A dog pooping everywhere inappropriately is among the top reasons why most dog owners give up their pups.
I mean, no one wants to come home to a house smelling of dog poop. However, understanding the reason why your dog is pooping everywhere all of a sudden is key.
This is especially concerning if your dog has been fully potty trained. You will need to monitor your dog and discover the reason behind this habit.
Below, we are going to discuss these reasons in-depth as well as what to do to make it stop.
My Dog Started Pooping Everywhere All Of A Sudden
As I have mentioned above, once your dog starts soiling the house, you need to address this problem as soon as possible.
Take some time and observe him. Have you had any changes in the household lately?
Environmental factors are likely to cause your dog to eliminate inappropriately.
At the same time, there are health factors that could be contributing to this behavior.
Medical Reasons For a Dog To Poop Everywhere Inappropriately
If your dog is potty trained but has started to poop all over, it could be that he is ill.
Well, dogs are very intelligent and will rarely go to the toilet just anywhere, especially if he is well trained.
I suggest that you take your pup to the vet before you start any correctional measures.
Some of the illnesses that may lead to inappropriate pooping may include parasite infestation, food allergy, or inflammation of the bowel.
Your vet will examine your dog for any of the above illnesses. Sometimes it can turn out to be something serious such as bowel cancer.
There is no need to panic, if you suspect that your dog is sick, I suggest you talk to the vet.
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Environmental Factors Causing a Dog Pooping Everywhere
In most cases, pooping everywhere is a result of environmental factors. Now, understand that dogs are very sensitive and reactive to their environment.
Domestication takes away the natural dog environment and places them in ours.
Therefore, I urge all dog owners to exercise caution especially when considering implementing any form of change in your household.
Without much delay, let us explore the environmental factors that may contribute to inappropriate elimination.
Fear And Anxiety
While dogs can be fierce, they can also experience fear and anxiety. Your dog is probably pooping in the house because he is scared of his usual potty place.
It is a result of previous unpleasant experiences.
For instance, if your dog went to poop and was probably threatened by another pet or startled by a person, he is going to be afraid of going to the potty place.
And even if you take him, there is a chance that he will not do his business.
Well, if he cannot eliminate it in his usual place, you will get back inside. Unfortunately, it will get to a point when he cannot hold it any longer.
He will relieve himself at any place of his convenience.
Observe the surroundings and identify the reason why your dog is afraid of the potty area. Note that getting down to business needs time and comfort.
At this position, your dog is most vulnerable unlike when he is on his four limbs.
If you have recently brought a new pet home, your dog could be feeling anxious, especially if he encounters them on the way to potty.
Well, this includes your guests in the house who could be causing your dog anxiety.
Some dogs tend to avoid their potty place especially when there are guests in the house. You may need to train them on how to socialize with people.
Also, if you have a rescue dog, he could have anxiety issues for some time. However, with proper training, he should get comfortable living with you.
You just have to be very patient with him.
If your dog won’t go to the potty area, you can start with potty training him using paper pads.
Overstimulation During a Potty Break
A potty break is very crucial. However, it means that your dog is going outside, that is if he is an indoor dog. This is exciting to him and he can easily get distracted.
When you let your dog out, you are exposing him to different smells and scents that stimulate your dog. He might stumble on his favorite toy on the way out.
While this is not a big deal to you, it is to him. He will probably keep thinking about it and eventually forget about going to the potty area.
I always emphasize on using the same route to the potty pace every time, especially if you are just starting with potty training.
Refrain from playing with your dog during potty breaks. As I said, you can easily distract him and he might end up forgetting about the main activity.
It is also helpful to keep your dog on a leash when heading to the potty area. You will keep him from all the distractions around the yard.
Besides, you need to keep on track as outside meaning that he can smell strange scents which could lead to an overload in his sensory glands.
As a result, your dog will get over-excited and may forget all about the potty break.
Now, have you been taking your dog for potty breaks and he will end up soiling the house?
It could probably be time to reintroduce potty training once more.
Change In Lifestyle
Dogs, as I mentioned earlier, are very reactive to the environments. Unfortunately, they do no readily adapt to any changes in their lifestyles. This could be a change in his schedule, residency or even his diet.
Have you recently moved to a new house? Well, if so, your dog could be finding it difficult to find his new potty place. It does not matter whether you have potty trained your dog in the past or not. In other cases, your dog could be too anxious and end up pooping everywhere.
