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Boxer/American Bull dog pooping in basement
I need help, My wife and I have a 5 year old American Bull Dog/Boxer mix. he's house broken and knows all well trained. We take him out for plenty of bathroom breaks and he is a great dog. Howerver.... We live in a Condo with no backyard, so we generally rely on him to cue us if he has to go when it's not one of his regulars outings. What's been happening (for years now) is that he tends to sneak down to the basement when we aren't down there and ghe defecates. He doesn't pee though. We had originally thought, prior to having the basement finsihed, that this was just a result of him thinking the basement as "outside" because it felt the same...concrete, cold, etc. But we've had teh basement finished for over a year now, and we definitely use it every day, in fact we spend most of our time down there, and for a while he had stopped doing # 2. But recently, he's started back up again. It's always been the same spot/general area. I've cleaned it with enzymatic cleaners. We've also gated it off, especially when he doesn't "go" during his normal outings. yet he still seems to find a way down, sometimes it happens in the few seconds from removing the gate and going to pick up our baby to bring her downstairs. It's very frustrating, he's such a loving quiet dog, and obviously protective of our family, without being aggressive at all. We're not sure what to d, because frankly, we can never catch him "in the act" so it's hard to correct it and distract him from it. Also, he seems to know we don't like it, which is why he sneaks down to do it (or so we believe). How do we stop this? Help!
7 Replies
October 28, 2009 5:45 PM
The 1st page of the dog Trainer's training manual says: You can't fix what you can't catch!".
Thus making your only choices preventing access to basement during those moments when it's most likely to happen OR put him out before you go to get the baby and whatever...
Part of this is that you keep trusting the dog too much. You know it's going to happen and wah-lah it does??? I feel rude (unintended) by pointing to the obvious but never let him down there unsupervised. Yeah it's extra effort but then so is cleaning up piles of #2 a couple times a day. It's a supervision problem not a dog problem and he's had 5 years to practice at avoiding being supervised.
I feel like like you already knew all this and just needed someone to tell you get busy and just do it. GET BUSY! :-))
Be Well and Train Well.
October 29, 2009 5:00 PM
One idea is to crate train the dog.. Then you can put the dog in the crate when not possible to keep an eye on him :=)
October 29, 2009 10:28 PM
I will add a bit here.
If your dog has been using the basement, it's smell is there, you have to clean it up well. Cesar has used bleach on floors, there are enzime products that will eat up the smell on carpets.
I have always had a yard, and for many many years, a dog door. I have not trained a dog to do this but many I have heard of did a bell by a door for the dog to hit. Check with K-nine on this possible training.
Also I do find it strange that your dog is male, and it 5 years old and has a problem holding defication. Most 5 year old dogs, when house broken, see K-Nines post, can go 24 hours without doing it in the house.
Dogs do like to go in the same place. With a yard, they tend to go in one area. With two dogs, they pick out two different areas. For your walks, make certain they last a hundered yards or more. Once the dog does it outside, reward him, and begin to take him to the same area. I have been able to shorten the walks I do with my dogs, on what I call a "sniff" which just for going, not real exercise.
Also a pad in your house might work for you. If you begin to use one, put a mistake on the pad and maybe leave it there until the dog learns that is were it needs to go.
K-Nine made a really good point, if you don't catch the dog, you can't train it.
October 29, 2009 11:04 PM
Thanks to everyone, we may try a bell and see if that works, I suppose it's possible that my wife and I are missing the signs that he has to go, but I doubt it.
I don't think he goes down here because he "can't hold it" but rather I think he does it out of some sort of spite. he doesn't do it every day, and definitely not multiple times a day, so it's really hard to say.
I will say that he also has food allergy issues, and sometimes I wonder if maybe he has gotten to the cat food or other food that he should not have.
We've always done the enzyme cleaner, perhaps we need to do more, any recommendations on a good brand?
Thanks for the tips, hopefully we can get this resolved.
October 30, 2009 1:38 PM
We used urin gone. Remember though, the enzime products take about 2 weeks to fully work. An every day dog will defeat the product. That means two weeks of keeping the dog away from the spot.
On being spitefull, I have thought my last 7 dogs had that. Thinking about it realistically, spite takes long term thought, and I don't think dogs are good at that. For my spitful dogs, they would go to their food dish, find it empty, then chew up a kleenex out of the trash. That is 7 or 7 dogs. It was an imdiate response to something they did not like. If your dog is actually doing this out of spite, they you should know why. What did you or someone in the family do to get the dog to do something out of spite.
