My snotty little Puggle has always squeezed out as many poops as she could in a walk. Her poops are just small pellets (I refer to them as rabbit poop) because she holds what she can to poop as much as she can throughout the course of her walks. I had always thought of this as her way of marking as she would do it at the dog park as well. The last few months she has taken to pooping on the side walk.
She gets the, "bad girl" each time she poops on the sidewalk and obviously knows it is wrong and I have no idea what else to do to correct it. She hates water and I have even gone as far as to carry a squirt bottle with me to spray her each time she squats on cement. She has an expendable leash and we live in Florida so all around us is grass. When she was a puppy and she would get angry with me she would poop on my pillow, that's why I believe this to be a behavioral issue as well.She was a pet store dog, but has never had an accident in her kennel or the house since she was a puppy. We live in an apartment but go out several times a day and the very least do a lap around our complex, we also go to a nearby trail 2-4 times weekly which is 3 miles long. Does anyone have some suggestions? I am about to go crazy on her!!
You're not gong to want to hear this .. But, the only behavioral issue is yours.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You are expecting a dog to think as a human thinks .. and that is totally wrong.
A dog often empties her bowls in response to nervousness. It is a "flight" instinct. All prey animals will empty their bowls when they are fearful, so they are better ready to run from the predator.
She is not marking. She is fearful of your wrath, so is holding her poop as long as she can, so that she won't get scolded for pooping. You have trained to not poop indoors, and now you are scolding her for pooping outdoors. She has no idea what 'your' boundaries are. So, she goes just a little at a time, because walking stimulates the bowls, and she can't hold it all in.
Quit scolding her. Let her know that pooping * outdoors * makes her a star.
I don't know why you don't want her to do it on cement, as long as it isn't too gooshy to pick up. To me, it is easier to pick up from cement, than it is to dig it out of grass ...
But, if you want her to go on grass, only take her to the grass, and wait until she has done it before walking on the sidewalk. She may need to be taken out more often, so she isn't trying to hold it so long.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You were saying that she did it on your pillow when she was mad at you. Dogs don't have the emotion of 'spite'. Puppies will do it on the bed, or the furniture, where the master's scent is the strongest. So , it is just the opposite of your own reasoning. She was fearful, (likely from being scolded about something) so she did it where she felt safest .. where the scent of her protector would cover it.
when you see her sqat to poop, pick her up and put her where you want her to do it. when she goes in the right spot, give lots of praise and petting. she will get it.
encouraging what you want her to do instead of telling her "bad girl" for what you dont want her to do will comunicate what you want much better.
(By the way, dont forget to pick up the poop!)
If you don't want her to go on the sidewalk don't walk her on it. It's not her fault she needs to have a bowel movement when she walks. Walking often does that. I don't know why it matters where she uses the bathroom. You should be carrying bags to pick up after her no matter where she poops.
I don't see how pooping on the sidewalk is a behavioral issue - pick it up. The walking stimulates a dog to evacuate and that's what she doing, there's nothing "snotty" about it.
Did you know small pellet like poops are a sign of constipation? Be constipated hurts and the dog will do anything to eliminate the pain.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You dog may need a vet check up.
Make the sidewalk off limits to her. Anytime she gets on it make her get off.
Well, first of all, you can't say she's bad for pooping .. she doesn't know it's cause it's on the sidewalk. All you need to do is praise for pooping on the grass. Although I don't see how it matters, since you should be picking up the poop regardless of where it drops. Anyway , get a leash you can control her better with, and pull her on the grass if she squats to poop. Then praise. Dogs respond better to praise than to punishment.