Poor diet is also associated with inappropriate elimination in dogs. Pay attention to his diet and do not change it without speaking to your vet. Changing your dog’s diet could lead to an upset stomach which will result in house soiling.
Also, notice when your dog is most likely to want to go to the potty area. In most cases, a dog will eliminate after each meal. However, others can also develop the need to eliminate in-between.
I advise you to refrain from altering your dog’s schedule.
Separation Anxiety
Potty training should not be as difficult but when you are dealing with a dog with separation anxiety, it can be quite challenging.
Separation anxiety is the extreme fear that your dog might exhibit when he is left alone for longer than usual.
Has your dog been acting up when you leave for work? Dogs are not designed to stay alone for so long, and especially without anything to do.
Now, if your dog has developed separation anxiety, he might end up pooping everywhere all of a sudden.
For example, maybe you left your dog with a friend as you went away for your vacation. When you come back, you might find that he now soils the house, which is quite disappointing.
Well, you will have to reintroduce potty training as you teach him how to be alone without causing a fuss.
Other signs of separation anxiety might include pacing and barking when left alone. Separation anxiety needs tender care and consistent training to eliminate.
Old Age
It is always such a delight to see your dog grow older with you. However, dogs do not have a very long lifespan.
We almost outlive them every time, which is sad. For this reason, I insist on providing proper care of your dog until old age.
Now, maybe your dog has started pooping everywhere all of a sudden because he is getting older. With age, your dog might lose his ability to hold it for too long.
Older dogs are also at risk of developing dementia. He could forget to go to the potty place and poop in the house.
It is probably now time to adjust your space as you may not be able to always remind him.
I suggest you restrict an area for your dog, where you can place paper pads all over. I would advise you to use the uncarpeted areas of the house.
Also, note that an older dog might need constant care.
How to Stop My Dog Pooping Everywhere
Are you frustrated that your dog has started pooping everywhere all of a sudden?
Well, I understand this struggle and I have highlighted the leading cause of this behavior above?
However, the good news is that you can be able to discourage this vice with consistent potty training exercises.
Well, I suggest you brace yourself as I guide you on how to potty train an adult dog. You will need to do so even if you have done it before.
Potty Train
For several reasons, you might have ended up with a dog who poops everywhere. Yes, I agree that this is completely unacceptable and you have to teach him otherwise.
Now, potty training a puppy is one of the easiest things to do, as compared to training an adult dog.
Use this process to potty train your adult dog:
Establish a Strict Routine
Once your dog starts pooping everywhere, you need a strict routine. It will help you manage his potty needs.
For instance, every dog owner knows that a dog will poop about 15-30 minutes after each meal. This is the perfect time to lead him to the potty place.
However, understand that your dog has probably undergone potty training before. Therefore, I suggest you consider why he won’t go to the potty place.
If his potty area is near the fence, it could make him feel vulnerable. Then you might consider taking it to a quiet place where he can poop comfortably.
Your strict routine should also include meal times, play, and also exercise times.
Take Your Dog Out The First Thing In The Morning
Just as most of us are wired, your dog will need a potty break the first thing in the morning. So when you wake up, lead him outside to avoid him soiling the house.
Well, it does not stop here as you will need to take him outside once again after you feed him.
Well, if your dog does not go to the toilet, I suggest you get back in the house and take him out again after about 10 minutes.
Note that being at the potty place could stimulate your dog to potty and thus you cannot stay in for too long.
Invest In a Crate
To successfully potty train a dog, you might need to put him in a crate, Not only will it aid the training process but also keep your dog from pooping everywhere.
Ensure the crate you get is big enough for your dog to stand and stretch but not too big to provide space for pooping.
A dog crate works well because dogs will not poop in the same place they eat or sleep.
A crate will restrict your dog from moving from one place to another in the house where he might be tempted to potty.
However, crate training will also require you to be at home to help out your dog.
Therefore, you must master the signs and symptoms that your dog has the urge to go potty.
There may include pacing and circling in the crate. It means that it is time to hurry to the potty area.
Conclusion
Potty training is essential for every dog, regardless of age. However, for some reason, you could end up with an adult dog who poops everywhere.
The solution to a dog pooping everywhere and all of a sudden is to potty train him all over again.
You will need to be very patient with him and clean up any accidents he might have.
I insist on getting a crate for potty training purposes as it will be much easier to manage your dog until he is fully trained.
However, before you go ahead to assume that your dog needs training, talk to your vet.
Get your dog checked up to rule out any medical conditions that could be causing him to poop everywhere.
