, to scratch his head and neck, and he only rolls over if we rub his belly, presumably for easier access :).  Sometimes he does it spontaneously, when we're nowhere near him.

I can also try to "capture" when he lies down on his own (which is frequent).  We do training sessions in the kitchen but the porch may also be a good idea if he's not too distracted.  Our back deck is 10-12' off the ground so hopefully he recognizes that it's too high to jump to the ground, even if he can get over the railing. 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Yes, capturing was going to be my next suggestion! You can keep him on leash next to you as you're sitting on the couch and praise and reward lying down on his own.

I would try a bit more the traditional way since he was showing signs of progressing. Some dogs take a little longer than others, but eventually most get it eventually. Try keeping the food lure a bit longer after performing the "L" or do the motion slower, to see if he adjusts himself to obtain that nice "sphinx-like down."