Once you determine what cause the spite, then decide on a correction. I choose not to correct an occasional empty dish, nearly impossible for me to prevent all the time. Dogs eat at night, all have chosen to do that, and sometimes they go a few days without food, and then pig out some. Tearing up a Kleenex is not something I have tried to prevent much, espcially since the dogs would never do it when I was around.
For all who might say keeping food in a dish is wrong. It has worked for me, without much weight gain. I only do kibble so that makes it easy. I have known some others that do the same, but it is not something many do. If it is human food or canned food, dogs get separate dishes, eat at one time, and no kibble until the next day.
October 30, 2009 12:47 AM
There are also “motion sensitive” or “proximity sensitive” devices that are rigged to things like deafeningly loud air horns and personal sirens that you could place at that spot. I’m not a fan of devices where I can’t control the volume or intensity and the unexpected sound is enough to make you leap out of your skin in fright. These could make him fearful of the entire basement and not just that spot.
It’s also the idea that he could set the device off as you are coming down the stairs with the baby that prevented me from suggesting them in the first place. You, the dog and the baby could all get a real fright from it and I picture the dog racing up the stairs as you are trying to come down holding the baby. Now you also have a terrified and crying baby on your hands which is not good and your whole night just got ruined.
Here is one idea that may appeal to you. It’s called a Scat Mat or ScatMat®. Basically it’s an adjustable intensity shock mat powered by a 9 volt battery. Put it down over the spot where the dog goes #2. A possible problem is that he may just pick a new spot away from the mat next time. It’s a strong static shock and a crawling baby touching it won’t be too happy about it either.
I suggested closer management because all this other stuff comes with having to be managed in some fashion anyway for the sake of the baby.
I missed the crate and the bells or strap of Jingle Bells (dauh!!!) which may well be the simplest ideas to implement. (I even crate and use jingle bells myself so go figure.)
That’s pretty much the whole arsenal of tools at your disposal should you choose to try them. The only sure-fire fix is still to catch him in the act.
Be Well and Train Well.
October 30, 2009 2:31 PM
K-Nine, I did not offer training on doing the bells because I have never done it. I also know it can be done easily but doing it for a reason, not just because the dog gets a wild hair takes some thought.
Only your sock collar or such will work without supervision of the dog, as you say, and I think most know. Every dog I get is on a Friday and the weekend is watching the dog. I normally try to get Monday off also. While watching the dog, or pup, for housebreaking, you can spend time teaching basic commands like sit, stay and lay, others if you so wish.
For me, if you spend the two or three days, constantly watching the dog, teaching it NO or some other word, when needed, then it is well worth it into the future. For me, the first two or three days are the most important I can give to having a good dog into the future. Do the work up front. Solves much of what you need to clean up into the future (pun intended),
I have said house breaking is easy. That is because I took the time to do it. Dogs, even pups, give a bit of a warning before they do it on the inside of your house. If you are there to observe it, you can stop it and redirect to where you think it is proper.
Also, as I know now, mistakes made early are a bigger fight into the future. My current dogs were not taught heel, smaller, they didn't need it. Biggest mistake I ever made. Teach heel, then teach a break command to go off of it if you so wish.
I think my problem with most people is that they get a dog cause it is cute. No prior research given to the responsibilty the dog gives you. Your dog basic post is one that should be read first, then get the dog. Get a training tape, I think we all like Cesar,and he as at least one. Talk to someone who you know that has a good dog, and ask tell them you would like to get a dog, what do they recommend? If everyone goes into a dog with a plan, there would be far less people having difficulties.
Before you get the dog, what are your house rules? Can the dog get on the furniture, or not? Can it get on the bed or not? Where will it get fed? Is it allowed in every room, or are some off limits. Will a crate be involved? You, especially for a pup, get the dog toys first, peferabley something that can be chewed on, like a nyla bone, raw hides, kong or such. Where is the dog going to sleep? Then set up a bed for the dog. Expecially for a pup, as with a baby, puppy proof the house, or petty much baby proof it. If you get a new dog with old dogs in the house, and the old dogs meet it before introducing the addition to the house.
Yes you can just get a pup or dog at a whim, my first dog after years of not having one, was like that. There was a pet store on the way home, so make a stop. Dog got to watch me and follow me as I changed the house around some. It can be done, but the plan and thinking has to be done before the dog, not afterwards.
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