behavioral problem/defacation in house

Question
My husband and I adopted a Jack Russell/beagle mix, about two years ago..He has been a great dog, very spoiled. I am home most of the time now, my husband works. This past week "Sparky", started defalcating in the house, when we go out and even when we are home. He has been checked by a vet, and is healthy, so I think this is a behavior problem. We have had many dogs in the past, so understand and have had much success in the past training our pets to go to the bathroom, in the appropriate places. Sparky gets plenty of excessive, but does not pee or poop when he is encouraged to do so. Again, this problem has just started, and seems to occur when I or both of us go out..Example; I came home this evening, checked the house,found it clean praised the dog, then I let him out. I gave him time outside, let him in, sat sown to east, he went into the basement and pooed on the floor! I scolded him put him out, then again he came in and did it again! There are no new animals in the house and no major changes. This has been happening at night or again when we go out of the house together without him. Help!!! Should we start crating him?

Answer
Maureen & Jeff -

Yes, one piece of my advice is to crate Sparky when you're not home. I think that is just the start though.

I believe this is going to take a concerted effort to make sure he has pottied when you take him outside as opposed to just sending him out.  I think taking him out immediately upon coming home, and hanging out with him for a few minutes, perhaps throwing a ball.  The trick here is to catch him doing something right and giving him praise and in this case I would recommend "having a party."

When you come home and praise him because the house is clean, he does not attach the praise with the clean house. For dogs the reinforcement has to be immediate with the behavior in order for them to connect the 2.

Having a party is why my favorite trainer calls it when you give plenty of excited sounding praise and give tiny bites of very very high "value" treats one right after another for about 20 seconds. Dogs, just like people, have preferences.  For my dogs, cheese is one of the high value treats, so I give tiny pieces of cheese (think pencil eraser) one right after another.

The other thing to remember is that most dogs poop about 15-20 minutes after they eat.  That makes this an essential time to take him out.

I am quite confident if you re-train him in this way... connecting good things with pooping outside as opposed to negative feedback for pooping, he will straighten out pretty quickly.

Remember, it will be essential to not just send him out on his own. He's going to need you there so you can immediately reinforce him doing the right thing (and so you're not letting him in until he's done all his business).

Best wishes.

-Beth