Dog Pooping on Floor at Night

[NatJ]

I can try, but she doesn’t even tell me she wants to go out during the day. I wouldn’t even know how to begin teaching her!

What I have read, but never tried myself:

Hang a bell on the door.
When you bring the dog to the door to go out, use the dog's paw to ring the bell.
Then immediately open the door and take the dog out.
If the dog rings the bell herself, take her out right away.

I imagine there are quite a few dogs that will learn from teaching like that, and probably some that will not. I don't know about the particular dog you have.

Given what else you have said about the dog, have you tried giving some kind of praise or other reward when she does relieve herself outside? That might make her pay a bit more attention to where she relieves herself (she earns good things, but only outdoors.)

Given the issues you are having, I hesitate to suggest any treat of food. But if this dog is very food-motivated, maybe use a small amount of the normal dog food as a treat for relieving herself outside? That should be less likely to cause trouble, as compared with adding any other kind of food. I'm thinking an amount like one or two little bits of kibble each time, not a large quantity.

 

[Evadig]

What I have read, but never tried myself:

Hang a bell on the door.
When you bring the dog to the door to go out, use the dog's paw to ring the bell.
Then immediately open the door and take the dog out.
If the dog rings the bell herself, take her out right away.

I imagine there are quite a few dogs that will learn from teaching like that, and probably some that will not. I don't know about the particular dog you have.

Given what else you have said about the dog, have you tried giving some kind of praise or other reward when she does reliever herself outside? That might make her pay a bit more attention to where she relieves herself (she earns good things, but only outdoors.)

Given the issues you are having, I hesitate to suggest any treat of food. But if this dog is very food-motivated, maybe use a small amount of the normal dog food as a treat for relieving herself outside? That should be less likely to cause trouble, as compared with adding any other kind of food. I'm thinking an amount like one or two little bits of kibble each time, not a large quantity.

She's not the brightest dog, for sure.

I will try this...maybe just to cement into her brain that it's good to do her business outside.

 

[cassie]

The short answer is simply to crate her at night.

 

[NatJ]

The short answer is simply to crate her at night.

As a solution to poop on the carpet, I agree that crating her every night is definitely a solution, and probably the easiest overall.

Apparently it does not prevent her pooping at night in the house, crated or not, but at least it keeps the poop off the carpet.

I’m enlisting soon, hopefully, so then they’ll have to deal with it. Until then I will just have to pick up after her every two months - if she still has accidents despite not being fed at night.

Since the rest of the family is going to have to deal with the situation, maybe they would like to install a dog door somewhere in the house? Then have this dog sleep by that dog door each night.

If she will take herself out, it will not solve any medical problem she may have, but it will solve the cleanup problem.

Or would it be worth trying a litterbox in the house like is commonly done for cats? I know this is usually not recommended for dogs because everyone wants them to go outside, but if the dog can't or won't wait for outside, a litterbox might help with the cleanup.