MolassesLass Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 My aunt has emailed me (the family dog guru ) about her little JRT and I'm out of ideas. Janey is about 3 years old and my aunt's family got her when she was about 5 months old. They answered an ad in their local paper and when they went to get her, they found she was kept in a little paved courtyard, not neglected but not really cared for either. She took quite a while to toilet train and probably wasn't really trained as she would go inside if left too long. Over the last few months, she's now gone completely backwards. She poops and pees everywhere in the house at any time, my aunt says she looks like she hold everything in just so she can do it when she's let in. Janey even crapped on the couch this week! She's pooping on concrete and the back deck where she wasn't before (never did). She will poop in a crate that is just the right size for her - she lays/sits in poo whenever and wherever it is. I've suggested it could be stress as she gets a lot of skin conditions when stressed and they have flared up. Or it could be a leadership thing since Janey snapped at my uncle when he went to push her down stairs (not down the stairs but gently pushed her bum to encourage her to go the few steps to the stairs and then down them). She has always protested about being outside, most of the time she will sit at the back door and just watch the family rather than toileting or doing anything in the lovely big yard they have. I was going to suggest putting her in a crate and taking her out every two hours like a baby puppy but if she poops in the crate I'm worried this won't work. Help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) They really need another view of the problem ..can they afford to get a professional in?(after a vet check) The person could then personally SEE how things are ..everyone's body language,etc... and hopefully find the problem. Frustrating and sad for everyone Edited January 26, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 So is she an outside dog? If she is, my guess from reading the above is that she's not actually housetrained. JRTs are the fastest dog to housetrain ever in my experience, they are super intelligent. I think there is something else happening here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) Firstly, there's no way they will pay for a trainer or whatever even if they could get one in their rural area. If it's established that it's a leadership issue or something then I might be able to force the issue but paying someone to come hang out at the house and watch the dog poo? No way. Secondly, I wouldn't pay too much attention to breed specifics, in this case I say "JRT" as in, "looks mostly like a JRT" not because she has papers. Lord know what she actually has in her! So is she an outside dog? She is at the moment because of the toileting everywhere. Prior to this issue, she was mostly inside - free reign during the day and slept in a crate at night. Now she's mostly outside and sleeps in the garage (since it can be sprayed out with a hose - she will do multiple poos overnight and then smoosh them everywhere). Edited January 26, 2011 by molasseslass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) Ok..a little dog doing multiple poo at night suggests a couple of things to me (that plus the skin....) Stress Food intolerance/change of food/too much food/wrong food. What do they feed? have they added/subtracted anything? when do they feed? Edited January 26, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 For one thing the diet would have to be wrong. Mine poo twice daily, once in the morning when I walk them and sometimes later in the day. What is she eating? How often is she walked? Is she in any kind of routine, ie walks / feeding at the same time of day? Is she given lots of snacks?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Mine poo twice daily, once in the morning when I walk them and sometimes later in the day. Same here.. often only once ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Got a reply for the questions: Janey gets fed twice a day about 6am and 6pm. BARF patties, sardines, eggs, yoghurt and various chicken bones. Some offal twice a week also. No commercial treats. This is the diet she's always been on, no changes. No walks, just free running in the yard with my cousins kids (cousin still living at home). Though it's getting less because of the pooped on deck area and no one wanting to go out there. Thanks for the time you are taking to try and help persephone and dogmad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Is a vet check an option? Its very unusual for their to be a sudden change for the dog to being happy to sit in their own faeces/ urine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Can the deck area be fenced off at least, so she's not messing close to the house? Would they consider bringing her inside on a leash .. ? A vet check would be a good plan... and perhaps, if all ok, get someone to actually take her out of the yard occasionally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 My advice would be to change the diet - give her dried biscuits (of good quality) with something like tuna through it or turkey mince (low fat). As much as the natural diet is good, it doesn't seem to be working for her. Walking is absolutely vital - she's only young, running round in a yard isn't enough. Two walks a day (or more) would be great, the walking promotes pooping, mine always poop on a walk in the morning. These days I can't often manage a 2nd walk but if I do they will go, if not they can go in the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I too would second the vet visit but training wise I have had success using tethering with what was considered a hopeless case. The dog is either attached to me or crated. The dog is unlikely to toilet in such close proximity to the owner and you are more focussed on what the dog is doing. It is also so important that they go outside with the dog as it gives an opportunity to praise for correct behaviour rather than growling all the time which is no doubt making it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Vet check was the first suggestion and I think they've booked one in already. But the sitting in poop is not new, the few times she pooped in her crate before all this she would be found, laying in it and quite content. I think being in a small paved courtyard as a pup made her a "dirty dog". I guess it's just now she's pooping in the wrong spots ALL the time, it's gone from being a gross rare event to a constant disgusting cleaning job. They could put a fence on the stairs to the deck. And if it's anxiety about being away from her mum, then they'd see something else develop and can go from there I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I have a good housetraining method but it's pointless unless they people are really going to focus on the dog for several days and it does require a dog being walked. Sitting in poop is not normal but with a change of diet and regular walking / cleaning up of poop in the garden, she shouldn't be producing poop to sit in! Dogs certainly shouldn't be pooping during the night. I've had loads through here - one having to poop during the night would be extremely rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Can you do it when you work fulltime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Yes, absolutely. I do start on a Saturday morning though and focus on it for the 2 days. By the time I go back to work on the Monday, most foster dogs have got it. I've only had 3 that I've had problems with - all females - 1 with brain damage, 1 severely abused and most likely locked in a garage or similar for her 2 yrs and the third a breeding dog kept in a cage for 8 yrs. Apart from the brain damaged dog, the other two eventually got it. With this dog though, the diet most definitely needs changing - her pooing is not normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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